Sachin, Yousuf will be key: Shoaib by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	Mohammad Yousuf, SR Tendulkar
Event:	ICC Champions Trophy 2009/10

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DateLine: 26th September 2009

 

Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar feels that the outcome of the India-Pakistan match will depend on the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Yousuf.

 

"Big players like Tendulkar and Yousuf are great because they perform in the big events. Tomorrow they would be under a lot of pressure and it would be a test of their experience and skills to see how they contribute for their teams," he said.

 

"There is pressure on all the players because an Indo-Pak match is always a big event and every player wants to perform a big feat and become an overnight hero. Such a match can turn a player into a hero or zero very quickly so the pressure and intensity levels are always high," he added.

 

Akhtar also pointed out that he could feel some internal strife in the Indian team ahead of tomorrow's match.

 

"I don't know but as a professional cricketer I don't see the smoothness or closeness in the Indian team that was visible in the last few years," Akhtar said.

 

"In the last few months you can sense things are not right in the Indian team although I don't know the reasons for this," he told 'Dunya' channel.

 

Rawalpindi express also advocated playing Mohammad Asif against India despite the fact he has not played competitive cricket for last 16 months.

 

"Asif should play. I don't care even if they have taken his dope test. The dope test results will come after a week.

 

He is a match winner and if I was captain I would definitely gamble on him in such a high profile fixture."