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Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is talking big after the return of fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif and believes that his team would make critics eat their words with a solid showing on the tour of South Africa early next year.

Doubts had been raised in recent times about Pakistan’s prospects in South Africa during a tour starting early next month especially after the mauling of India at the hands of Graeme Smith’s men in the one-day series.

It is generally feared that Pakistan, who recently won a three-Test series against the visiting West Indies 2-0 on low and slow pitches at home, would be crushed on lively tracks by the South African pace battery in the away series.

Like the Indians, Pakistanis have a history of poor performances against real pace on bouncy tracks and they will most likely struggle in the away series against South Africa that includes three Tests and five One-day Internationals (ODIs).

However, ask Inzamam about it and he would disagree.

“India’s recent run of defeats in South Africa has given critics a new reason to run us down,” Inzamam wrote in his column for Daily Jang on Thursday. “They believe we would suffer a similar fate but I don’t think they are right. We will not prove to be an easy prey for South Africa,” he said.

This kind of assertive tone in Inzamam’s comments had been previously missing and is clearly a result of the recent acquittal of his key strike bowlers Shoaib and Asif.

An appeals committee recently set aside doping bans imposed on the pacers after they tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone. The new ball pair is now available for selection in the Pakistan team for the crunch tour of South Africa. Inzamam admitted that the two bowlers would be his most potent weapons in South Africa. “I know that our past record in South Africa is not very good but we would prove to be tough opponents this time. And I believe Shoaib and Asif would play a key role for us there,” he said.

Inzamam said that Shoaib was the reason why Pakistan recorded a memorable Test win on a previous tour of South Africa in 1998.

He predicted that the upcoming series would be dominated by pacers from both sides. “It would be a contest between the fast bowlers because the wickets in South Africa are going to support pace,” he said.

Inzamam claimed that with the return of Shoaib and Asif, Pakistan have the biggest pool of quality pacers in international cricket.

“Shoaib and Asif are among the best fast bowlers in the world while the likes of Umar Gul and Shahid Nazir have also done really well in their absence. Shabbir Ahmed is also expected to make a comeback and that gives us a lot of options. I believe our pace attack is now capable of destroying any kind of batting line,” he remarked.

Inzamam conceded that the South Africans are also very strong in the pace departments as they have top class bowlers like Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock and Andre Nel.

“That is why I believe it would be a very nail-biting series and the team whose batsmen showed more courage is going to win,” he said.

Inzamam said that he is very pleased on the acquittal of Shoaib and Asif saying that his team first cleared itself of ball-tampering allegations and now the two players have been exonerated of doping offences. “It is great news for Pakistan,” he signed off.
Source:The News