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| June 8, 2003 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1424 |
Rashid Latif’s new lease of life
MANCHESTER, June 7: Skipper Rashid Latif survived one of the heaviest culls in Pakistan’s cricketing history in wake of a shambolic World Cup performance. And now he has been granted new lease of life in a team suddenly bereft of Waqars, Wasims and Inzamams so readily associated with that famous team.
In a similar sort of way that Darren Gough has been retained as a father figure to guide England’s inexperienced one-day players, Rashid has a similar job to do for Pakistan.
But whereas Gough has bravely battled back to some sort of fitness after months on the sidelines, Rashid was thinking of hanging up his boots after the World Cup.
In an interview just after cricket’s biggest tournament started in South Africa in mid-February, Rashid essentially tendered his resignation.
The idea was that after a 10-year career fighting for role of international wicket-keeper with Moin Khan, he would concentrate on domestic cricket.
Rashid was a key figure in exposing the match-fixing scandals of the 1990s. His international career came under pressure as a result of making claims against team-mates following the 1994-95 tour to Zimbabwe.
He later gave evidence against some of Pakistan players to Justice Qayyum commission, one of two judicial inquiries conducted into allegations of corruption against Pakistan players.
Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman received life bans as a result of inquiry, and six other players, including current Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, were fined.
Rashid, having missed World Cup win in 1992 and also the 1999 edition, was pumped up for the tournament earlier this year.
But his enthusiasm bubbled over after he was accused of making a racist remark by Australia’s Adam Gilchrist when the two teams met in their opening group game.
It was all rather surprising that Rashid was the only member of the old guard to survive the post-World Cup clear-out.
After all, not only had he been one of the few people to actively request retirement, his career had never achieved cult status in the way Wasim, Waqar’s and Inzamam’s had. But out went that exalted trio and we may never see them again.
Even Saqlain Mushtaq was cast to the four winds, though Shoaib Akhtar, after missing a tournament in Sharjah, returned for the following event in Sri Lanka.
Remarkably, Rashid steeled his young recruits to defy expectations. They won in Sharjah and reached the final in Sri Lanka, eliminating the hosts in the process.
When Pakistan played Scotland on Saturday in Glasgow, Rashid was one of the few recognisable faces on show.
Even in June, Scotland is known for its chilly weather, but though he may have needed to pull on an extra sweater or two, Rashid should have felt warm inside.
In February, his team were losing match after match in South Africa. Now they are on an upward curve, and after a career on the periphery of things, Rashid is in charge and enjoying his cricket again.—PPI
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