Assessment of Pakistan Team for Sharjah

After Saeed Anwar's withdrawal from captaincy, Moin Khan the wicket-kipper has been appointed as captain of the Pakistan cricket team for the tours of Sharjah and West Indies. Moin Khan who led Pakistan in the third and last test proved to be a lucky captain. Under his leadership Pakistan eventually won the final test with a big margin.

In the history of Sharjah's Cricket, the graph of Pakistan's victories has been much higher than other teams of the world. Pakistan has won the maximum tournaments in which it participated. Will Pakistan be able to maintain its position as such, time will only tell..?

Looking at the composition of the team we find that the Pakistan team is a blend of youth and experienced players. Younis Khan proved to be a new discovery in the recent series and scored a century at debut in the Karachi test against Sri Lanka. He thus recorded his name among those great players who scored a century on debut in the past. On the basis of his impressive performance we can hope that he will keep up his form up in the Coca Cola Cup at Sharjah.

Naved Ashraf who was selected as an opening batsman for the third test could not impress. He scored only 5 runs in the first inning and 25 in the 2nd inning. His performance against South African and Indian bowlers is thus a question mark.

Inzamam-ul-Haq has recovered his form which is a good sign for Pakistan. In the recent home series he appeared to be a rejuvenated player. The Pakistan's batting department can therefore depend on him again. Both Shahid Afridi and Yousuf Youhana are good players but somehow lack consistency. Wajahatullah Wasti though a regular member of the team, has failed to give an impressive performance in the last series.

The bowling department of Pakistan consisting of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akthar, Mohammad Akram, Abdur Razzaq and spinners like Arshad Khan and Shoaib Malik is the mainstay of the team. The Pakistan team is very much dependent on its bowling department. It has the ability to give a tough time to Indian and South African batsmen.

The squad under the captaincy of Moin Khan is likely to give a tough time to arch-rival India and World No. 2, South Africa. The question arises whether Moin Khan proves to a competent as well as a lucky captain for Pakistan. His handling of the team at Sharjah followed by the encounters in the West Indies will show his suitability for the coveted appointment.