INTERVIEW: Waqar Younis – Pakistan on verge of charting new course

Sport360 staff 21:32 08/06/2015
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  • Younis is confident ahead of the series against Sri Lanka.

    Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis had been under fire for his failure to deliver in one-day cricket. Before the home series against Zimbabwe at the end of last month, which Pakistan won 2-0, they had suffered defeats in five straight series, losing to New Zealand (twice), Australia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. 

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    The 3-0 capitulation in Bangladesh was the lowest point of that miserable run but Younis is banking on the upcoming series against Sri Lanka to help restore confidence for ninth-placed Pakistan to rise up the rankings and be in contention for a place in the 2017 Champions Trophy to be played in England, with the world’s top eight teams making the cut.

    On the eve of the tour where they will be playing three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 games, Younis told Sport360° how injuries to key players have hampered the team’s progress and why the return of international cricket in Pakistan after six years, with the ODI series against Zimbabwe, has injected a fresh purpose in his side.

    Q. What are your hopes for the tour of Sri Lanka?

    A. There are high hopes and hopefully it will be a good tour for us. We will play to our potential and we will try to produce good results.

    Q. Pakistan has done well in the Test format but it has not been the same in the ODIs. How hopeful are you that Pakistan will qualify for the Champions Trophy?

    A. I admit that we have not been playing well in ODIs but we have to understand the drawbacks Pakistan has suffered in the last 12 months. The suspensions of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez, and then injuries to Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Khan and others. It would be difficult for me to count if I was to name all of the injured players. Unfortunately, every team goes through such torrid times when there are injuries, but I’m optimistic that phase has finished now and the team will develop better in the near future.

    The suspension of Saeed Ajmal has created a vacuum in Pakistan's bowling department.

    Q. Critics say that there are no match-winners in your team's bowling department. How do you respond to that?

    A. In my opinion there are match-winners but we’re facing a number of injures at present. We do have bowlers with the X-factor like Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali, but due to the absence of Ajmal, there has been a big vacuum created. He has been winning matches for Pakistan for over four years now and continues to look effective. He was doing well in middle-overs and towards the end, so that has been the biggest drawback but we’ve got to live without him.

    Q. How will the team cope without Ajmal?

    A. It was a big jolt to lose Ajmal initially, but we are trying to indulge new players to fill that void. We suffered on the tour of Bangladesh and then we did not win as convincingly against Zimbabwe as we wanted to, but there are new players who will be given the opportunity to improve the balance of the team.

    Jayawardena and Sangakkara have been central to Sri Lanka's batting exploits.

    Q. Will the absence of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena from Sri Lanka's ODI ranks help Pakistan’s cause?

    A. It is important for us to win and we’ll try to win at least three matches in the five-match [ODI] series. Sri Lanka is facing the problem of not having experienced players in their ranks as their two most important players are not available. We’ll do well in the one-dayers and we’ll try to win more than three matches.

    Q. Will the victories over Zimbabwe help going into the series against Sri Lanka?

    A. Cricket has returned to Pakistan and this is the most heartening thing for us. The setback of not playing home series' has ended and we will be able to play more at home going forward. It was a good morale booster for us to win in Lahore but we’ve got to get over the win and concentrate on the next challenge. We cannot take Sri Lanka lightly at all.

    Q. You were a great fast-bowler in your time, but the team’s pace battery has struggled. What is the reason for this and, secondly, why are fast-bowlers tending to prefer the short ball instead of yorkers in one-day cricket?

    A. In my last tenure, fast-bowlers did well but the injuries this time around have not helped the cause. The laws of cricket have changed a lot and have become batting friendly. Five fielders inside the circle, flat pitches, and two new balls from both ends have prompted bowlers to try short-pitched stuff. However, I still feel that Yorkers are the best option to outwit the batsmen who are trying to play big shots.

    Q. What will be Pakistan’s strength on the tour of Sri Lanka?

    A. Pakistan’s strength has been the batting in the Test format, especially as our bowling is comparatively weak. We’ve Misbah-ul Haq, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez doing well in the Test format, which is why I feel that our Test team is much more solid compared to our ODI and T20 sides.

    Q. What can we expect from the Pakistan team with quite a few series lined-up over the next 12 months?

    A. We felt really good playing at home and everyone witnessed good youngsters coming through and hopefully there will be more new faces in the squad. When you are building a new team it takes time. Series wins are important but you cannot distract yourself from the vision of blooding youngsters into the squad.

    Q. What is the future for Umar Akmal in the team as he now seems limited to the T20 squad?

    A. The future is in the hands of Umar Akmal. How he performs in the future will determine his future. There are different disciplines for different formats and he needs to understand those dynamics to play for Pakistan.

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