With past bad memories buried, Pak aims to put smiles back on fan’s faces in England

LONDON - Pakistan cricket team manager Yawar Saeed has said that the squad has put all the bad memories of its last England tour behind and is committed to bring smiles back on fan’s faces.

Saeed said the team is aware that expectations from it were high and the players are raring to go and prove the critics wrong.

“We aren’t kidding ourselves, it’s going to be a long and tough tour. Six tests, four Twenty20 fixtures and five one day internationals is a lot of cricket, but we will give it our best shot, play some good cricket, entertain and put smiles on the fan’s faces. I feel we are well prepared for the series’ and we can do well,” Saeed told PakPassion.net.

Saeed said he doesn’t want to recall some of the controversies which attracted much media attention last time Pakistan toured England, and added that he wants to ensure that cricket emerges as the only and real winner this time around.

“What’s happened in the past is not something I want to focus on or indeed talk about. We want cricket to be the winner on this tour and will play the game in the best spirit, to ensure that when we go back to Pakistan, it’s the cricket that is talked about, not any other incidents”.

Pakistan’s 2006 England tour is particularly remembered for captain Inzamam ul Haq leading his team off the field during the fourth Test at The Oval after on field umpires ruled that his team was involved in ball tampering.

Umpires Billy Doctrove and Daryl Hair had awarded five penalty runs to England and offered them a replacement ball. Pakistani players denied to accept the punishment and refused to come out to play after tea of the fourth day following which England were declared winners by forfeiture. (ANI)