During a friendly chat over dinner at Souq Waqif and surrounded by some of his friends and well-wishers, the 56-year-old, opened up on topics close to his heart.
Excerpts:
On former Indian captain and all-rounder Kapil Dev:
Kapil Dev was one of the most intelligent among the Indian bowlers I had ever faced. Kapil paaji did not rely purely on pace but he knew how to outsmart batsmen with his sharp cricketing mind and variations.
On Sachin Tendulkar:
Sachin was a hard-working cricketer who reached the pinnacle of world cricket through sheer dedication, discipline and relentless hard work. Jo ragda nahin khaya woh kabhi bada nahin ho sakta, kisi bhi profession mein. Sachin was one bright example of hard-work and dedication.
On the future of T20 cricket:
I believe T20 cricket is here to stay. The format may eventually move towards T10 in the future. The rise of shorter formats is linked to the commercial side of the game. The more T20 cricket there is, the more money it generates. No wonder, the ICC now conducts the T20 World Cup every two years unlike the four-year cycle followed in other World Cups.
On the best left-handed batsman in cricket:
Saeed bhai (Anwar). He’s the finest left-handed opener I’ve seen in world cricket. He is the best among the best. He batting was all about elegance and class.
On Pakistan losing Test series against Sourav’s India at home in 2024:
Strength. India’s formidable batting line-up featured Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly. It was extremely difficult to stop India during that period. Indian team bilkul set tha, unhe harana mushkil tha.
On remaining humble despite immense success as a cricketer:
Humility comes from my faith in the Almighty and belief in hard work. Achievements should never lead to arrogance because “there is always someone above watching us”.
