LAHORE, Pakistan CMC – Pakistan departed for their tour of the Caribbean yesterday brimming with confidence that they can take advantage of the wobbly West Indies. Head coach Waqar Younis, the Pakistan fast bowling legend, said the side has a golden chance to put some of the past failures behind.
“We have selected some youngsters for the tour in the hope that they get groomed and serve the country in the future. I am hopeful that they will perform well and will help to win the series against West Indies,” said Waqar
He added: “They have new players, but they have always been a tough opponent in their own backyard. It is a good opportunity for the youngsters in the side to impress and do well. Our aim should be to try to win the series comprehensively.”
With Shoaib Akhtar retired and fellow fast bowler Umar Gul rested, Pakistan have chosen left-armers Junaid Khan and Sadaf Hussain – both 21 – and 20-year-old all-rounder Hammad Azam in their squad.
Leg-spin bowling all-rounder Shahid Afridi will captain the Pakistanis in the limited-overs matches, and Misbah-ul-Haq will lead the Test squad.
Waqar said the batting remained a major concern for the side, and the hoopla over the appointment of national legend Javed Miandad as batting consultant was over the top.
“At the top level, it is not that much about technique than being mentally strong to handle the pressure and get set in,” he said.
“At the same time, I do not know why we keep going round and round about the same thing? Javed was also offered this position last year and now again. But if he can’t do it because of lack of time or for any other reason, then we should look at other options.”
Pakistan are yet to win a Test series in the Caribbean, but they won their first ODI series in the region on their previous trip five years ago – but Waqar noted that his stint as coach has brought results, and he expects nothing different on this trip.
“I don’t say much, but if anyone wants to assess my performance as coach, I think they can look at the results of the team in the last 12-13 months. The results speak for themselves. My job is to get the best out of the players, and this is what I am doing.”
The visitors, who touch down in the Caribbean today, will play a Twenty20 and five One-day Internationals, as well as two Tests against West Indies.