February 20, 2003	Thursday	Zul Hijjah 18, 1423

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JOHANNESBURG, Feb 19: Pakistan’s wily off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq on Wednesday warned World Cup rivals that slow bowlers should not be taken lightly since they turn around games with their bag of tricks.

“I am very surprised when I hear that spinners have no role to play in one-day cricket because they can do a lot of damage,” said Saqlain, regarded as one of the best spinners in the modern game.

With champion Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne out of the tournament after a failed drug test, it is left to Saqlain, Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and India’s Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to make an impact in the World Cup.

“It’s a huge challenge for spinners to stop the flow of runs besides taking wickets,” said the Pakistani who recorded one of his two hat tricks against Zimbabwe in the previous World Cup four years ago.

Saqlain and Muralitharan have taken off-spin bowling to new heights, although the Pakistani has been out of the limelight in recent times.

“I am not bothered what critics say about my being not in the spinners’ race, my task is to take wickets and I am up to it,” he said.

Saqlain was not asked to play in the first match against Australia, and bowled just four deliveries in the second match against Namibia.

The 26-year-old from Lahore has 285 one-day wickets against Muralitharan’s tally of 309, but has a better strike rate of 30.2 as compared to the Sri Lankan’s 35.9.—AFP