Date-stamped : 23 Apr97 - 14:22
22 April 1997 

Hanif criticises Ramiz for losing grip over the
match

Dawn Special Representative

COLOMBO, April 21: Former captain Hanif Mohammad blamed skipper
Ramiz Raja for losing the grip in the first Test of the
two-match series against Sri Lanka.

The legendary cricket figure, here as an expert with Radio
Pakistan, said Raja should have allowed Sri Lanka to bat for 30
to 45 minutes on Monday.

"The Lankans were very tired and secondly their opener Sanath
Jayasuriya was restricted from opening the innings because he
didn't field throughout the day. "The approach of Raja was
negative. After all, only 49 runs were scored in the final
session. On the contrary, if Pakistan had snapped up two or
three wickets against the runs they scored later in the day, it
would have put them in the driving seat," Hanif said. Hanif
opined that now there was a remote possibility of a result.
"After watching the two sides, I think it is 60-40 for a draw.
"Result is only likely when one team collapses. It didn't happen
in the first innings and we don't exactly know what will happen
on Tuesday. But there will only be a result if Sri Lanka fail in
their second outing or Pakistan perform badly with the willow,"
stated the Little Master.

Hanif was of the view that if the Pakistan middle-order
performed well, things would have certainly been different. "Had
the middle-order played its role, Pakistan would have been 125
runs ahead and there would have been a different story
altogether. "Pakistan middle-order is collapsing so regularly
because they play too many one-day internationals in which the
batsmen don't concentrate when they see a score of around 247
for three at the scoreboard. "They are catching more bad habits
from one-day cricket than learning good things from it. They
need to be disciplined and apply themselves in this brand of
cricket which at present they are not doing," opined Hanif.

Commenting on the behaviour of the wicket, Hanif said there has
been no major change in it except it has gone slower. "It should
get even slower and that it is why I think there is little
possibility of a result."


Source::  Dawn (http://xiber.com/dawn/)

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