LAHORE: Pakistan’s chief coach Waqar Younis wants the spot-fixing scandal to be quickly resolved so that his team can play in the forthcoming NZ series with a free mind and prepare properly for the next year’s World Cup.
Waqar said that he was not clear about the availability of the players. “We need a clear picture so that whoever is eligible to play for Pakistan can focus on the job ahead,” Waqar said. He added that the spot-fixing allegations surrounding Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif were a distraction to the World Cup preparations.
Other senior players like Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naved and Danish Kaneria are also in doubt for the World Cup with reports suggesting that ICC has not yet given PCB the clearance to consider them for the World Cup. But Waqar refused to agree with former captain Imran Khan’s assessment that Pakistan required the services of Aamir and Asif in the World Cup.
“I hope they are available, but in cricket no one is irreplaceable. Players come and go, and that is the way the sport goes on. We have a lot of talent in Pakistan and even if these players are not available, it will not affect our World Cup preparations,” he said.
The former fast bowler said he had lot of confidence in the available lot of players and also didn’t agree with captain Shahid Afridi’s views that Pakistan’s World Cup preparations were not on track. “No, I think our preparations are going well. I think this tour to New Zealand will be very important in our preparations for the World Cup, as it will allow us to settle on a combination for the mega tournament,” he said.
