ISLAMABAD: Former captain Rashid Latif believes Younis Khan is a very committed player saying the 2009 Twenty-20 World Cup is a great example of his dedication where he introduced a lot of new players and won the mega event.
Rashid said Younis is so committed that he is not concerned about being diplomatic but just focuses on his cricket. "The 2009 World T20 is a great example of Younis's dedication where he introduced a lot of new players like Fawad Alam, Mohammad Amir, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Shahzaib Hasan and won the World T20 for Pakistan," Rashid said in an interview to Pakpassion.net.
Rashid said Younis had players like Rao Iftikhar and Sohail Tanvir on the bench but he gave Mohammad Amir a chance. "Captains don't take these types of risks but he did and he groomed players. I have been very close to him and he has been through some tough times as a Pakistan cricketer," he said.
Rashid said at times, I also feel that Younis should quit Limited Overs cricket but we don't have a replacement for him yet. "If you want to get rid of him, get rid of other seniors such as Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq too. I believe he has already made some good choices such as retiring from the T20 format after winning the World T20. Which other player, after Imran Khan, has ever stepped down in this way?" he said.
Speaking about the 2015 Wolrd Cup, Rashid said he hopes Pakistan doesn't have any difficulties qualifying for the quarter-finals. "You cannot predict which team will win in this type of tournament but, as a Pakistani, you hope that Pakistan will win the 2015 WC," he said.
Rashid said South Africa in his view will be a very tough team to beat. "As far as favorites are concerned, South Africa will be the ones to watch out for. They may have the reputation of 'chokers' but the fact is that they are always in contention for the title," he said.
Commenting of the return of Saeed Ajmal, Rashid said it depends on how good a bowler he is after modifying his action. "If he is still good enough, he will be one of the best Limited Overs bowlers. If he's cleared, he should be selected based upon his reputation alone," he said.
Rashid said but he doesn't think the likes of Moin Khan, Waqar Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq would commit a mistake and pick him if his Doosra is no longer effective.
Comments
Comments are closed.