Yahoo News 
Pakistan must back senior players at World Cup
If Pakistan have any ambitions of repeating the magic of 1992 when they go Down Under for next year’s World Cup, it is essential for them to reinstate Younis Khan in the One-Day International team and let Misbah-ul Haq remain at the helm of affairs, feels Wasim Akram.
The legendary pace bowler and former Pakistan captain, who was at the ICC Academy in Dubai to spend a day with the participants of the Twenty20-specific cricket camp being organised by Azhar Mahmood, spoke to the media on various issues, including the state of Pakistan cricket.
When asked if Younis, who was recently dropped by Pakistan from their ODI side, needs to be a part of the World Cup squad, Akram said: “I have said this before, and I will say it again, Younis Khan’s experience is vital for Pakistan in the ODIs, and especially in the World Cup.
“You can look at our past performances in Australia and our batting has always struggled in those conditions. Teams from the sub-continent will have problems if they do not have solid, technically correct and experienced batsmen in their side. In T20s, you can get away with it, but in 50 overs, you need to have players like Younis, more so now because we will be playing with two new balls.
“The only suggestion that I will give to Younis…and I can understand it can be very disappointing when you are dropped, is that the only way to answer your critics is by letting the bat do the talking.
“Also, Younis is a very good human being and I believe good things happen to good people.”
On the captaincy of Misbah, who was criticised for dropping himself from the third ODI against Australia after two poor outings before that, Akram felt the 40-year-old was still the right choice.
“That was a bit weird, the captain dropping himself. Most senior players would say that if you think you are out of form, the best way is to play yourself back into it,” he said.
“But he seems to have done all right. He got a 50 in the Test match after that. Personally, I reckon he is the right man to lead Pakistan, at least until the end of the World Cup. I know there are different opinions back home, but you can’t make everyone happy.
“Firstly, I think it is too late to drop Misbah and have somebody take his place. Secondly, I think he has the experience. We have done a lot of chopping and changing before, but it doesn’t help. “As long as he is batting well, and he just scored a very good half-century in the first Test, and as long as he is winning matches for Pakistan, what else do you want?”
Speaking about his collaboration with Mahmood for the T20 camp, Akram said it was an invitation he could not refuse.
“I was asked by Azhar if I could come and be a part of his camp, and I was happy to do so. I think this kind of a camp is very unique, something different from the other coaching camps, and something that is needed,” said Akram, who is the bowling coach and consultant for Kolkata Knight Riders and helped them win two IPL titles in 2012 and this year.
“Things are changing so fast with T20s. There was a time when you wanted to hit a boundary and then take a run. Now, you hit a boundary, and the next ball, you want to hit an even bigger boundary.
“There is a lot of thought that needs to go into the T20 game. You can’t contain runs in T20s, the only way to stop a team is by taking wickets. These are the kind of thinking I want to tell the participants of the camp.”
