nkdatta8839

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/3082902.stm

Tigers scent historic win

Third Test, Multan, day three: Bangladesh 281 & 154; Pakistan 175 &
148-6 (at close)

Bangladesh have a first Test win in their sights after running through
Pakistan's top order.

But the game could still be snatched from their grasp with
Inzamam-ul-Haq reaching 53 not out to keep Pakistan's hopes of a 3-0
series whitewash alive. .....

================================================== ==============================

["..... we let them (Bangladesh) play beyond their ability, but here
we would try our best to finish it off early" -- Rashid Latif]

http://www.dawn.com/2003/09/03/spt2.htm

DAWN, Karachi, Pakistan
03 September 2003 Wednesday 05 Rajab 1424

Rashid slams BD for negative approach

MULTAN, Sept 2: Bangladesh came under scathing attack from Pakistan
captain Rashid Latif on Tuesday for their negative approach in the
first two Tests of the current series.

"I was amazed by their (Bangladesh) tactics and if they don't play
positively it will get more difficult for them to improve, Rashid told
a press conference.

"I don't want to sound harsh but if Bangladesh keep on playing with
such a negative approach, they will never progress far. At the same
time I won't like to interfere in their planning, but they must ensure
a positive attitude. I noticed in this series that once their bowlers
are hit around they go on the defensive," he added.

The Pakistan captain claimed that had the pitches been more favourable
for fast bowling, Bangladesh would have not managed to extend the game
beyond third day. Yeah, we should we would have finished them inside
three days in the first two Tests.

"In fact, we let them (Bangladesh) play beyond their ability, but here
we would try our best to finish it off early, the Pakistan captain
promised.

Dav Whatmore, the Bangladesh coach, said his charges needed to avoid
losing self-confidence especially after being on top in the first half
of both Tests.

"I fear for the boys because I am trying to make sure that the boys do
not lose confidence. We need to identify and guard those areas where
the team has improved immensely", the Australian noted.

When asked how he felt after losing the Peshawar Test, Whatmore
replied, "Of course, as the coach you are never satisfied. But the
manner of team's capitulation hurts me more than anything else. I
never expected my team to fold up so meekly in Peshawar", he said.

Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud was more philosophical about the
final Test. "We have shown marked improvement in this series. And
hopefully we would like to end the Test series on a high note," he
hoped.

nkdatta8839

http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/09/06/d3090604.htm

Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sat. September 06, 2003

PAKISTAN DIARY
Hasan Masood from Multan

Pakistan captain Rashid Latif played a trick on Alok Kapali to send
him back to the pavilion.

Known as one of the most honest cricketers in Pakistan, Latif took a
catch off Umar Gul diving to his right but then dropped the ball.
However, before either Ashoka de Silva or Russell Tiffin noticed the
error, he quickly picked the ball up, which was clearly visible on
television.

The incident not only invited controversy it also raised a big
question on Latif's character because he had been fighting for the
truth in Pakistan cricket for a long time.

Latif should have called Kapali back knowing he had spilled the catch.

nkdatta8839

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2003-d.../sports/s8.htm

The News, Karachi, Pakistan
Wednesday September 10, 2003-- Rajab 12, 1424 A.H.

A pyrrhic victory to put all other pyrrhic victories to shame
by Asif Iqbal

[Author is former Pakistan and Kent cricket captain]

...... Rashid’s fall, the manner of it, as well as the reaction
of our cricketing officialdom to it, brings into focus so much that is
wrong with Pakistan - and not just its cricket. Barely 24 hours after
Rashid claimed his catch after picking up the ball from the floor he
was talking to Rameez Raja during the presentation ceremony, starting
his speech with a pious ‘Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim’.
His predecessor, who started this trend, had been done for
ball-tampering. How can you believe in the values of Islam, the
world’s greatest religion, if you cannot bring yourself to be
honest on a cricket field?

And quite apart from the harm done to the image of Pakistan and
Pakistan cricket, just what sort of an image does one give of Islam
when on the outside the rituals are ostentatiously observed while on
the inside there is nothing even remotely Islamic about the actions.
The reaction, both of the board as well as his fellow players, to the
incident, is equally baffling. Inzamam, who now leads Pakistan in the
one-day series against Bangladesh, is reported to have
‘dedicated’ the one-day series to Latif.

It reflects a peculiarly Pakistani concept of loyalty, where if you
are one of ‘my men’ you are expected to support me if even
if I have been caught with both hands in the till - and the evidence
against Rashid showed the feet in the till as well! I am sure that is
very praiseworthy, but along with being loyal to one’s
colleagues there is the business of loyalty to one’s conscience.
If one feels that Rashid was wrong - and one would really have to be
blinkered to see otherwise - then one has a duty to one’s
conscience as well and this is not one of those situations in which
the two loyalties can be said to be on a collision course.

Inzamam did not have to dedicate this one-day series against
Bangladesh to anyone, not least because victory in it will probably be
seen as something less than the ultimate sporting triumph; all he had
to do was avoid the subject and he would have been perfectly within
his rights to do so. By going out of his way to endorse Rashid he has,
albeit perhaps inadvertently, given the message that Rashid’s
behaviour was acceptable, which it was not. Even more puzzling is the
silence with which the Pakistan Cricket Board has accepted a situation
in which the captain of the national side has been done for a level
three offence, with many believing he was lucky not to be done for
level four which could have meant a life ban. .....

nkdatta8839

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2003-d.../sports/s8.htm

The News, Karachi, Pakistan
Wednesday September 10, 2003-- Rajab 12, 1424 A.H.

A pyrrhic victory to put all other pyrrhic victories to shame
by Asif Iqbal

[Author is former Pakistan and Kent cricket captain]

...... Rashid's fall, the manner of it, as well as the reaction
of our cricketing officialdom to it, brings into focus so much that is
wrong with Pakistan - and not just its cricket. Barely 24 hours after
Rashid claimed his catch after picking up the ball from the floor he
was talking to Rameez Raja during the presentation ceremony, starting
his speech with a pious "Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim".
His predecessor, who started this trend, had been done for
ball-tampering. How can you believe in the values of Islam, the
world's greatest religion, if you cannot bring yourself to be
honest on a cricket field?

And quite apart from the harm done to the image of Pakistan and
Pakistan cricket, just what sort of an image does one give of Islam
when on the outside the rituals are ostentatiously observed while on
the inside there is nothing even remotely Islamic about the actions.
The reaction, both of the board as well as his fellow players, to the
incident, is equally baffling. Inzamam, who now leads Pakistan in the
one-day series against Bangladesh, is reported to have
"dedicated" the one-day series to Latif.

It reflects a peculiarly Pakistani concept of loyalty, where if you
are one of "my men" you are expected to support me if even
if I have been caught with both hands in the till - and the evidence
against Rashid showed the feet in the till as well! I am sure that is
very praiseworthy, but along with being loyal to one's
colleagues there is the business of loyalty to one's conscience.
If one feels that Rashid was wrong - and one would really have to be
blinkered to see otherwise - then one has a duty to one's
conscience as well and this is not one of those situations in which
the two loyalties can be said to be on a collision course.

Inzamam did not have to dedicate this one-day series against
Bangladesh to anyone, not least because victory in it will probably be
seen as something less than the ultimate sporting triumph; all he had
to do was avoid the subject and he would have been perfectly within
his rights to do so. By going out of his way to endorse Rashid he has,
albeit perhaps inadvertently, given the message that Rashid's
behaviour was acceptable, which it was not. Even more puzzling is the
silence with which the Pakistan Cricket Board has accepted a situation
in which the captain of the national side has been done for a level
three offence, with many believing he was lucky not to be done for
level four which could have meant a life ban. .....