Akram has instilled confidence in his team

By Ranjan Anandappa

Friday 31, October 1997


Lahore, Oct. 30-The Sri Lanka cricket team arrived here on Wednesday to begin their campaign for the Pakistan Golden Jubilee four nation tournament and will have their first practice session today (Thursday) around 5 pm at the Gadaffi stadium where all matches in the tournament will be played. All matches will be day-night matches and will start at 1 pm Pakistan standard time (which will be 2 pm in Sri Lanka time).

Meanwhile Pakistan has reinstated former skipper Wasim Akram as captain for the championship and have also recalled medium pacer Aaqib Javed, wicket-keeper Rahhid Latif, Muhammad Hussain and Shahid Afridi into their squad.

The luckless but dashing left-handed opener Anwer who is suffering a slump in his bating form was obviously facing the additional pressure of captaincy.

Anver is the main batsman in the side and his removal from the captaincy will allow him to concentrate more on his batting.

A happy Wasim Akram when contacted made it clear he did not expect the Board to entrust him with this responsibility so soon after his return to the team after a shoulder injury.

Akram said that he has told the players to enjoy their cricket and leave pressure and criticism if it is directed at the national team for him to handle.

Akram who had a brief meeting with the team is planning to tell the players that winning and losing is a part of the game and that no team could have a monopoly or dominance over it.

Wasim Akram admitted that it was a difficult time as the moral of the team was down and a tough forthcoming challenge is ahead. But they are capable of bouncing back and he has confidence in his players.

Akram was optimistic of his team's chances in the quadrangular tourney as each player knows that it is the golden jubilee celebrations of their Independence and after the defeat in the test match at Faisalabad they will try to compensate for the Faisalabad lapses.

Akram stated that he had a discussion with Seed Anver and tried to calm him-down as he was more upset because the team lost under his leadership. The bottom line is that it is his strokes and runs that is more important to us. He is great pal and understood me promising to extend his fullest support.


Source: The Daily News

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Date-stamped : 25 Feb1998 - 18:54