JEDDAH, 4 December 2003 — Pakistani cricket legend Saeed Anwar said here yesterday that the upcoming visit to Pakistan by the Indian cricket team augured well for the subcontinent.
“Cricket Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODIs) can certainly help India and Pakistan to bury their differences and build good-neighborly relations,” the 35-year-old batting maestro told reporters at Nirala Restaurant.
After a gap of 14 years, India will be playing three Tests and seven one-day matches in Pakistan from Feb. 26.
“Regular cricket matches between the two countries can surely relieve the tension that had built up over the years,” he said. “Both teams are equally balanced and regular encounters between them will help promote cricket in the two countries.”
Asked who he rated the best world batsman among Australia’s Mathew Hayden, India’s Sachin Tendulkar and West Indies’ Brian Lara, he said: “Mathew Hayden is certainly the best.” Hayden holds the world record for scoring 386 (against Zimbabwe) recently.
Anwar holds the world record for scoring 194 in ODIs. He has scored 33 centuries in his career — 15 in Tests and 18 in ODIs. Anwar, who himself captained Pakistan in a Test series, considers Salim Malik, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram as among the best captains his country had. As for bowling, he said he faced challenges from pacers like Australia’s Glenn McGrath, West Indians Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose and spinners like Australian Shane Warne and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan.
Asked about the high standard of professionalism among Australian cricketers, Anwar said: “Australia is so professionally strong that they can have two or three international teams. Professionalism is well grained into each player not only in cricket but also in many other sports including rugby and tennis. Sports academies and their independent status had largely contributed to the country’s success in sports.”
Anwar, who sports a long beard and has dedicated his post-cricket life to the cause of Islam, played in Test series from 1990-91 to 2001-02, and One-Dayers from 1988-89 to 2002-03. He said his country’s current team was in “great form” and could continue to deliver the goods. “But this depends to a large extent on the consistency in the functioning of the Pakistan Cricket Board and its proper selection process,” he said.
He dwelt at great length on the lack of facilities in promoting domestic cricket. “We don’t have very high standard in domestic cricket tournaments, and even facilities for staging them, like India or certain other cricket playing countries have,” he said and referred to the recent Under-19 championship played in Pakistan, which was won by India.
Asked what plans he had to serve the cause of cricket in future, Anwar said: “I’ve been interacting with groups of boys every week and sharing my expertise with them.”
