LAHORE: The Pakistan cricket team reached back home in the wee hours of Friday after a month long home tour against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan played two T20s, five ODIs and two Test matches during their stay in UAE. On arrival at the Lahore airport, Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam expressed satisfaction over the team’s efforts, saying that it did well in the nerve-wrecking tour.
He praised Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq for his leading role in the two-test match series. He said: “Misbah-ul-Haq has responded strongly to the criticism directed at him and the PCB when he was appointed the captain for the Test series against South Africa.
“I think he has shown with his own performances and the way he has led the team that he is a strong character.” Alam said. Pakistan lost the T20 and one-day series but managed to draw the Test series with Misbah scoring three half-centuries in the two Tests.
“There was lot of pressure on the team before the series because of the criticism over recalling Misbah and appointing him the captain. But I am really happy that he proved the critics wrong by improving his performance and leading the team ably,” said Alam.
The former Test captain also expressed his satisfaction over the behaviour of the players on the tour and the atmosphere in the dressing room. “This series and tour was very significant for Pakistan cricket because it came after the England tour and the spot-fixing controversy.
I think the players responded very well to the new dressing room culture,” he said. Alam said that while the team’s performance in the series could be termed as satisfactory they would face a tougher test during the upcoming tour to New Zealand. “The conditions in New Zealand are very different and pose a lot of challenge for the batsmen. But I think this team now has a nice blend of youth and experience and it is working well for us,” Alam said.
Pakistan is scheduled to tour New Zealand from December 17 to play three T20 matches, two Tests and six ODIs, their last international outing before the 2011 World Cup. To a question, he said that Mohammed Yousuf and Umar Akmal will have to undergo fitness tests to place themselves in the 16-member squad for the Kiwi series.
The Pakistan manager has no doubt the boys have gained confidence by drawing the Tests against South Africa and playing a close one-day series. “There is no doubt that the team has missed the services of Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif but it is a good thing that we have ample back up in the pace department and I think Umar Gul, Tanveer Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Sami handled the pressure well and delivered.”
He said the fitness situation of senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf would be known soon but the training camp for the New Zealand tour would start from December 7.
