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| October 10, 2006 | Tuesday | Ramazan 16, 1427 |
Players are behind me, says Younis
NEW DELHI, Oct 9: After the unsavoury incidents of last week, Pakistan captain Younis Khan insisted he had full-support of the team and players were focussed on playing good cricket in the Champions Trophy.
Younis claimed the flip-flop over the captaincy issue hours before the team's departure for the prestigious tournament was behind them and would not hamper their performance.
“Let bygones be bygones. I have already forgotten the incident because you cannot change what has happened. The issue has died down and I foresee no problems,” Younis told reporters on Monday.
He also said the whole episode would not affect the morale of the team ahead of such a crucial tournament.
“It (Pakistan) is not a club team. We are playing international cricket. It should not be such a problem to rise above all these and perform,” he said.
The middle-order batsman said he had the support of the whole team and was eager to prove himself as a captain.
“I am here to enjoy my cricket. I am supporting all the other players and they are also supporting me. I hope I do well. Playing under pressure is a challenge. But it is also fun to play under pressure,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer finds flexibility a key factor as frequent tours have taken away the surprise element from international cricket.
With teams playing each other more often than ever before, captains have come to know each other's strengths and weaknesses and tend to rely on players who can adapt and perform multiple roles, Woolmer said.
“It is important to have flexibility in the side,” Woolmer said.
He also said shuffling of the batting order was the way to stay ahead of the rivals in the game.
“In an ideal world, it would be good if batsmen know their exact batting positions. But modern one-day cricket demands flexibility and one has to live with different roles,” said Woolmer, who had coached South Africa in the 1990s.
“International cricketers are expected to adapt to different conditions. Flexibility is required for all the 11 positions in the side,” he said.—Agencies
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