LAHORE – Pakistan coach Waqar Younis gave evidence to the independent anti-corruption tribunal hearing in Doha, Qatar.
Three leading players, former Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif are expected to learn their fate overnight (NZT) following the conclusion of a six-day hearing.
The trio, all frontline players, have been charged with offences relating to alleged activity surrounding the Test against England at Lord’s in August. A British Sunday newspaper alleged that they had taken bribes to arrange for deliberate no-balls to be delivered at pre-agreed times.
Younis on Tuesday confirmed that he had given evidence via teleconference during the first test.
“I’ve given it, it’s all finished and all done and let’s see what the result is tomorrow,” Younis said.
“I hope all goes well and I hope the outcome is what cricket requires. Hopefully things will settle after that and we can play controversy-free cricket for a while.”
He would not speculate on whether the trio would join the team for the six one-day internationals against New Zealand, which start on January 22, if found not guilty.
“I have got no idea. Let’s see what happens first and then the selectors will probably have a look into it, and we’ll talk about it then,” he added.
Pacemen Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Tanvir Ahmed and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, the man-of-the match, all produced top performances to bundle New Zealand out for 275 and 110 on a lifeless Seddon Park surface. Younis has credited the team’s better showing with the bat as a key factor in the win. Recent Pakistan teams were virtually a case of six out, all out, but Younis said the bowlers had shown a willingness to contribute more with the bat and improve their all-round game. The tourists were able to add 111 vital runs for their last four wickets as Rehman (28), Ahmed (18) and Gul (17), who all looked accomplished at the crease, eked out a 92-run lead that Younis believes was crucial in forcing a second innings meltdown from the hosts.
“In this last year or so Pakistan cricket has started improving the batting in the middle to late order, the tailenders you would call it,” Younis said before a training session here this afternoon. “It’s a big key for most of the teams, you need those 60 or 70 runs from the last four batsmen. All the batsmen down the order can bat and they’re really keen to, they want to do it, so that gave us the edge.
“That 90-odd run lead was a big difference.”
Younis, one of the great fast bowlers of his generation, does not have the country’s two top bowlers at his disposal as spot-fixing allegations continue to plague Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, but in Gul and Riaz, in particular, he has plenty of talent and, crucially, pace to work with.
Gul has been a consistent performer while Riaz showed his considerable pace with a magnificent spell that hurt the hosts in the second innings.”I never thought it was going to finish that quickly but the bowlers stuck to the task and bowled according to the situation and the pitch, they did a great job,” Younis said, before turning his praise to Rehman, who took six for 75 in the match.
“In the last series against South Africa he was the key man to draw that series because he kept things tight, that’s exactly what he did in this match, and he picks up wickets, so he did a super job. We played much better cricket,” he added. Younis said the unbeatable position of being 1-0 up in a two-Test series was a “big advantage” but he was expecting more pace and bounce in the pitch for the second test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, which starts on Saturday. They would therefore have to be wary after the slow, flat Seddon Park wicket had suited them more than New Zealand.
