By Farid Khan (16th November, 2014)

PakPassion.net: What qualities do you see in Sarfraz Ahmed that will help him succeed in international cricket?

Rashid Latif: I feel that he has already succeeded in international cricket. Reaching this point is a job well done but it will require hard work to maintain this position. He may well face difficulties in the days ahead but what he needs to do is to continue with this approach towards the game, which is to play the style of cricket that is natural to him, especially when it comes to batting. He has a very good opportunity to rectify his shortcomings - both in his batting and in his keeping. If he works harder during the series and during the camps, he will surely do well and have a long lasting career.


PakPassion.net: When Sarfraz started playing international cricket, there were questions marks over his batting. What do you think he has done to overcome those issues? 

Rashid Latif: The fact is that in the eyes of some fans, he wasn't a decent batsman but for those who are involved in domestic cricket such as the coaches and players, there were no doubts about his abilities as a player. Quite understandably, he took some time to make his mark in international cricket due to the pressure at that level but we all knew that he would come good one day as a batsman. 

He has an average of about 43 in First Class cricket which even well-established batsmen don't have. Some of them are playing international cricket with First Class averages of 34 to 35. All said, if you compare the averages of these batsmen with those of a wicketkeeper like Sarfraz, you get a pretty good idea about his run scoring abilities.

He did take time and there were ups and downs along the way, but when he got his chance, he worked hard and grabbed the opportunities on offer with both hands. I do feel sorry for Adnan Akmal who was injured in the closing stages of the Test match against Sri Lanka and hasn't had a chance to play for Pakistan since. In my opinion, Adnan should not be discarded as we have a bad habit of bringing one person in and then completely ignoring the other. We should keep Adnan in contention and groom him as a backup keeper. If, in case Sarfraz Ahmed gets injured, we should have a set keeper ready to replace him.


PakPassion.net: Whilst Sarfraz's batting was very encouraging, he did make a few mistakes behind the stumps during recent matches against Australia. What was the reason and how can he improve on that?

Rashid Latif: To start with, I don't class these fumbles as errors. At this point, let me also say that a few commentators whilst on television even called him a 'bad wicket-keeper', which was not fair on him. I don't think it is right to criticize a wicket-keeper or indeed any player like that. It's always very easy to find faults in someone, but it's very hard to suggest ways of fixing those faults. 

As a keeper I can say that it's very difficult to keep wickets on the last day when a team is typically chasing 250-300 runs on a turning track and where the ball hits the rough and can go anywhere. In such conditions, errors can happen but those faults can be only rectified when he plays a few more games in similar match conditions. No one can teach this and the only way to learn in such cases is by match experience where the player trains himself to adapt to such situations.


PakPassion.net: The 2-0 win over Australia was such a shock result. Why do you think Pakistan did so well?

Rashid Latif: In Tests, you just need good batting tracks. In one of the ODIs that I watched, the pitch was breaking a lot and that pitch really was not suitable for us. It was difficult to chase 250 runs there. As far as Tests are concerned, the curator prepared ideal tracks for Pakistan and the weather suited them as well. In November, the weather in the UAE is not harsh and that's why the binding of the pitches was appropriate. It didn't break much and didn't crumble. The Australians were a bit surprised by the conditions and Pakistan made good use of that advantage. Our batting has had plenty of collapses in the past, but this time around it did so well that it appeared that the number six batsman would never get a chance to bat in these matches.


PakPassion.net: The Australians seemed to lack any sort of game plan against the Pakistani spinners who were relatively inexperienced in all formats. Were you surprised by that? 

Rashid Latif: From experience, we know that the Australians do struggle against spinners. In the same way as it is said about us that we struggle in South Africa and Australia, they struggle on these types of pitches. It is said that we can't cut or pull well on those types of tracks; they [Australians] find it difficult to cope with pitches where the ball keeps low. Pakistani batsmen are experts in these conditions and they showed that during the series against Australia.

Apart from Mitchell Johnson, none of the Australian bowlers could bother the Pakistani batsmen. They had some pretty ordinary spinners in their squad. Pakistan had batsmen in their ranks who could play long innings. This was demonstrated by the fact that they scored nine centuries in the series. One can also get a measure of the dominance of Pakistan’s batsmen in this series by the fact that Younis Khan became the first batsman to score two centuries in two innings against Australia in forty years and in the very next match, two more batsmen matched that feat which is incredible. The pitches prepared for the Test series helped Pakistan and they richly benefited from it.


PakPassion.net: Cricket Australia hired the services of Muttiah Muralitharan but it seemed to have little effect on the outcome of the series?

Rashid Latif: Muralitharan was hired for the one day series and their performance in that series was very good. I can't recall if he was there for the Test series. Anyways, he can surely guide the bowlers on how to bowl spin, but he cannot help the batsmen play spin. The ball didn't spin very much and the Australians got under pressure because of Pakistan batting for such a long time. Their batsmen, after staying on the field for such long periods did struggle, especially as they are mostly stroke makers and they gave their wickets away playing shots, which is not ideal for Test cricket.


PakPassion.net: What did you make of Michael Clarke's captaincy in the Test series against Pakistan?

Rashid Latif: He made a comeback after injury which was not a successful one. Some players adjust to the game right away after spending time on the sidelines, while others take time doing that. One bad series won't make a significant difference to his batting style or to his position as captain. The series against South Africa will determine if he still has his captaincy skills. I don't think Cricket Australia would take any decision regarding Clarke which could create issues within their cricket setup prior to the World Cup. 


PakPassion.net: Yasir Shah won a lot of praise from the likes of Shane Warne. What do you feel he needs to work on to improve himself as a bowler? 

Rashid Latif: When I was appointed chief selector, I had a clause in my contract which stipulated that spinners and batsmen could only be selected if they had played at least three years of domestic cricket. I am not in favour of promoting players right from the Under-19 level to the senior team like we did with Sami Aslam. Yes, if a player is extraordinarily talented like Javed Miandad or Sachin Tendulkar then you can make an exception and that would be acceptable. 

Both Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar been playing domestic cricket for more than seven years now. They have been playing against batsmen who are good players of spin here in Pakistan. It was therefore slightly easy for both of these spinners to bowl against Australia and they were able to get wickets based on their First Class experience alone.


PakPassion.net: Were you expecting Zulfiqar Babar to trouble the Australians so much in the Test series? 

Rashid Latif: As you know, I have played and watched a lot of cricket in my time. I have been continuously saying for the last five years, and even more so in the last three years, that I feel Zulfiqar Babar is one of the best spinners Pakistan has ever produced. 

I don't understand the logic behind not playing him earlier. Whenever, I have asked players from my department, like Khalid Latif, Umar Amin or Shahzaib Hasan, about the best left arm spinner they have ever faced, they always name Zulfiqar Babar. Against South Africa, he took five wickets in his debut Test match and then disappeared. There have been such mistakes made in the past and in this case, I would blame Misbah-ul-Haq for overlooking Zulfiqar Babar. 

Misbah has a lot of qualities, but he was over reliant on Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman. He doesn't rely on new talent which reflects negatively on his captaincy. When he was under pressure and questions were being asked about his selection decisions then he took the risk. Had Zulfiqar Babar been played two years ago, Saeed Ajmal would have been saved as well and other options developed as good alternatives.

It was clear to all from almost a year ago that we were not winning matches in which Saeed Ajmal was taking wickets. Against Sri Lanka, we had Saeed Ajmal but we lost that series. He should have been kept for limited overs matches only. His action came under the scanner only during the Test series. If you're bowling thirty overs in a day, you are bound to be exhausted. Your legs and shoulders would be tired and then that has an effect on your action. Take the example of Sunil Narine who is not being asked to play in Test matches for the West Indies simply because they want to save him for the limited overs format. 

Like I said before, Misbah is to blame for not relying on juniors. The inclusion of Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah in the Test team for Pakistan is not the result of any sound planning but appears more like an accidental choice. The only positive aspect of this issue is that good players have been chosen to play for Pakistan.


PakPassion.net: Misbah-ul-Haq seemed revitalized in the Test series, why do you think that was?

Rashid Latif: I have always been a big supporter of Misbah-ul-Haq, even where there was a campaign to have him removed. I recall that when Pakistan lost in South Africa, Misbah-ul-Haq was being sidelined by the Chairman of PCB and Dav Whatmore and when he came back to Pakistan he was indirectly asked to retire or to step down as captain.

My advice to him at that point, based on my personal experience in such matters, was for him not to step down. He is mentally tough and I am glad he took my advice. He has played cricket under tough conditions. There were issues with the team environment and there were issues within the PCB itself. Pakistan was being deprived of home series on its soil. Misbah went through a lot of tough times but stood firm. 

With regard to his performance in the series against Australia, I would say that this would go down as a historic Test series win. Pakistan whitewashed England when they were number one and they did the same to Australia when they were on top. Credit goes to the entire team but Misbah-ul-Haq's leadership had a big role to play in Pakistan's success.


PakPassion.net: How do you think the ongoing series against New Zealand will go?

Rashid Latif: Pakistan definitely has the upper hand but it's hard to predict anything in cricket. I think New Zealand will prove to be a more challenging opponent compared to Australia. I saw their ODIs against South Africa and they have developed some decent talent of late. They will play our spinners better and they know how to stay on the pitch, unlike the Australians, who tried to play attacking cricket. Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah will once again hold the key for Pakistan and should prove to be the main threats for New Zealand.


PakPassion.net: What are your views on the ongoing debate over the inclusion of Mohammad Hafeez in the Test side?

Rashid Latif: Mohammad Hafeez is one of the best Limited Overs players in Pakistan right now, both with the bat and the ball. Misbah-ul-Haq needed him in the Test series for his own sake. There were a lot of issues within the team which resulted in him withdrawing from the third ODI against Australia. There were reports that Shahid Afridi would replace him. After Saeed Ajmal, there was no one in the team to support Misbah-ul-Haq. He was selected for a reason and it is possible that they may try another opener but his inclusion, as I have said before, was a matter of necessity for Misbah.

Having said that he should continue to be persisted with in the New Zealand series as a winning combination should not be disturbed. Additionally, I feel that Rahat Ali could have been replaced with Mohammad Talha, who generates pace with the new as well as the old ball. He has a good bouncer and can generate pace on flat wickets. 


PakPassion.net: Was it the right decision to play Mohammad Hafeez ahead of Taufeeq Umar?

Rashid Latif: Taufeeq Umar is a veteran and he has played with me and I know that he's a capable batsman. However, we need to look ahead now. We should not look back towards experienced players as we already have seniors in Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq in various squads. 

I believe Khurram Manzoor should have been given another chance as openers are not developed very easily. If one looks at the progress of Ahmed Shehzad, one will see that he is playing in all three formats for Pakistan. The reason for his success is that if he doesn't do well in Test matches, he establishes his place by performing in the Limited Overs matches. In contrast, someone who only plays Tests needs more chances in the side as he can only prove himself by playing in one format of the game.


PakPassion.net: Have you been impressed with Imran Khan's bowling?

Rashid Latif: Yes, he is a very good bowler. I have been keeping an eye on him for the last few seasons and he has been performing well. He took a few wickets against us too in domestic cricket. Frankly speaking, I was surprised that he was not even in the probables for some of the training camps. If you see his performance, he has been very consistent and has been amongst the top performers in domestic cricket for a long time. He has proved himself on flat tracks in the UAE and I am sure, he will do even better on lively tracks. 

If you look at Umar Gul's career, he did not develop his game in Pakistan. He did it playing in Australia, England and South Africa. The same applies to Imran and I am sure he will prove to be a good find for Pakistan once he gets to play on lively pitches abroad.


PakPassion.net: Some words on the brilliance of Younis Khan and what he is to Pakistan cricket?

Rashid Latif: Younis Khan is simply the best. I have spent my entire life with him and sometimes I feel he's from a different planet. I have never seen a person like him. He is so committed, he's not concerned about being diplomatic but just focuses on his cricket. Some people talk about how they wish to serve Pakistan but he has shown his patriotism with his actions. 

The 2009 World T20 is a great example of his dedication where he introduced a lot of new players like Fawad Alam, Mohammad Amir, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Shahzaib Hasan and won the World T20 for Pakistan. He had players like Rao Iftikhar and Sohail Tanvir on the bench but he gave Mohammad Amir a chance. Captains don't take these types of risks but he did and he groomed players. I have been very close to him and he has been through some tough times as a Pakistan cricketer. 

At times, I also feel that he should quit Limited Overs cricket but we don't have a replacement for him yet. If you want to get rid of him, get rid of other seniors such as Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq too. They haven't performed well either so why single out Younis? It is possible that due to some past issues, he has been singled out for criticism. In a fair world, I would have said yes he should step down but this is not the case at the moment. I believe he has already made some good choices such as retiring from the T20 format after winning the World T20. Which other player, after Imran Khan, has ever stepped down in this way? 


PakPassion.net: How do you rate Pakistan's chances in the World Cup and which teams do you think are favourites to win it?

Rashid Latif: I am sure all teams will be well prepared for this mega event. At least eight teams would be in contention to win the World Cup and Pakistan is one of them but luck matters a lot in such a tournament. I hope Pakistan doesn't have any difficulties qualifying for the quarter-finals but it would be interesting to see who they face there. You cannot predict which team will win in this type of tournament but, as a Pakistani, you hope that Pakistan will win the 2015 World Cup. 

With that said, realistically speaking and putting Pakistan aside, South Africa in my view will be a very tough team to beat. As I said before, it depends a lot on luck but the choice of an ideal team combination will be crucial for this tournament. In our case, there will be a toss-up amongst the spinners as we will have the likes of Shahid Afridi, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Hafeez. As far as favourites are concerned, South Africa will be the ones to watch out for. They may have the reputation of 'chokers' but the fact is that they are always in contention for the title.


PakPassion.net: Do you see Saeed Ajmal returning to the Pakistan team before the 2015 World Cup?

Rashid Latif: It depends on how good a bowler he is after modifying his action. If he is still good enough, he will be one of the best Limited Overs bowlers. He has a lot of notable performances under his belt and he is a big name in international cricket and now we don't have enough time to make changes. If he's cleared, he should be selected based upon his reputation alone. 

My views aside, it's also obvious that the captain and the coach will only chose him if they feel that he is still the Saeed Ajmal of the past. I don't think the likes of Moin Khan, Waqar Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq would commit a blunder and pick him if his Doosra is no longer effective.

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