My friends from across the border are finally here and it's time to catch up on old times. There was so much of bonhomie and fanfare in Lahore when they landed on Wednesday that it was difficult to comprehend that the two teams — India and Pakistan — would be fighting out a bruising battle on a cricket pitch on Saturday.
It's a tradition in the sub-continent that you welcome your guests with a warm heart and open arms. Lahore has done just that. Now it is up to Karachi to hold up this tradition. In a way I feel sad for Sourav Ganguly and his boys. They deserved a little more time to sample Pakistani hospitality before donning their battle robes and going out to the middle. Unfortunately, there are certain compulsions of international cricket that we must accept as professional cricketers and set aside personal considerations and get on with the job. That is what Sourav's team has been asked to do -- unpack quickly and get into battle mode for what promises to be a wonderful series. My team has been waiting for this day for the past one month. The conditioning camp in Lahore did us a world of good. My boys are fit and we have bonded well as a unit.
It is significant that Karachi is hosting the first ODI. In my opinion, the opening game is always the most crucial one. It will set the tone for the rest of the series in more respect than one.
{{/usCountry}}It is significant that Karachi is hosting the first ODI. In my opinion, the opening game is always the most crucial one. It will set the tone for the rest of the series in more respect than one.
{{/usCountry}}I am disappointed that the media continues to build this series up as "Indian batting vs Pak bowling". I think that by labelling it thus, the media is doing enormous injustice to Indian bowlers and Pakistan batsmen. How can you write off the likes of Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan even before the first ball has been bowled? And what about Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi, even if you discount an old hand like me? I won't mind if the Indians take us lightly though.
I know Sourav is an aggressive captain and likes to lead his team from the front. The manner in which he has transformed the Indian team in the few years he has been at the helm is something to be admired. But unfortunately so much is written about his captaincy these days and so little about his batsmanship.
I have the highest regard for him as a batsman and his record against us is enviable. The Indians have a settled line-up and they bat very deep which is always good in a one-day game. However, the man we fear most is Sachin Tendulkar. The world knows how great a batsman he is. Pakistan fans had a glimpse of his prowess during India's warm-up game against Pakistan A.
In-form or out of form are phrases that do not mean anything when Tendulkar is at the crease. My young bowlers will do well not to be overawed while bowling to this legend. As Pakistan's captain I am hoping he will have an ordinary series by his standards. We too have a few youngsters waiting to make an impression. Some of them enjoyed themselves in the warm-up game. It was a remarkable show by our second string. It is not easy to chase 335 at any level, but I refuse to read too much into it.
The Indians had to take the field within 24 hours of their arrival in Lahore and probably didn't even have enough time to unpack. Karachi will be different. As things stand, Yohanna will go in at No 3 and I will follow him at No 4. The idea is to give your most experienced batsmen enough overs to shape the innings. We’ve some big-hitters down the order so acceleration towards the end should’nt be a problem.
All told, it should be a mouth-watering clash. Karachi has a great cricketing tradition and fans here have seen some stirring encounters over the years. We will do our best on the field and it is important that fans here put up a good show, too. After all, the greatest show in cricket is about to begin.
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