CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Wasim Akram introduces the young players who hold the future of Pakistan cricket in their hands

While the fearsome pace of Shoaib Akhtar has captured the imagination of spectators at Pakistan's matches two other of our newcomers have been quietly making their presence felt with significant performances in all the four victories Pakistan have registered so far.

I thought I should introduce to the cricket enthusiasts in England, two of Pakistan's most promising new talents: Yousuf Youhana and Abdul Razzaq.

Youhana is one of the few upcoming batsmen in the world who is comfortable with the longer and shorter versions of the game. Coming from a humble background the ride to the top was far from easy. In fact, he almost gave it all up, because he was not getting a break in first-class cricket. However, perseverance and providence changed all that, and soon he was part of the Pakistan electricity board team. A season in England, where he played league cricket, also helped him adjust his batting to conditions different from those in Pakistan.

Since then, there was no looking back for this simple, uncomplicated guy from interior Lahore. Watching him over the last year, what has impressed me most is his temperament. He loves a challenge and raises his game according to the requirements of the situation and the quality of the opposition. A confident starter, he has all the shots in his repertoire. He pulls and hooks with elan, and also plays the quick bowlers through midwicket with ease.

Another indication of Youhana's good temperament was the way he has bounced back after a lean patch. The tour of India was a tough one for him since he was not among the runs in the Tests or the one-days internationals. I, however, had full faith in his ability and backed him when the team was being chosen for the World Cup. After all, he had performed commendably against Zimbabwe and Australia last year. Of course, his performances against Scotland, and, more importantly against Australia, completely justified the faith reposed in him. One of the coolest customers I have seen, he works hard on his batting and fielding, and possesses the gift of placement in abundance.

It is a joy to watch him as he pierces the gaps with unerring precision. A devout Christian, he goes to church every Sunday, and maybe this religious bent of mind helps him to apply himself even better.

In 1996, a 16-year-old lad impressed me with his perfect bowling action. It was during a match against Zimbabwe, and this boy was troubling the batsmen by hitting the seam with almost every delivery. I immediately called him to a camp and took a closer look at his action. It was so impressive I immediately realised I had spotted a talent for Pakistan cricket. Razzaq has not looked back since.

In fact, he has strengthened his credentials by improving his batting remarkably. He was one of the stars of the under-19 teams and later impressed during his tours to England and New Zealand with the Pakistan A team.

He also played for PNT Gymkhana, one of the two nurseries for cricket in Pakistan, the other being Ludhiana Gymkhana. Today, he is the all-rounder who lends balance to the team, since he is as good with the bat as he is with the ball. His bowling against West Indies and his batting against Australia proved that he is maturing into a genuine all-rounder.

He has already mastered the art of reverse swing and has the ability to swing the ball both ways. The greatest advantage Razzaq has is the fact that he is only 19. He must use this to his advantage and continue to use his cricketing brain to hone his talent further.

It is players like Razzaq and Youhana who lend balance to our team. Any successful team has to be a balance of pragmatic experience and youthful exuberance. These two, along with Shahid Afridi, Akhtar and Azhar Mahmood lift the team's spirit with their enthusiasm and also lend an edge to our fielding by throwing themselves around.

I have always believed a long stint in domestic cricket is not necessary for a player to prove his mettle. Sometimes it pays to throw players into the deep end as it pushes them to excel at the highest level. Domestic cricket does throw up some talent but in a country like Pakistan many do not have the opportunity to work their way up through the domestic cricket system.

Imran Khan hand-picked quite a few players who have gone on to serve Pakistan for years. Inzamam and I both have only Imran to thank for pitchforking us into the big league without any first-class experience.

I am sure Youhana and Razzaq will also prove my judgment right by serving Pakistan cricket for many years to come.