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Pakistan skipper out early, but confident of facing Australia
Imran edges to Test spot
HOBART: Despite being out for 13
against Tasmania yesterday, edging a
ball to the 'keeper. Pakistan captain
Imran Khan is confident of playing in
the fourth crickct Test against Aus
tralia.
Thanks to strong scores from Javcd
Miandad, not out 141, and Salim Malik,
80, Pakistan was in a strong position
after the first day of the four-day
match, finishing on six for 354.
Imran was disappointed by his first
innings after injury, but said he would
wait until the end of the match before
making any firm decision about playing
in the Test.
"I feel I'm going to take a chance,"
he said.
Imran's leg injury has sidelined him
throughout the Pakistan tour, and he
was eager for a long spell at the wickets
yesterday, to prove his return to form.
The talented all-rounder managed
one boundary before becoming another
victim of Tasmania's teenage wicket
keeper, Richard Soule, who took three
catches for the day.
"You couldn't even call it a bad
shot," Imran said. "1 just missed it."
"I was disappointed because I wanted
to spend some time at the wicket - not
just for runs, but so I can get used to
it again."
Immediately after losing his wicket,
he went to the nets for some more
batting practice, and later said he felt
his jegs were moving the right way.
Asked where he would fit in the Test
side - particularly after yesterday's
strong innings of 80 by Salim Malik -
Imran said the batting might stay as it
The young Salim played a capable
innings, including nine boundaries, but
it was Miandad who once more pro
vided the sparkle in Pakistan's per
formance.
Scoring his third successive century,
Miandad skipped between the wickets,
repeatedly found holes in the Tasma
nian field, and knocked up 17 bound
aries and one six by the close of play
at the TCA Ground.
Miandad's century came up with a
confidently placcd cover drive for four,
followed by two more boundaries in the
next three balls.
Batting bare-headed, in the face of a
sometimes wild Tasmanian bowling at
tack, Miandad pushed the score along
at a healthy pace, his century coming
in 183 minutes.
In his last two matches Miandad
scored 106, against Victoria, and 131,
in the third Test at Adelaide.
He was given a life once, at 27, when
second slip Ian Beven could only get one
hand to an edge off the bowling of Peter
Faulkner.
With three other dropped catches,
the Tasmanian field let down spirited
bowling from its chief wickct takers,
Faulkner and Peter Clough. Faulkner
finished with four'for 95, off 28 overs.
The problem has carried over in the
Tasmanian team from last week's Shef
field Shield match at Devonport, when
a scries of chances were missed.
At least there was a bright per
formance behind the wicket from the
17-year-old keeper Soule, a chunky ath
lete who took every chance offered to
him.
Pakistan skipper Imran Khan hits a four during his innings of 13 in the match against Tasmania, in Hobart yesterday. Help
Pakistan skipper Imran Khan hits a four during his innings of
13 in the match against Tasmania, in Hobart yesterday.
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