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Pervez bats for India, shows Inzy the finger

PAKISTANI PRESIDENT Pervez Musharraf has many facets to his personality. He is on television almost every day, addressing different constituencies with the skill of a seasoned orator.

Published on: Feb 11, 2006, 01:35:00 IST
None | By , Islamabad
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PAKISTANI PRESIDENT Pervez Musharraf has many facets to his personality. He is on television almost every day, addressing different constituencies with the skill of a seasoned orator.

HT Image
HT Image

When he is with the liberals, he speaks a language of liberalism, of making Pakistan into a truly modern state. When he is speaking to the mob, he speaks a different language and in a loud, shrill tone, unlike the suave one he uses with the public-school-educated elite.

On Friday morning, the Indian cricketers got to see the charming, affable persona of a man who knows his cricket and can talk on the subject at length.

In their 45-minute meeting, Musharraf won over the players by telling them, "Inzamam-ul-Haq's dismissal at Peshawar was a correct one and the Pakistan captain is wrong in his protest and should not blame India for unsporting behaviour."

The president, who was dressed in a blue suit (and not his uniform), felt the wickets for the first two Tests were not good for competitive cricket. He gave a lecture on what leadership was all about and said, "A team needs to have one leader and all others should rally around him, like India has Rahul Dravid and the rest should follow him." He addressed each and every player by name and left no one in doubt that his interest in cricket was genuine.

  • Pradeep Magazine
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    Pradeep Magazine

    Before I come to the point, a bit of a preamble is required. Even at the best of times, the relationship between those who perform and those who write and pass judgments on them is tenuous. And at the worst of times, it is tense and edgy. Over the years, both have generally learnt to live with each other and not cross the line between being downright rude and extra respectful, writes Pradeep Magazine.Read More

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