Latif takes up challenge
Sharjah |By K.R. Nayar | 02-04-2003
Newly appointed Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif is facing the biggest challenge of his career. Rashid has been asked to lead a new look Pakistan team, minus the top stars, in the Cherry Blossom Cup set to commence at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium tomorrow.
“I was planning to retire after the World Cup but I’ve decided to put it on hold to help my country in the re-building process,” remarked the 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman to Gulf News yesterday.
Commenting on the team a confident Latif remarked, “Ours is a young team with a lot of new faces and its a challenge and I’ve accepted it.”
"I know it is not an easy task without the top players like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who have served the country for nearly 15 years. This is the right time to look into the future and rebuild our team.
“We have promising players in the side who have done well for the Pakistan A team and have toured a few countries. What they need is more international experience and this tournament is a good opportunity for them to gain it,” he said.
“It may not be easy to establish ourselves as a top team quickly . They need time to get the feel of international cricket. The more matches they play the better they will become, Once they get the required experience it will show in their performance,” he revealed
Latif is delighted that he has one of the most experienced players in Javed Miandad as the coach.
“I have worked with Miandad from 1992 and have enjoyed his style . He is different from the others and his presence and guidance will make my job easier. His ability to analyse the game and spot the drawbacks in the young players will serve our team a lot,” said Latif.
On whether the Sharjah wicket would help the youngsters showcase their talent, Latif said: "The Sharjah wicket has always been batsman friendly and we have some young talented batsmen in the side like Naveed Latif, Misbah Ul Haq. The players will have to handle the pressure and give their best.
“Except for a few all of them have played in different conditions and in different countries. I think Pakistan has a bright future if the new faces can be given time to gain confidence,” he concluded.
Source: Gulf News
