Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram feels India has an edge over Australia in the upcoming Test series between the two nations, starting on February 22 at Chennai.

“India go in as favourites. This is the most inexperienced Australian team I have seen in my life. Though they are talented, the inexperience in the batting line-up, especially in the middle-order, will offer an advantage to the Indian spinners. Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey are not there. Yes, Michael Clarke is in tremendous form and they have talented left-handers like David Warner and Phil Hughes.

They both hit the ball well, but Test cricket is a different ball game. India’s off-spinners are likely to trouble them even with the new ball. Australia won’t be too comfortable playing on turning wickets. After winning the ODI series against England, India seem to have rediscovered some form. I would say that India have a 70% chance of winning this series,” Akram was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Akram suggested that India have a huge advantage in the batting department.

“If they bat responsibly, they will win this series. Their batsmen need to bat with patience.They must learn from the art of batting for a day-and-a half from Sachin Tendulkar.These youngsters are unable to do that today. You just can’t come out and play your shots. You have to grind it out in the middle.”

Akram was shocked when Gautam Gambhir was excluded from the team.

“A match-winner like Gambhir, when he is going through a lean patch, must be supported by the captain and the selectors. You need to give him confidence. He is just 31 and not 37. Hence, one needn’t look beyond him. Such batsmen need one innings to come back into form and get their footwork going again. He is a world-class player across all formats. You need to play an experienced batsman against Australia. It was a big shock to me that he was dropped.”

The Kolkata Knight Riders bowling coach feels reverse swing will be the decisive factor in the series.

“Reverse swing. The SG Test ball reverses a lot.Whoever reverses the ball better, will win the battle. England beat India in the Test series because their seamers were reversing the ball twice as much as their Indian counterparts. In the middle-overs, when a partnership gets going, the fast bowlers need to bring that into play.”

“For India, it would be Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh (key players). For the Aussies, the key men are Michael Clarke and Mitchell Starc.”

Courtesy: CRICKET COUNTRY

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has raised question whether the Indian team has the bench strength to replace opening duo of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag ahead of the England series at home.

“I doubt India have a Plan B to replace them. With Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman retiring, the middle order will be bereft of experience and under the circumstances, dislodging a time-tested combination at the top may not be very prudent,” Akram said.

The former pace legend laid his faith on Gambhir and Sehwag and said home conditions will help the Delhi duo to find its lost touch.

“Starting mid-November, India will have a long international calendar at home. They will play quality teams like England and Australia and hopefully, Pakistan will tour in the winter. I think this will give ample opportunity for men like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to regain their form,” Akram told ESPN-STAR Sports.

“Both showed glimpses of their touch in their last Champions League games and it’s senseless to question their ability as international batsmen.

“I don’t think India will experiment much with their opening pair of Gambhir and Sehwag. On Indian wickets, they will exploit the home conditions well,” he added.

The 46-year-old former Pakistani cricketer also feels Delhi Daredevils have a good chance of claiming the Champions League Twenty20 trophy in South Africa and it would also be a big opportunity for Sehwag to redeem himself.

“While the South Africans, with plenty of home-bred talents, will fancy their chance to win the tournament this time, Delhi will be a strong contender. Delhi have improved with every game and the fact that their top six batsmen are technically accomplished and truly international class will give them a lot of confidence,” he said.

“Although this is T20 cricket, I still believe a batsman must be equipped to play on all conditions to excel. On this front, Delhi are blessed with men like David Warner, Kevin Pietersen, Mahela Jayawardene and Ross Taylor.

“Plus, Sehwag looked good against Perth Scorchers. His 44-ball 52 will give him a lot of self-reliance. And, this is time for Sehwag to prove his critics wrong,” Akram added. (PTI)

Courtesy: CRICKET COUNTRY

Centurion, Oct 13: Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling coach Wasim Akram, feels out-of-form Gautam Gambhir will play a vital role for KKR in the Champions League T20 ahead of the team’s first Group A match against Delhi Daredevils at Centurion on Saturday.

Akram, who has been associated with the Knight Riders for a while now, feels Indian players especially Gautam Gambhir would like to forget the team’s dismal show at World T20 as they failed to qualify for the semi-final of the mega event that concluded on Oct 7.

“If you take my team, Kolkata Knight Riders, Gautam Gambhir will like to put the disappointments of the ICC World T20 behind him quickly. I hope our skipper can turn it around.

Further Akram backed the out-of-form skipper, as he said Gambhir will regain form after playing a few matches which would boost his confidence.

“Gambhir needs matches to get his confidence back, and my gut feeling is that the responsibility of leading the side will bring the best out of him,” he added.

Though Gambhir has been struggling to play on bouncy tracks adn seamer-friendly pitches, Akram defended the skipper and siad he would play a crucial role for the team in CLT20.

“He will play a vital role for KKR and I back him to do well in spite of seamer-friendly conditions in South Africa,” the legendary fast bowler said.

Talking about the IPL teams playing in Champions League T20 this year, Akram said all the teams will be benefitted as they have some local players who are familiar with South African conditions.
“All four sides – KKR, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians – have South African T20 specialists in their ranks and that will greatly benefit these sides.”

“The local players will share their experience on how to play on those tracks and how the pitches will behave at this time of the year.

Moreover, he said Kolkata Knight Riders’ key player Jacques Kallis, who is from South Africa would definitely help the team mates as he is aware of the conditions.

“For example, a Jacques Kallis will be able to advise his KKR teammates on how to go about setting up a target and what target could prove defendable, etc.

The bowling consultant of KKR though wary of Delhi Daredevils’ batting, felt his team has the right balance to outplay the opponents, ahead of their first match on Saturday which promises to be a cracker of a contest.

Courtesy: THATSCRICKET.COM

COLOMBO: Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram has thrown his weight behind off-colour Virender Sehwag, saying skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni must trust the India opener’s abilities.

“Sehwag’s position in the batting line-up is a no brainer. Dhoni has to trust Sehwag’s abilities,” Akram said on the eve of India’s World Twenty20 match against Australia.

The former speedster referred to Mike Hussey’s “interesting” statement that a player like Sehwag is “never out of form”.

“Hussey knows what he is saying and he is not far from the truth. If Sehwag is fit, he must open the batting for India. No questions asked.

“India will be playing their first Super 8 match against Australia at the Premadasa Stadium. Given the nature of the wicket Sehwag is an automatic choice.

“The deck is perfect for his style of batting, but that does not mean Sehwag can throw caution to the wind. The longer he stays at the crease, India will profit,” Akram wrote in a website.

Concerns over Zaheer Khan’s bowling are “legitimate” according to Akram, but he left it on the struggling seamer to decide on which format to play in and which to skip.

“There have been legitimate concerns over Zaheer. He is bowling well with the new ball but struggling to contain the runs with the old ball. But no one can negate Zaheer’s experience. He still remains an asset to India.

“We are nobody to decide on his future. He is the best man to choose which format of cricket he must continue to play. My advice to him is that he should sprint more in the last two overs.

“He is only 33 and just needs to get his rhythm back with lot of work in the nets,” he said.

Akram also did not endorse the idea of using Irfan Pathan as a pinch-hitter.

“India can’t afford to experiment at this stage. While I see Irfan Pathan’s role in the team as an all-rounder, using him as a pinch-hitter or an opener is not a great idea because India’s top order has quite a few batsmen who can smack the ball from the very start.

Akram is expecting India to go in with at least two spinners against Australia.

“Harbhajan Singh’s impressive return has given the Indians a selection headache. Piyush Chawla is a tempting choice for the sheer variety he brings to the table with his googly and flippers.

“And there is the in-form offie (R) Ashwin. Therefore, if Dhoni opts for two specialist spinners, I will not be surprised.”

As far as the Super Eights groupings are concerned, Akram said, “Group 2 is surely the group of death. Australia are a top notch side though I believe that their middle-order needs to improve. They always rise to the occasion and that makes them a dangerous side.

“India and Pakistan have showed their might in this format and have really performed well in the league stages. South Africa falter in big games but their excellent fielding can galvanize their performance any time. South Africans have good experience of the conditions.

“Several of them play the IPL. It’s really tough to pick which two teams will make the last four from group 2. But one thing is for sure, the champion team will almost certainly come from this pool.”

Courtesy: TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram feels the appointment of Virat Kohli as India’s vice-captain for the Asia Cup will “hurt” senior players such as Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.

Kohli was on Wednesday named M S Dhoni’s deputy for the upcoming tournament, to be held in Bangladesh and Akram feels senior players won’t be happy as they were eyeing captaincy.

“It is a tough job to be India’s vice-captain. I feel senior players like Sehwag and Gambhir will not be happy with this. Kohli has showed his true potential on this Australian tour and emerged as a candidate for vice-captaincy.

“The Indian selectors are probably thinking about the 2015 World Cup and if Dhoni is unfit before that, Kohli would be the right man to replace him. But, this will definitely leave Sehwag and Gambhir hurt as they were waiting for captaincy,” Akram was quoted as saying by a website.

Akram had recently stated that Kohli needed “at least five years more” to become the Indian cricket team’s leader.

Even as Kohli was made vice-captaincy after his heroic knock against Sri Lanka in the CB series, Sehwag was ‘rested’, according to selection committee chairman Kris Srikkanth.

“Maybe the Indian selectors are not bold enough to drop a player like Sehwag. I do not think this is the right attitude. Until and unless you drop someone, how will the hunger to do well and make it back into the team be visible in a player?

“The concept of ‘resting’ an out-of-form player never made sense to me and it baffles me again. A player plays or he is dropped, it’s simple,” Akram said.

The legendary pacer said that Sachin Tendulkar should look to score his 100th international century during the Asia Cup and then quit the 50-over format.

“There is pressure and stress on Sachin to get that milestone. If he can score this hundred in Asia Cup and get the monkey off his back, then he must look to quit ODIs and concentrate only on Tests,” Akram said.

“He should then play Test cricket in a relaxed manner. This will also give chance to younger players to build the team ahead of the 2015 World Cup.”

As far as Ashok Dinda’s selection was concerned, Akram was pleased.

“He runs in and I like his attacking attitude as a fast bowler. I think justice is done that his domestic performance has brought him back into the team. He took wickets for Bengal in one-dayers and he showcases the firepower that Bengalis are known for.”

Akram did not back the Indian selectors’ decision to rest promising pacer Umesh Yadav.

“Perhaps the selectors are looking to develop him into a Test bowler like Ishant Sharma. But this is not right decision as you cannot expect a 24-year-old like Umesh to be tired after one series. You need to play a genuine pacer to win games, in both Test and ODIs, more so when you tour abroad.”

“It is good that India have unearthed a quickie in Umesh who will be kept in the mix for the future. However, I am disappointed with Varun Aaron. It seems he is never fit. Hope Umesh and Aaron don’t end up like RP Singh and Munaf Patel.

About Zaheer Khan, Akram said the left-arm seamer should consider his future in the shorter format.

“I think it is time for him to consider his future in the shorter format. He did exceptionally well in the four Tests against Australia but his body is not supporting him in ODIs. As for his selection, you can pick and choose which games you want to play on tour and which you do not wish too. If you are picked, then you must play all games.

“Again, I think India do not know how to make long-lasting fast bowlers. I remember Imran Khan used to toil with us by making us bowl continuously for a long time. For Zaheer, he must choose his format now.

Akram was also delighted to see Yusuf Pathan returning to the squad.

“Yusuf Pathan is 29 years now and I still don’t know why he was not picked for so many games. Here is a hitter who is feared by most attacks in the world and he was dropped for a long time. I feel if India are looking at the 2015 World Cup then Yusuf Pathan must definitely remain in the scheme of things.”

Courtesy: Times of India

HOBART: Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram has backed Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s controversial rotation policy, saying that there is “good reason” behind the move as senior players are either “not in his control” or they have become a “liability”.

Dhoni’s remarks about senior players being slow fielders has triggered speculation that there are dissensions in the Indian dressing room.

Wasim said Dhoni’s comments are an “absolutely genuine” opinion. “In my opinion, Dhoni is a very intelligent person and I totally agree with him because he says what he thinks. There must be a very good reason behind his comments because I have never heard Dhoni speaking in such a manner,” he said.

“I think either the seniors are not in his control or they are a liability.”

The former Pakistan captain feels Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag will have to be physically fit to sustain themselves in the ODI format from now on.

“As the grounds are big in Australia, players have to be in the best of their health to play. Nobody questions Tendulkar’s fitness, either you see him fielding at short third-man or fine-leg. You can hide your fielders in Test and T20s but not in ODIs,” Wasim explained.

He also questioned the role of coach Duncan Fletcher in team selection.

“If I am the coach, I will send the best batsman to open the innings. Gautam Gambhir has scored in 90s twice in the series so far and he is the best opener available. It is up to the team management to decide who will be his opening partner,” commented Wasim.

Courtesy: DAWN.COM

SYDNEY: Under-fire Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni got much-needed support from former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram who said the “hullabaloo” about his leadership is “ill-timed” as speculated replacement Virender Sehwag is not qualified for the job.

“The entire hullabaloo around MS Dhoni’s captaincy is extremely ill-timed. Captain-bashing is a favourite pastime of cricket pundits in the Indian sub-continent and the media just loves it,” wrote Akram in his column.

“…I believe Dhoni is the best man to lead India and will remain so in the immediate future…In recent times, BCCI’s planning has reflected poorly on India’s overseas performances. So, it would be unfair to make Dhoni a scapegoat.

“There are two names – Sehwag and Virat Kohli — doing the rounds as ‘next’ captains. In my book, none of them qualify for the job,” he said.

Akram said while the pressure on Dhoni is understandable after consecutive Test whitewashes on foreign soil but Sehwag was not too impressive either when he got the chance to lead the side in the final Test against Australia.

“Sehwag was very unimpressive when he led the Indian team at Adelaide and Kohli is a kid who has just begun his career. He can wait for another five years. I had expected better body language from Sehwag and his team during the Adelaide Test, but I was disappointed,” he said.

“This ‘I give-a-damn’ attitude is counter-productive when the chips are down. What did Sehwag do to salvage India’s pride at Adelaide? I sometimes see streaks of Shahid Afridi in Sehwag. That dreadful propensity to self-destruct!” he explained.

“Dhoni may not have done enough as skipper, but two bad series does not mean he should be derided and kicked out. Does the BCCI really have an option?”

Akram said he expects a “new” India to take the field in the shorter format starting tomorrow with a Twenty20 against Australia even though bowling remains an area of concern.

“There is still a lot to play for in Australia. With Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Praveen Kumar coming in, India are a solid ODI and T20 team. I think India have the right mix to give high-flying Australia a run for their money and we shall see a ‘new’ India in the first T20,” he said.

“India’s bowling remains a concern. Ishant Sharma has been the biggest disappointment. He has talked about the ‘luck factor’. All that is just a lame excuse. After playing 45 Test matches, Ishant has not learnt to take responsibility,” he said.

“When a quick bowler can’t make an impact on a Perth or MCG wicket, he never will. First things first, he must first learn to bowl on one side of the wicket.”

Akram said Inda need to keep their confidence level up to get the results.

“Self-belief will be crucial going forward in the remainder of the Australian tour. India must not tamper with their batting order. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir must open the innings because they already have a ‘feel’ of the conditions,” he said.

“The more India back themselves, the better they will play. It’s a brand new chapter and India must demonstrate the body language of a world champion. Hope Dhoni shows the way with his young brigade,” he added.

Courtesy:Times of Inida

It was predicted that Virender Sehwag will not be appearing in the first two test matches against England due to an injury in his shoulder. But according to the former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram his inclusion could prove to be beneficial for the Indian side and the decision to include Sehwag for the England tour is a smart one taken by the selectors.

The England tour is two months long and Sehwag will be going along with the 17-member test squad. But his injury to the shoulder will prevent him to play the first two test matches. The first test match will be at Lord’s (July 21-25) and the second test match will be played at Trent Bridge (July 29- August 2).

Akram went to say that “Even though Sehwag will not be appearing in the first two tests, the fact is that he will still have a good chance of getting used to the conditions in England. He will have a very good opportunity to recover fully and practice during the net sessions”.

“Practicing on the net will prove to be very useful to Sehwag as he will be in a very good form when he recovers, and the idea and decision taken by the Indian selectors is a smart one” Wasim explained. But Wasim Akram was equally sure that the absence of a very experienced and dangerous batsman will be to the benefits of the England side.

Wasim said “Sehwag’s absence in the first two matches as a top order batsman will prove to be a serious disadvantage for the Indian side. I really don’t think that apart from Sehwag there is another batsman of his caliber currently in the world of cricket”.

“Plus Sehwag has been successful in forging a formidable opening combination with his follow team mate and batsman Gautam Gambhir over the years. They have a knack of taking quick singles due to the high understanding they share apart from destroying the bowling side by hitting fours. They have been successful in scoring run in the toughest of conditions as well”.

Sehwag, 32, has scored 527 runs playing 11 test matches against England with an average of 31. Akram feels that besides the stats Sehwag can be a destructive player and can cause some damage to the morale of the England side.

Courtesy: Times of India
Reported by: Ifrah Waqar and Shahmir Khan
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