Pakistan cricket icon Imran Khan says if Sachin Tendulkar and the Indian team continue to play like they did against Pakistan on Saturday, India can win the World Cup.
"Sachin has the ability to tear apart the best bowling attack in the world. That is what he did against Pakistan. He hit the best bowlers -- Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar -- in the opening overs, forcing the Pakistani team to go on the defensive," Imran Khan told chief correspondent Onkar Singh in an exclusive interview on Sunday night.
The former Pakistan captain also called for resumption of bilateral cricketing ties between India and Pakistan, saying it would be financially beneficial for both the teams and the cricket boards. Excerpts:
What went wrong with Pakistan on Saturday?
With Sachin Tendulkar going great guns I would say that the day went in favour of India and nothing went right for Pakistan. Sachin has the ability to tear apart the best bowling attack in the world. He attacked the best bowlers of Pakistan right from the word go. If he continues to show this kind of form, and if the Indian players continue to bowl and field the way they did against Pakistan, I think he could bring the World Cup to India.
He is a superb player, who has remarkable batting ability. It is amazing that his hunger for runs has increased with every passing year. Sachin took away the match from Pakistan single-handedly; there is no doubt about that.
Bishan Singh Bedi felt the Pakistan team was without a leader and the players played as individuals. Comment.
That is his perception. I think the Pakistan team was afraid of losing the game. They have been having a torrid time in the last three-and-a-half months. They have become accustomed to losing rather than going in for a win. Pakistan had put up a decent score but, as I said earlier, it was Sachin who took the game away from Pakistan. Mohammad Kaif, I thought, played a good innings. He is quick on his feet, a good temperament, and a sound batting technique. I think he will go a long way. Ashish Nehra has impressed me as well. He is generating good pace and could develop into a major fast bowler for India in the years to come. Zaheer Khan too looks impressive in spells.
What about Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh?
Sehwag is a good attacking batsman, more in the mould of Sachin Tendulkar. But Yuvraj Singh is good in bits and pieces. He is not very quick on his feet. So far he has not faced good fast bowlers, so I do not how he would perform against them. If he wants to do well he has to work on his foot movement.
The current Pakistan team is compared with the team that won the World Cup under your leadership. Do you feel such comparisons are right?
The comparisons are bound to be made. People still remember the Indian team that won the World Cup in 1983. So it is inevitable. People will always compare past great cricketers with the present generation of cricketers. Sachin has been compared with Sunil Gavaskar. This is part of the game and there is very little one can do about it.
What is wrong with this Pakistani team?
We do not have a proper cricket structure in Pakistan. We have a system which does not polish our talent adequately. Three things go into the making a good cricketer: talent, technique and temperament. The net result is that the young talent is not getting a chance to come up at the rate it should have come. Lots of promising youngsters have disappeared from the cricket scene after making their presence felt. For instance, we had Imran Nazir, who batted beautifully for three years and then suddenly disappeared. We do not know where he is today. We have to have a first class circuit where there is emphasis on improving the technique and temperament of the younger players. That is why you see too many old players continuing to play for Pakistan.
Amair Sohail has gone on record that Shahid Afridi should not play for Pakistan at all?
When a team is on a losing streak, all sorts of comments are made and opinions given about whether a particular player should have been included or not. Afridi has not developed into the kind of batsman that he should have. He has never developed the technique to occupy the crease for longer periods of time. He is just too undependable.
How do you rate the Indian performance after dismal show against Australia?
Despite their loss to the Australian team, the Indian team has kept itself in the game. It has been gaining in self-confidence and its performances have improved with every game. It is nice to see them gaining in self-belief. I still feel that when they face Australia in the next round they would have to strengthen their bowling. They cannot hope to win with three fast bowlers and just one spinner. They would have to play both the spinners, Kumble and Harbhajan, if they want to have an outside chance of beating Australia. They would have to take the risk. If I were the captain of the Indian team I would play both the spinners and rely on just five top batsmen.
Pakistan also suffered from this by not playing specialists. It is a mistake to fill your team with batsmen right up to number eight; it never works.
Is India asking too much from Rahul Dravid by asking him to keep wickets as well
?So far Dravid has not shown any signs which could prove that he has been overstretched. He has done a splendid job both as wicketkeeper and as batsman. However, India should be careful and play the fifth bowler as well. Otherwise, their weakness will be exposed sometime during the World Cup matches.
Which four teams do you think will make it to the semi-finals?
I would not hazard a guess right now because we do not even know which six teams would reach the Super Six stage. Right now the positions of the teams are changing with every game played. So till this issue is decided I would not say which four teams would make it to the semi-final stage.
Do you think the time has come for the resumption of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan?
I have never understood why cricketing ties between the two countries were discontinued in the first place. I could understand that after the Kargil conflict, for a brief period, cricket matches between the two countries were suspended because of heightened tensions. But why not resume the ties now? It would be beneficial for both the teams and the cricket boards financially, because they would make a lot of money and this money could be poured back into the game. Players of both the countries learn how to play under pressure when India and Pakistan play against each other. No other match puts as much stress on players of two sides as a match between India and Pakistan does.
How would you describe the achievements of Wasim Akram?
He is one of the finest left-arm pace bowlers in the world today. You can imagine the kind of bowler he is when you look at the number of wickets he has taken in one-day internationals and Test matches. Over 900 wickets. That speaks volumes about his abilities as a fast bowler.
Is it true that Sunil Gavaskar had pointed out Akram's potential to you?
Yes, when Sunil was playing he did tell me once or twice about Wasim's pace. But before he discovered him we had discovered Wasim Akram!
There are allegations that both Shoaib Akhtar and Muthiah Muralitharan chuck the ball. Comment.
These are merely allegations, and allegations will continue to be made so long as we are playing cricket. It is said that Brett Lee too does not have a straight arm when he delivers the ball, and there are a couple of other bowlers as well who come in this category. During my time chucking charges were levelled at some of the best bowlers in the game. They got away with chinks in their armoury because at that time there were no television cameras to point out their drawbacks.
Though a many bowlers have been captains, captaincy has mostly gone to batsmen. Why?
In cricket, a captain's job is mostly on the field. A bowler who is also the captain of the side understands the bowlers, and bowling changes that he is effecting, better than a batsman-captain would do. I would say that all-rounders probably make the best captains. Richie Benaud thought that Keith Miller was the best captain he had come across. In county cricket, Clive Rice and Mike Proctor were considered to be very good captains. I would say that Tony Grieg and Ian Chappell were good captains as well.
Captaincy is all about handling your bowlers. Someone who bowls has a better understanding of those who bowl for him.
How would you bowl to a batsman like Mathew Hayden given the kind of form he is in?
I used to find it very easy to bowl to left-handers. A good away going delivery would be very successful against all left-handers. My natural ball was an outswinger to a left-hander. I used to find it very easy to bowl to them. They find the incoming ball much easier to play.
Would you agree that the Australians are favourites to win the World Cup?
On the basis of their current form and success-rate, I would say yes. They have tremendous amount of confidence amongst them. They can pull out of the trouble because of their self-belief. They are competitive, physically fit and confident. But cricket is a game which can swing from one extreme to another. To beat them on their current form, their opponents would have to bowl and field extremely well and put them under pressure to win.
