ISLAMABAD: Induction of talented leg-spinner Yasir Shah into the national team is being advocated by all quarters with the 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan and other senior players urging the team management to include the spinner as well as experienced batsman Younis Khan in the squad for the all-important quarter-final against Australia.

The advocacy for including Yasir in the national team has come in the wake of injury to the lanky fast bowler Mohammad Irfan which has ruled him out of the World Cup.

“I have failed to understand as to why Yasir has still not been given appropriate chance in the World Cup,” maintained Imran while stating leg-spinners on the Australian pitches usually prove successful. “Aussies play medium-pacers very well and so a leg spinner like Yasir could help Pakistan’s cause,” added Imran.

Stating that any team can win Friday’s knockout match, the former captain argued that only experienced players could cope up with the pressure of a big match.

“We will need a batsman like Younis to tackle pressure of the big game,” he maintained and advised the Pakistan batsmen in general, and openers in particular, not to waste their wicket at early in the innings.

“If we lose two wickets in the first 20 runs then our chances of winning are just 40 per cent and if we lose three wickets then we might have only 15 per cent chances of beating the rivals in the quarter-final,” said Imran who, before urging players not to get worried about loss, urged captain Misbah-ul-Haq to “send your top batsman first with Younis at No. 3 and himself No. 4.

“My only advice to Misbah is to remove the fear of losing the game from his mind,” Imran categorically stated.

The former Test captain further said that Pakistan had suffered a great loss in injury sustained by Irfan, saying that the talented pacer was a wicket-taking bowler.

Imran said if Pakistan beat Australia and made it to the semi-final against India then the pressure would be on India, for Pakistan would be a rising team.

Also, other former Test cricketers including Test fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, Test all-rounder Azhar Mehmood, Test batman Mohammad Yousuf besides Test paceman Sikandar Bakht have urged the team management to induct both Yasir and Younis into the squad against Aussies in the crunch quarter-final.

Talking to a private news channel, Shoaib said Yasir should be included in the team as he had variety in bowling while Ehsan Adil did not have enough pace to bowl in the death overs, adding that Yasir automatically becomes a better choice.

He said Younis should also be given a chance against Australia in place of Sohaib Maqsood whose performance was not up to the mark.

Also, Azhar was in favour including Yasir in the team, saying that the leg-spinner was a wicket-taking bowler who could easily make do with two or three wickets in middle overs.

“Pakistan have a surprise package in Yasir and he must be utilised as part of the attacking strategy to beat Aussies,” underlined the former all-rounder.

He further said that in wake of injury to fast bowler Irfan Pakistan must rely on the available resources rather than calling another player from Pakistan.

On the other hand, former Test bowler Sikandar Bakht termed the management of the national team incompetent and criticised captain Misbah for his defensive approach, adding that the captain should take a chance over Yasir in the do-or-die game against Australia.

Also, Yousuf favoured induction of Younis into the team citing his experience.

He also said that there would be more pressure on co-hosts Australia than Pakistan in the quarter-final.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2015

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