'We must do well for Inzamam's sake'
Posted on Sep 30, 2006 at 12:18 | Updated Sep 30, 2006 at 12:26
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Tags: cricket, pakistan, champions trophy
Karachi: Pakistan's stand-in skipper Younis Khan has said his team was raring to do well in the upcoming Champions Trophy in India for the sake of Inzamam-ul Haq, who will miss the tournament due to an ICC ban that will see Haq missing four ODIs.
Younis said Inzamam's absence would be felt by the players but they would try to put the Oval Test fiasco behind them and at least make it to the semi-finals of the prestigious One-Day tournament.
"Inzamam is our regular captain and the circumstances in which he has been banned will have an effect on the players. I just hope they can now put this issue behind them and play to their potential in the Champions Trophy," Younis said.
He pointed out that it was not easy for a team to be told to play under a captain for just four matches when they had become used to playing under someone for three years.
"But I remain reasonably confident (of a good show) because we are used to playing on Indian pitches and before Indian crowds. And we have this habit of raising our game in India. I am sure the boys want to do well in the tournament for Inzamam who took a stand for us," he said.
"We have a very good side and we are balanced in every sense. Our pace attack is good, we have creditable spinners and the batting has depth. I would be surprised if we don't make the semi-finals of the tournament," Younis said.
Younis said he was expecting the International Cricket Council to take some action on the charge of bringing the game into disrepute but said he was more than satisfied that the charges of ball tampering had been dismissed.
"It was something we were always confident about because we had not done anything wrong and we knew the umpires had taken the wrong path by accusing us of tampering with the ball. I am happy our stand has been vindicated," he stated.
He said everyone wanted to now put the incident behind them.
"But certainly I would like to see the ICC review its laws on ball tampering and I hope in future it is not made such a big issue like it was done after the Oval Test. We now have to accept that reverse swinging the ball is an art and nearly every team is doing it now."
About his own form, he said he was confident of getting runs in the Champions Trophy as he enoyed playing in India.
"Indian pitches are such that once you get set in you can get many runs as long as you don't make mistakes. Once the ball is old it is hard work for the bowlers unless it is not a square turner," he noted.
He admitted that if Pakistan were able to win the Champions Trophy in India it would be a nice comeback from the disappointing tour of England. "As a team I know we can win this one."
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