Waqar stays back in SA for holidays
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has decided to take some time off from cricket and has stayed back in South Africa with his wife and child after the completion of the Test series which Pakistan lost two-nil.
According to available information, Waqar has been permitted by Pakistan manager Brigadier (retd) Khawaja Nasir to take a holiday in South Africa while the rest of the team started returning home from Wednesday.
Shahid Afridi, Faisal Iqbal, Muhammad Sami, Hasan Raza, batting coach Hanif Muhammad andteam analyst Sikander Bakht all reached Karachi, while Younis Khan and Fazl-e-Akber flew straight to Peshawar. The boys belonging to Punjab will reach their homes tomorrow.
The team manager has also given permission to off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq to fly to London to be with his family.
Coach Richard Pybus also left for his home in East London after the Test series, while physiotherapist Dennis Waight has returned to Australia.
The Pakistan team leaves for South Africa on their World Cup campaign on January 24 but before that the players are expected to assemble and attend a reception being hosted by President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad around January 18.
The players will also attend briefings and meeting with the PCB chairman and manager-designate Shaharyar Khan in Lahore or Rawalpindi before embarking upon their campaign.
