Date-stamped : 23 Dec96 - 14:16
Report from Dawn

Pakistan crash to innings defeat against Tasmania

Qamar Ahmed

HOBART, Dec. 21: There is, it appears, no method to Pakistan's
batting. At least this is what one carried the impression after
their humiliating innings and 69 run defeat by Tasmania at the
Bellerieve Oval. The four-day match was over after lunch on the
third day and Pakistan, trailing by 136 runs on the first
innings after Tasmania replied with 435 to Pakistan's 299 in the
first innings, could not cope with the pressure against venomous
medium-pace bowling of the Tasmanians who bowled Pakistan out in
their second innings for only 67 runs. Only Ijaz Ahmed with 13
and Mohammad Wasim with 27 were the men who entered double
figures. Pakistan thus squandering this wonderful opportunity of
getting into form.

In the match against West Indies Pakistan's batting was bad
enough to lose but to giver up without much resistance against a
team which won their last match against a touring side in
1971-78 against India - wad disgusting to say the least.

They capitulated in only 99 minutes of their second innings
after Tasmania resuming at their overnight 392 for 6 were all
out for 435 with Jamie Cox reaching his double century (200)
before being out. There was not much in the wicket. It was meant
for batsmen and yet the tourists batted like school boys do
while playing in the recess. For an onlooker they gave the
impression as if they were not interested at all to carry on. Or
were they serious when the second innings began.

It is understandable that there was not much experience in the
batting except with Ijaz, Inzamam, Akram and Moin Khan but that
really is not the excuse. The whole attitude was casual and
unprofessional. They have got to make sure that they recover
from this shock soon or else there will be further embarrassment
for them in the days ahead.

The coach, Mushtaq Mohammad, offered no excuses after the
debacle." We batted poorly and it goes to the credit of the
Tasmanian bowlers, Shaun Young, Saint and Ridgway who bowled
superbly in the match," said Mushtaq. "Perhaps one-day cricket
has a lot to answer for that. Our boys had been playing a lot of
one-day matches since the end of English tour and this surely
has affected their batting," said the coach. "But in Pakistan's
disappointing performance in this match there is no excuse, they
just batted horrendously," he said.

In one of Pakistani cricket's blackest days, Wasim Akram's team
capitulated in just 24.1 overs to crash to the medium pace
bowling of undistinguished Mark Ridgway (3-46) and John Saint
(4-10). Only three bowlers were used with first innings hero
Shaun Young snaring 1-5 off seven balls.

Akram was one of four Pakistanis to register ducks as Tasmania
boasted their first victory over an international side in a
first-class match since beating India in their 1977-78 tour.

The debacle left team coach Mushtaq Mohammad fuming as he
ventured out of the dressing room to talk with the Press. "It
was a very disappointing and dismal performance from an
international side," he said. "We're certainly not very proud of
it. "We've no excuse. We just played very badly in both innings.
"All credit to Tasmania. They really batted well, they fielded
well, they bowled well and to tell you the truth, they beat us
in every department of the game."

Saint stole the limelight with career-best figures of 4-10 from
12 overs, including 4-0 off his last three overs. "Admittedly, I
think they played a few rash shots that they'd probably regret,
but all in all, I think we bowled to our plan and that's why we
got the points in the end," Saint said. "I tried a few things
today, I guess you could say the low cloud coverage helped a bit
with the outswing, but it was just one of those days when it
just happens for you." Team novice, 20-year-old Mohammad Wasim
top scored for the Pakistan with 27.

Earlier, Tasmanian right-handed opener Jamie Cox hit his first
double-century of his career, bringing his season aggregate to
661 higher than any other first-class player in Australia at an
average of 73.44.

Tasmania resumed their first innings at 392 for six and Pakistan
began aggressively, claiming Mark Atkinson (29) lbw off the
day's first ball from right-arm quick Shahid Nazir. Akram had
Cox caught by wicketkeeper Moin Khan just one ball after
bringing up his double century. Cox's 200 included 19 boundaries
and came off 342 deliveries in 470 minutes. Tasmania, holding a
136-run lead on the first innings after being dismissed for 435,
bowled 50 minutes before lunch and ripped through the tourists'
top-order claiming four wickets. With regular opener Aamir
Sohail out injured, Pakistan opened with Zahoor Elahi and
Saqlain Mushtaq, but were out for ducks.

A running mix-up accounted for Inzamam-ul-Haq (8) and Ijaz Ahmed
(13) was caught by Saint at fine leg off Ridgway leaving
Pakistan at 29 for four at lunch. Moin Khan and Mohammad Wasim
pushed the score to 58 before Moin (7) was trapped lbw by Saint.
Akram (0) followed, caught at second slip by Tasmanian captain
and former Test batsman David Boon off Saint and Shahid Afridi
(0) was caught by Ricky Ponting at first slip on the next ball
to put Saint on a hat-trick.

Mushtaq survived but Saint claimed a fourth scalp two overs
later when he took a difficult single-handed return catch to
dismiss Wasim. Mushtaq (4) was the last to go, caught by Michael
DiVenuto at third slip off Young in the next over.


Source::  Dawn (http://xiber.com/dawn/)

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