By IANS,
Sydney : Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is eager to put his team’s campaign back on track in the second Test against Australia beginning Sunday.
Kaneria has vowed to revitalise his team after recovering from a finger injury which robbed him of a place in the first Test that Pakistan lost by 170 runs.
While former captain Younus Khan is now highly unlikely to be rushed from Pakistan in time to play in the second Test, because of continuing confusion within the Pakistan Cricket Board, Kaneria has declared himself a certain starter.
“I will try my level best to do something to help us win in Sydney and try to keep up the expectation of the captain and my team,” he was quoted as saying in The Australian Friday.
“I will try my level best to make a big difference in Sydney. I am wanting to play in Sydney. If I can contribute myself, it will be a very good sign for the team.”
Kaneria claimed 15 wickets during Pakistan’s tour five years ago, when Australia won 3-0. Significantly, eight of those came in Sydney.
He is looking forward to returning to the SCG in the hope of finding another traditionally turning surface, but is unsure if that will tempt Pakistan to play two spinners.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has a clever but over-used ‘doosra’, which turns away from the right-handed batsman, had little impact during the first Test in Melbourne with match figures of 2-223.
“I haven’t bowled too much with Ajmal, but if I get a chance to bowl with him it will be great for us,” Kaneria said.
“It’s all upon me – how do I bowl and how do I perform? It’s a big challenge for me to come back over here to Australia and play again the Aussie side. It’s a challenging series in Australia all the time.
“I can’t say that Australia don’t play spin that well. Ajmal got only two wickets in Melbourne – one in each innings.”
Kaneria, 29, was Pakistan’s leading bowler in 2009, claiming 25 wickets at 33 in just five Tests.