KARACHI: While lauding Pakistan’s landmark series victory over Sri Lanka, former chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said on Wednesday that the morale of the touring side has skyrocketed ahead of the five-match One-day International series against the home side.
Salahuddin, a former Test all-rounder, remarked the one-day series will be keen fought and warned Azhar Ali’s side to guard against complacency.
”Firstly, the coming ODI series means a lot for Pakistan who must win it to qualify for the Champions Trophy. Winning the Test series will have done a world of good for the team because a happy group of players invariably perform well and generally play as unit,” Salahuddin commented while talking to Dawn.
“But at the same time they must not, by all means, get carried by the success they have just tasted in the Test series. We have seen in the past how a side stumble in a different format after winning a series against the same opponents.”
Pakistan will head into the ODI series against Sri Lanka with several changes in the squad that was picked for the three Tests. Senior stalwarts such as Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan as well as pacemen Junaid Khan and Imran Khan, spinner Zulfiqar Babar, opener Shan Masood and injured duo of Wahab Riaz and Haris Sohail are not part of the one-day team.
Former captain Shoaib Malik, who made a successful comeback to the national team against Zimbabwe in May, returns to the ODI fold along with the fit-again fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and the 29-year-old newcomer Bilal Asif, a surprise selection as an all-rounder among notable inclusions.
“The squad picked for the one-day games look quite balanced on paper. The litmus test for Pakistan will be how effective Mohammad Hafeez would be after being hauled up again for suspect action,” Salahuddin observed. “The selection of Bilal Asif makes sense in case Hafeez doesn’t bowl. But I would consider that a big risk considering the importance this series holds for Pakistan with the Champions Trophy qualification at stake.”
The one-day series opens in Dambulla on Saturday with the solitary day fixture before day/night matches take place in Pallekele (July 15), Colombo (July 19 and 22) and Hambantota (July 26).
Salahuddin, meanwhile, showered praise on Younis Khan for his magnificent century at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium that propelled Pakistan to a historic victory. “If I have to single out someone who made the real difference in the last Test, it has to be Younis. Without discrediting Shan Masood’s equally crucial maiden Test century, Sri Lanka were put on the defensive by the presence of Younis,” he pointed out.
“There are some players certain teams fear and Younis is definitely the man who is most feared by Sri Lanka. What a champion batsman he has been for the country. I have always rated him right at the top and his stupendous knock is one of the defining moments of Pakistan cricket.The way Pakistan chased down a stiff fourth inning target of 377 is something we all should be extremely proud of.”
Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2015
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