Pakistan's star tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi is trying to rope in an Australian tennis player of Pakistani origin to boost his country's chances in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group-II semifinal against New Zealand.
Pakistan's Davis Cup coach Rashid Malik said Aisam is trying to convince Lahore-born Rameez Junaid to play for Pakistan against the Kiwis during the July 9-11 tie.
Junaid, who is settled in Melbourne, plays with German Philipp Marx in doubles tournaments. He has partnered Aisam during a tournament in Dubai in 2007.
"We have been totally relying on Aisam and Aqeel Khan in recent years and it will be great if we can have another good player with international experience in our team," Malik said, adding that there is a big possibility that Junaid would represent Pakistan in the important Davis Cup tie.
"Aisam told me that he would talk to Rameez (Junaid) about playing for Pakistan. The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) is also aware of it and I'm sure that it would welcome the player if he decides to play for us," The News quoted Malik, as saying.
Malik said Pakistan's hope in the forthcoming clash against New Zealand would largely depend upon Aisam's form.
"Aisam is playing the best tennis of his career and is perfectly capable of winning against any of the New Zealand players. But, what we need is two more players, who can produce good results. We have Aqeel Khan, who is very experienced and if we can have Junaid, our team's chances of winning the title will become quite bright," Malik said.
Meanwhile, Tennis New Zealand has announced that the Taranaki town of Hawera will host the Davis Cup tie against Pakistan. The best-of-five match tie would be played at the TSB Hub, a new multi-purpose stadium hosting an international fixture for the first time.
