A lot has been said and even more written on the time bomb that ticks in the Pakistan side. Shoaib Akthar comes into this series with a lot to prove — both to his team and to himself.
NEW DELHI: A lot has been said and even more written on the time bomb that ticks in the Pakistan side. Shoaib Akthar comes into this series with a lot to prove — both to his team and to himself.
Coming off a 13-match ban, Akhtar gave a glimpse of the hunger that gnaws him with figures of 9-0-43-4 in the final ODI against South Africa in Lahore just four days ago. The paceman is the X factor that may explode to blast India or implode to be again consumed by the devils, which have so often waylaid his career in the past.
Captain Shoaib Malik and coach Geoff Lawson were quite fullsome in their praise of the man who will spearhead the Pak attack in the light of an injured Mohammad Asif. “I am great friends with him and don’t see any problem having him around. We have a good understanding between us. He is a team man. In the last match he came back after a long time but bowled very well and you know that is not an easy thing to do. He is an asset for the team,” was the praise that Malik lavished on his maverick bowler.
When asked whether Akhtar was more of an asset for his own team or for the opposing one, Lawson was honest enough to break into an impromptu laugh before responding: “I was quite impressed when I saw him at the airport (Lahore) today with a sensible haircut. That’s a start. If we can harness Akhtar he may well be the most powerful force in this series. It’s important that he plays well and also that he does what the team wants him to. He looks sensible and has become quieter. As long as he is not quiet on the field with that ball in his hand, I’ll be happy,” the Pakistan coach said.
Lawson obviously expects Akhtar to make the ball talk the way he did in the Lahore ODI, scalping SA skipper Grame Smith with his third comeback delivery. The Akhtar factor is the one riddle that India will be hard pressed to solve. The man whose commitment to the team’s cause has often been doubtful — which many a time led to run-ins with former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq — is looking to resurrect his career and image at the age of 32.
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