April 21 Sunday 2002
Rashid Latif realises six-year old dream at NSK today 

KARACHI: Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif will fullfill a dream on Sunday when he plays against New Zealand in the first One-day International here at the National Stadium the dream to walk out on the National Stadium turf as a Pakistan player. 

"Even when I was not in the Pakistan team it was always my dream to play one more match here and then announce my retirement. I have no intentions of retiring now but it is great to be playing at the National Stadium again after six years," Rashid said. 

The reason he is attaching so much significance to Sunday's international is because he has not played any representative or first class match at this venue since March 1996 despite remaining active as a first class and Pakistan player all this time. 

Latif's last representative or first class appearance at the National Stadium was against South Africa in the 1996 World Cup. 

Since then his only appearances here have been restricted to practice matches involving the Pakistan probables or the England team in the year 2000. 

"Everyone loves to play in front of his home crowd. I have not been able to do this as a Pakistan player for six years. I am not expecting any special reception from the crowd but personally it feels great to be back at a venue where I made my mark as a emerging Pakistan wicketkeeper," he added. 

Even since making his comeback to the national team last year in England after spending three years in the wilderness due to his role in exposing the match-fixing scandal, the Pakistan team has also not played any match at the National Stadium. 

Strangely, even while playing first class cricket Latif has played at the other grounds in Karachi like the United Bank Complex, Defence Stadium and Asghar Ali Shah but not the National Stadium. 

The National Stadium was a proud venue for Pakistan until December 2000 when they suffered their first Test defeat at the ground since 1955-56. 

Rashid said he was keen to do well against New Zealand and was looking forward to the One-dayers and Test matches. 

"Pakistan has not played as much cricket as other teams since last year. So this series has been eagerly awaited. I hope I can do something special in the match," he added. 

Rashid who failed in successive innings with the bat in the recent Sharjah Cup said he had gotten over his failures as the tournament was won and it was now a thing of the past. 

"No one likes to fail at any level. The same thing applies to me. But though it was disappointing not to get a victory for Pakistan in that pool match against Sri Lanka, the fact remains every cricketer has to fail sometime." 

Latif who captained Pakistan in 1998 in Bangladesh, South Africa and Zimbabwe before being fired by the cricket board as captain and also from the national team said he had always got a lot of support from his countrymen particularly from the Karachites and it felt special to be playing at the National Stadium after such a long time.