``I presume this is the objective of the authorities and I am keen to fulfil the task entrusted to me,'' Latif said on Friday evening. Latif admitted that he was unsure of his tenure ``but for whatever period I am, this will be my top priority.''
Latif emphasised that he was keen to forget the past. ``Whatever happened earlier this year is history now. The Dhaka tournament is the first of the year and I am looking forward to help the team take a winning start.''
Latif agreed that there would be a lot of pressure on the team after it lost all the six tournaments this year. But he was confident that the players would put everything behind them.
``Personally, I enjoy playing under pressure and in crunch matches.'' Latif said the cricket authorities contacted him before appointing him the captain and said he was fully satisfied with the selected outfit. ``I know Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis) are not in the team. But the wickets in Dhaka are turning ones and that's why we have four spinners in the side. I played there a couple of seasons back and that's a first hand information.''
Latif, whose five-year career is plagued with controversies, promised that he was now a changed person. ``I am now a different player who only wants to play cricket without controversies. I want to perform for the team and I think I have been selected because the side needs me. ``I want to forget the past. Sometimes it looks like a nightmare.'' The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Rashid Latif as captain for the Dhaka triangular in an effort to enforce discipline in the national outfit.
But they chose the man who himself has been disciplined twice by the cricket authorities.
Four years ago (1993-94), Rashid Latif, while skippering Karachi in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy final at the cricket headquarters, brought his team out of the field protesting against some decisions of umpire Khizer Hayat.
Hayat, Pakistan's most experienced umpire, was then on the ICC panel. Latif was fined Rs 10,000 by the cricket officials.
In 1994-95, Rashid Latif along with Basit Ali, announced his retirement in Zimbabwe. The two quit the team and left for South Africa. The duo reversed their decision but the board fined them Rs 50,000 each. Latif was also one of the few cricketers who raised their voice against betting and match-fixing. Salim Malik was his target.
Besides, Latif refused to play twice for Pakistan earlier this year. He was selected for the Pakistan A team for the SAARC tournament in Dhaka but pulled out citing domestic problems. He, however, continued to play in the National one-day championship in Pakistan during the same period.
Latif, in summer, expressed his inability to go to England with the Pakistan A for which he was being considered captain. Latif, interestingly, enjoyed his vacations in England playing club cricket. But the authorities by appointing Rashid Latif as captain have placed themselves in a Catch 22 situation because Pakistan is to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe for five Tests and at least nine one-day internationals.
The interesting question is when the selectors sit down to finalise the team, what will be the status of Latif on the tour. Wasim Akram would most likely return as captain, Saeed Anwar is still there as vice-captain and Moin Khan should still be the first choice as wicketkeeper for the South Africa tour on the basis of his consistent performance earlier in the season.