Abdul Razzaq's road to glory

"It was my dream to come back and play for Pakistan and to be part of a victorious squad in my comeback tournament was too much to ask." Comeback man Abdul Razzaq just cannot get the smile off his face. He is living a dream. Not long ago, he was a rebel with the breakaway Indian Cricket League. Not many gave him a chance to resurrect his career, but such are the strange ways of the willow game.

Razzaq cannot claim to have had a fruitful time during his ICL stint and was reminded of the difference in standards as soon he played his first game at the ICC World T20. "ICL and international cricket... what a huge gap! Apart from basic batting and bowling skills, I have yet to regain the same fitness level international cricketers have. I think I will need around three weeks of training to reach the desired level of fitness. The pressure was not so great during ICL," he admitted.

Two vital wickets
Razzaq claimed the vital Sri Lankan wickets of Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene on Sunday which helped Pakistan achieve glory at Lord's, the very same venue where Pakistan lost a one-sided final 50-over World Cup final to Australia 10 years ago.

"When I came back to the international fold, I felt as if I had just made my international debut. In 2007, the selectors said I was finished. I decided to prove them wrong. I have to thank my captain Younis Khan. I generally bowl well with the old ball but Younis gave me the responsibility of operating with the new ball here and I am delighted to repay the faith," he said.

Meanwhile, coach Intikhab Alam too proved his critics wrong. Recently, Imran Khan opined that Pakistan would be better off with a younger coach. "You can't stop people from expressing their opinion. I was criticised when I was coach of the Pakistan team that won the 1992 World Cup too. I accept it as part of the job. I am only concerned about results and I am glad I've witnessed two world triumphs from close quarters," Alam said.