Comitted to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 4 Num 99 Wed. September 03, 2003  
   
Sports


Latif advises BD to be positive


Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has criticised Bangladesh for adopting a negative strategy in the Test arena, and believes they can only improve if they change tactics.

The two sides meet in the final Test of a three-match series starting in Multan on Wednesday, and Pakistan are expected to complete a clean sweep.

"Bangladesh have played negative cricket in the first two Tests and I don't think they are going to learn anything or improve until they play positive cricket," Latif told reporters on Tuesday.

"They have a mediocre bowling attack and they have managed to stay in the matches by bowling to open fields. They have played negative cricket, and it is doing them no good.

"I don't want to interfere in what their captain or coach thinks or plans. But they need to play positively win or lose."

Latif added that Pakistan's overall dominance had been blunted by slow pitches for the first two Tests in Karachi and Peshawar.

"We didn't get the tracks we would have liked," he said. "If the pitches had had some pace in them, I think we would have won the Tests inside three days.

"In Multan, we have to assert our authority completely and try to finish off the match as soon as possible," he added.