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SYDNEY (Dec 4, 1995 - 22:08 EST) - Australian leg-spinner Shane
Warne is facing a new challenge -- his status as the ultimate
match-winner for any cricket test side is under threat from
Pakistan counterpart Mushtaq Ahmed.
Warne, Australia's most prolific bowler in recent years, earned
the man-of-the-series award by capturing 19 Pakistan wickets as
Australia beat the tourists 2-1 in the three-test series.
But the bowler who revived the art of leg-spin has found himself
challenged by the dimunitive Mushtaq, whose nine-wicket match
haul helped lift Wasim Akram's side to a 74-run victory in the
third test on Monday.
His victims at the Sydney Cricket Ground included Warne, who
looked as confused and baffled as the other Australian batsmen by
Mushtaq's ability to disguise a delivery that spins back into the
right-hander.
Warne, in contrast, can produce sharper turn away from a
right-hander with his standard leg-break delivery in an arsenal
further strengthened by his flipper -- a ball that quickens after
hitting the wicket but does not deviate in its line.
Warne, the stockier and more experienced of the leg-spin pair,
eventually lost his wicket for five after lofting a mistimed
drive to Saqlain Mushtaq at mid-off.
Mushtaq's man-of-the-match performance, which took his tally for
the series to 18, earned glowing praise from Wasim, who bracketed
the right-arm spinner in the same class as Warne.
"They are definitely the best two spin bowlers I have seen during
my time in cricket," Wasim told reporters.
"They are very different bowlers but they are both very effective
-- Warne is much more consistent in his line and accuracy, while
Mushtaq will try everything to get a wicket."
Both spinners achieved the sizeable hauls despite not bowling in
every innings of the series -- but for different reasons.
Mushtaq was overlooked for the first test in Brisbane, won
convincingly by Australia, while Warne did not bowl in either
Pakistan innings in the second test in Hobart, also won by the
home side, after breaking his toe late on the first day.
Australia captain Mark Taylor said Mushtaq had improved
dramatically as a bowler during the series.
"This game he was in the same class as Warne," Taylor said.
"But if I had to rank them, I'd put Warne at number one because
of longevity, he's always been able to do it for four or five
years, while for Mushtaq this is the first time I've seen him do
it.
"He might prove me wrong...over the next few years he's going to
be very hard to score runs off," Taylor told reporters after
Australia's defeat on the final day.
Mushtaq, who attributed some of the credit for his performance to
Warne's influence, said he is playing his best cricket at the
moment.
"Shane is one of the best bowlers in the world because of one
thing: he never gives the batsman a chance to hit the ball
because his line is very good and he is very consistent," Mushtaq
said in a post-match interview.
"I learned one thing from him -- I get a bit e***d because I
have not got great patience, but he has great patience. So that
is what I tried to do," he said.
Warne finished the series with 19 wickets for 198 runs at an
average of 10.42, compared with Mushtaq's 18 for 384 runs at
21.33.
Warne has 195 wickets in 41 Tests while Mushtaq has 62 from 20.
The figures are enough to make any test batsman nervous,
particularly as both Warne and Mushtaq are some years away from
what is regarded as a spin bowler's prime.
Warne is still only 26 while Mushtaq is one year younger.
(c) 1995 Reuter Information Service
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Syed
--
I speak Latin to God, Spanish to men,
French to women and German to my horse
- Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, 1337 - 1380