Pak greats find out the reason

Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:23 am            

Former Pakistan greats Imran Khan and Wasim Akram Tuesday blamed selectors for the first Test defeat against West Indies saying that a lack of good bowlers lost them the chance of a series win.

"It was over-confidence reflected in dropping Shoaib Akhtar. The West Indies were rated as the third from bottom and against them we lacked a wicket-taking bowler," Imran told AFP.

Pakistan dropped Shoaib from the 17-man squad on fitness grounds, and also said the fast bowler needed to improve his attitude.

"It's a fundamental rule in cricket that you never underestimate your opponent. Pakistan did underestimate the West Indies, there was complacency."

Pakistan, riding high after their 3-0 one-day series win over the West Indies, got a crushing blow with a 276-run defeat on the fourth day of the first Test at Barbados on Sunday.

Pakistan have not won a series in the West Indies in their previous five tours. They now face a tough task of squaring the series with the second and final Test starting at Jamaica on Friday.

"Pakistan committed one of the most bizarre mistakes of dropping Shoaib. Mohammad Sami got injured so where were the bowlers to get the opposition out twice?" said Imran, who served as captain when Pakistan levelled the series 1-1 in the Caribbean in 1988.

Wasim also agreed Pakistan needed a wicket-taking bowler on flat West Indies pitches and criticised selectors for dropping Shoaib.

"One-day cricket is different. In the one-dayers Pakistan had bowlers who bowled 10 overs and took wickets but in Tests you need to get 20 wickets and there were no bowlers to bowl the opponents out twice," said Wasim, who took 414 wickets in 104 Tests for Pakistan.

"We have never been able to win a series in the Caribbean and thought that this was our golden chance. But from dropping your main players, to poor management, we have spurned that chance."

Sun Jun 25, 2006 3:58 pm