June 24 Monday 2002
Wasim targets 500 scalps before calling it a day

KARACHI: A joint target of seeing Pakistan do well and 500 wickets in Tests and One-day Internationals will be the motivating factors for Wasim Akram till the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

The famed allrounder said on Sunday that while he was confident of completing 500 wickets in One-day Internationals till the World Cup, he would definitely try for the same in Tests also.

"I want to do 500 wickets in Tests, but it all depends on how many matches I play. If my captain and coach want to rest me in between Tests as part of their team strategy I am happy with that."

"So far they have handled me very well and I am mentally more relaxed and enjoying the game as a senior member of the team. They have worked excellently with me."

"I have no problems playing both forms of cricket, but I also have no problems with doing what is in the better interests of the team. If I am supposed to play selectively in Tests, I will be happy to do that also," said the 36 year old.

Wasim said the 2-1 series win over Australia was something which he had been looking for a long time and coming at this stage of his career he was delighted with the result.

"I am delighted that I played a leading role in the series win. To beat Australia in Australia is a big achievement and what pleases me most is that we all played like a team and also enjoyed ourselves. We were all mentally relaxed something which is necessary if we are to win the World Cup."

Wasim said watching Shoaib Akhtar bowl the way he did in Melbourne and Brisbane had both been frightening and fun. "It was fun to watch the Australian batsmen under pressure for a change but it was also frightening the way he bowled fast."

"In my mind Shoaib has no competition including Brett Lee today with anyone he is clearly the fastest bowler around in international cricket. If he continues to bowl this way he can become the best bowler of his era and win a lot of matches for Pakistan."

Wasim also insisted that retirement was not on his mind now and he was only looking forward to the Tests against Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe and the World Cup.

"We have to beat Australia in the Tests to prove to the world that the series win was no fluke and I am confident we can do it."