Intikhab upbeat about series
The Sunday Age
Sunday December 13, 2009
PAKISTAN coach Intikhab Alam has labelled Australia "beatable" while laughing off reports that his job is on the line on the eve of his team's tour of Australia.Pakistan, which will head into day three of the third Test against New Zealand at Napier today with the series up for grabs at one-all, will arrive in Australia this week.It is scheduled to play three Tests, five one-dayers and one Twenty20 match, and Intikhab, despite his side's less-than-convincing performances against the Black Caps, is confident victory is well within his team's capabilities."There's no doubt that it [the tour to Australia] will be a step up," he said."Australia are one of the best teams in the world and you have to give them that credit."But at the same time, it also means it's going to be a challenge for us also to go there and try and do well against them."They're still one of the best sides in Test cricket but that's not to say they can't be beaten."They can be beaten, and other sides like India have done that the last time they were there."The South Africans also beat them there and, to me, that means there's also a very good chance for us as well."This side, if we play up to our potential, especially in the batting department, I think we have a good enough bowling unit to get them out twice."Intikhab also felt that the Australians, pushed to the wire by the West Indies in last week's second Test at Adelaide Oval, had lost their aura of invincibility."They have lost some matchwinners, there's no denying that," he said. "Adam Gilchrist is not there. Glenn McGrath is not there. Shane Warne is not there either, and it makes a lot of difference."When you lose so quickly three matchwinners, it makes a lot of difference."Naturally, it provides a great opportunity for other people to get a chance to play for Australia and I think it's going to take some time before they reach that same standard they had."Meanwhile, Intikhab, responding to reports in late November that the axe was hovering over his head and that a new coach could be appointed as early as the Australian tour, laughed off the conjecture."I have signed a two-year contract and these reports are nothing but speculation," he said."People have different ideas and different motives."I'll be getting on the plane with the team when we go to Australia."
© 2009 The Sunday Age
