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Pakistan’s leg-spinner Danish Kaneria wants to limit his county appearances for Essex this season to just a month in order to prepare and keep himself motivated for the tour of England from late June.

The 25-year-old who has taken 148 wickets in just 34 Tests has been advised by his captain Inzamam-ul-Haq to keep in mind Pakistan’s long tour of England while deciding to go and play for Essex.

Pakistan tours England from June 29 to play four Tests and five One-day Internationals besides four side matches. “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has indicated that it has no problems with the players going and playing for their counties before the England tour but I will discuss the issue with my captain before taking a decision,” Kaneria told ‘The News’.

“Presently I am thinking on lines of playing just one month for Essex and then returning home to keep myself fresh for the England tour. In England because of the cold weather, injuries are always a big risk and you tend to get tired after a few weeks. I want to be in top form for my country,” he stated.

Kaneria said he would take a final decision on his county assignment after the tour of Sri Lanka from March 13. Pakistan plays three one-dayers and two Tests in Sri Lanka. Kaneria has never played a Test in the pearl islands although he appeared in one-day games there in 2003. The leg-spinner said that he was looking forward to playing in Sri Lanka again as the weather and pitch conditions generally encourage the spinners.

“From my experience the last time there, because it is an island the weather tends to help the spinners and the pitches can be abrasive. But I have never played a Test and that would be a new experience for me.”

“I have played against Sri Lanka in Tests at home but playing against their batsmen in their own backyard would be a challenge because they are good players of spin and very hard to beat in their own country.

I see the coming tour as a big learning experience for me and should help me mature further as a bowler,” he added. Without taking any names, Kaneria pointed out that Sri Lanka had some fine players of spin and two or three very good left-handers. “They are a top side on their day and it would be a close series with them. I am also looking forward to getting a chance to play in the one-day series,” he said.

Kaneria has played in just 15 one-dayers and taken 12 wickets but, in the recent Patron’s Cup one-day tournament, he won the final for his team Habib Bank by taking five for 21 against Pakistan Customs.

The youngster who is only the second Hindu to play Test cricket for Pakistan said in the end that everything depended on luck and fate. “My job is to give it my best effort and leave the rest to fate.”

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/mar2006-daily/07-03-2006/sports/s7.htm

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