Best Batsman Ever:
In which the author has an informal chat with Saeed Anwar about the Dacca Debacle, National Captaincy, and the Ever-reliable Afridi.
Independence Cup Final against India, following his record
busting 194 a few months ago against the same team, firmly
established Saeed Anwar as India’s chief scourge. Saeed’s latest
hundred was built around his biggest asset: his ability to block out the
crowd, unpleasant playing conditions, the tension, and the frequently bizarre
batting dramatics of Afridi. He is a modest man who is least impressed by
the size and frequency of his one-day hundreds, claiming it is only fair to
bat as long as possible when runs can be made; which, when you think
about it, is perfectly logical. In a sport where every other athlete pretends to
be a stuffy egomaniac, Anwar stands apart. Which is why I rate him as the
period’s best one-day batsman.
It is nearly 2:30 in the morning (Pakistan time) and after several tries, I
finally get through to Anwar…on his cellular phone. He is surfing the net, he
tells me; which explains why I couldn’t reach him at his regular number. He
is surprisingly alert, and sounds happy to have reestablished contact with
me. "It seems like you are interested in interviewing me only after I make a
big hundred," he laughs.
I know this is a loaded question, but what went
wrong in the third final against India? A target of 315 runs from
48 overs under those conditions would have given almost any fielding
team better odds.
Well, several things happened. First the light
was bad, really bad. Then the ball was changed several times.
When play started after the interruption, we were given a new
ball. And since Saqlain was bowling, being a spinner, it became
difficult for him to grip the ball. But there is no doubt that
we badly missed Wasim and Waqar. With their pace, it would have
been interesting to see if the Indians would have made it.
Can you pick one particular moment during the
Indian innings that stands out in your opinion as the one where
Pakistan actually lost the advantage?
Oh, there were too many lapses on our part. I
think we missed stumping chances off both Ganguly and Singh. And
the dropped catches, particularly Aaquib's dropped catch of Ganguly
was crucial.
What about Azhar Mahmood's over, the 5th of the
Indian innings when Tendulkar hit him for 4 consecutive fours?
Well, basically Azhar is an all-rounder, and not
really a strike bowler. By selecting him to open our bowling,
we were always taking a risk. But then the other choice was Fazle
Akbar, and since Azhar is a better batsman, we had to go with
him.
Do you think the Pakistani players were a bit
overconfident initially?
I think we were confident. I wouldn't say we were
overconfident. The wicket was a beautiful batting surface, and
we knew runs could be made easily if batsmen just hung around.
When the umpires led the Pakistan team off the
field in the 39th over, did you guys think you might have won
the game?
I think we did. There was no celebration because
we weren't very thrilled about winning in that manner.
What changed the umpires' mind? What brought them
back on the field?
A couple of things. Azharuddin stayed out there
in the middle, and protested. He talked to Rashid Latif and after
consulting with his players, I think Rashid decided it was only
fair to continue playing.
Why wasn't Mushtaq Ahmed played?
We had two leg-spinners already, and, we felt,
for those conditions, they were better options.
In hindsight, how badly were Wasim Akram and Waqar
Younis missed?
I am confident the results would have been different…probably
in our favor.
I see now that the team for the South African
tour has been announced; Wasim Akram is missing from the list
and so is Shahid Afridi. Did you expect this?
Wasim, I think, has a hamstring problem. I spoke
to him a few minutes ago, and he was quite disappointed at not
being able to take part. As for Shahid Afridi, I think the Board
feels that he is not ready for Test cricket; I think they are
molding him into a specialist one-day opener; hopefully he will
make it back.
Do you prefer Shahid Afridi to Aamir Sohail as
an opening partner?
Aamir is definitely a better batsman. He has a
sound technique and temperament. He needs to learn to play a longer
innings. He has played more than 50 matches so far, but has only
one hundred. That is not good enough. But he is still young so
he has time.
Are you surprised that Aamir Sohail's promotion
to vice-captaincy, given that he was dropped/banned a few months
ago?
Not really. I think the selectors are backing
Rashid Latif up so if he decides to not lead, they have an experienced
player ready. And since I refused the Captaincy, I think Aamir
was their logical choice.
You had a short and somewhat unsuccessful stint
as Captain. If asked to do so, would you consider leading the
side again?
There were other factors that contributed to my
failure. My batting didn't click. Our main bowlers were suffering
from injuries. But, yes, if asked to lead again, I would. Not
now, though. Maybe a year or so from now.
You have a knack of converting 50s and 60s into
hundreds, especially big hundreds against India. Why does it come
so easy to you?
Other than Srinath, India doesn't have a good
strike bowler. It is quite easy to score five runs an over and
play a longer innings. That's what I try to focus on-playing a
long innings.
What do you think of the present crop of Indian
bowlers?
Srinath's good. They are missing Kumble. The others
are young and will get better with experience.
Any predictions about Pakistan's performance in
South Africa?
It will be an interesting contest. I think South
Africa is on a bit of a roll; be we aren't pessimistic. We have
the firepower to do well. Inshallah, we will do well.
Saeed, I thank you for your time, and wish you
plenty of luck for the tour of South Africa-not that you need
it.
Thanks.
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