The first ever thing I remember might be an all-rounder's challenge tournament that took place in Hong Kong in about 1986/87. Imran, Kapil, Clive Rice and Hadlee took part in sort of a double wicket tournament and Imran won. And they all wore purple.

PakPassion.Net: You’re obviously a great writer. How have you developed your skills and what do you do to continually hone and polish them? Do you have any advice for aspiring writers in any field? How does one get onto the cricketing journalist scene as a pro?

Osman Samiuddin: I've actually been very very lucky in my writing - I only applied on a tukka (fluke) by sending an email to Tim de Lisle at the Wisden Cricketer when I came to Pakistan. He advised me to write to Sambit Bal and he was very keen to have a writer in Pakistan as he says he never had one before. As for my writing - I honestly believe that most of my stuff is quite sucky. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope that my next piece will be less sucky than the last. Polishing and developing is really an intangible sort of thing - much of writing, my writing anyhow, comes unplanned and unannounced and I just write.


PakPassion.Net: Is journalism your full time profession? What else do you do?

Osman Samiuddin: It is now my full-time profession - it has been for about two years now. I have worked in a variety of fields, including ugh, advertising.


PakPassion.Net: Your first recollection of following cricket and which cricket writer has influenced you the most?

Osman Samiuddin: Following cricket - first full Test I saw was Bangalore 87 win. Then Headingley win the same year when Imran took ten wickets. The first ever thing I remember might be an all-rounder's challenge tournament that took place in Hong Kong in about 1986/87. Imran, Kapil, Clive Rice and Hadlee took part in sort of a double wicket tournament and Imran won. And they all wore purple. Cricket writers I enjoy are many (don't know about influence): Scyld Berry, Roebuck, Selvey, Gideon Haigh.


PakPassion.Net: Your article "Finding Faith" on religion, Pakistani society and the changing face of the cricket team was a fascinating read. One of the key points you talked about was how the core of the team is now comprised of players from smaller cities compared to before when Lahore and Karachi supplied the bulk. Do you see any reversal of this trend in times to come, keeping in mind factors such as the lucrativeness of modern cricket, the growing consumer class in urban Pakistani society, the expanding media sector etc?

Osman Samiuddin: It's difficult to say. Something similar to this has also happened in India where players like Munaf Patel pop up from small towns. My own guestimate would be that it might be difficult for this trend to be reversed. Societies, countries by nature are meant to evolve, develop, advance. Cities, big cities, in these countries provide that opportunity for most people to do it. Especially in urban areas, the accent is now on people to find jobs, have careers, lead stable lives: a youngster in Karachi has less time to devote to cricket than his rural counterpart. He has to go to school/college, he has friends he wants to hang out with, go to dinner, malls etc with, watch movies with. In smaller towns, there are less such distractions- and importantly, cricket offers a way out for many youngsters in smaller towns. In bigger cities, there are many more ways out - MBAs, becoming doctors etc.


PakPassion.Net: Cricket journalism and its future in Pakistan - who do you see as the up and coming stars in this profession? Also are cricket journalists in Pakistan too involved in one camp or the other, ie are they actually reporting the truth or is it coloured by their own prejudices?

Osman Samiuddin: Difficult to say really - not many people I notice seem to get into journalism, or even want to get into journalism. Also with TV growing as quickly as it is, young people who want to become jounalists are more likely to go into broadcast journalism rather than print. Certainly most of the journalists I know of my own age group (30, a few years below and above) are all getting into TV work.
As for the second part - journalists are humans and so like fans they too have their favourite players who they are inclined to be more symphatetic too. It is a natural thing. Sometimes yes the line does get crossed and journos become little more than PR agents for players but I don't think it is as widespread as the impression we get it is. Which is surprising.


PakPassion.Net: I read somewhere that you were not given entry to India or England because of your thick beard. What is the truth of the matter and how did it make you feel?

Osman Samiuddin: Hahahah - it wasn't the beard or anything. Just some bureaucratic hassles though it was perhaps made into a bigger issue than it needed to be. Beard is not thick - just an unfashionable stubble really!


PakPassion.Net: Is it fair to say that you write a lot of controversial articles? If yes, then any particular reason why?

Osman Samiuddin: I think it is fair to say that Pakistan cricket rarely strays from controversy and that, as a writer on Pakistan cricket, I naturally get to write a lot on controversial topics. If I was covering NZ cricket, I might be different.


PakPassion.Net: We know Bob Woolmer, Kamran Abbasi, Noddy Bhai and Mike Marqusee are amongst the lurkers on PakPassion. Can we count Osman Samiuddin amongst them? Do you ever lurk on PakPassion to see what the grass roots fans are discussing and debating?

Osman Samiuddin: More often than you might imagine.


PakPassion.Net: Michael Holding wrote an article in which he discussed the concept of 'First World Hypocrisy' relating to the whole Darrell Hair controversy. Is he correct in his assertion, and does this opinion 'divide' the press room?

Osman Samiuddin: This is a difficult one - clearly as the Hair sacking showed, there are issues over which the cricket world gets divided along line of race, culture etc. And often, when England and Australia have completely pathetic over-rates (as they have done in this Ashes and the last one where over-rates never went over 13 an hour) and nothing is done about it you begin to wonder why (though you soon realise that it is Asian umpires and match referees who let them get away with it!). Also, players like Warne and Nel who get away with more than others perhaps in terms of appealing and stuff. So yeah, I guess there might be something like that at work but this should also be balanced out by the fact that India is, financially, the centre of cricket's universe currently and has a tremendous amount of power and influence on world cricket affairs. But cricket is a game of colonisers and ex-colonies so there is bound to be all sorts of sub-layers, sub-texts, friction etc involved.


PakPassion.Net: Darrell Hair was recently voted as the Umpire of the Year by readers of The Wisden Cricketer magazine, your comments? Also what is your opinion on Mr. Hair's umpiring pedigree in general and did he deserve to be removed from the panel of elite umpires for his role in Ovalgate?

Osman Samiuddin: I don't know that he was Umpire of the year - I thought Taufel and even until recently, Aleem Dar were better. Umpiring is not just about getting decisions right or wrong - though that is a major part of it. Umpriing is also about applying common sense and balanced judgment to situations - which is why I think Taufel and Dar are good. Hair was good on his decisions - or not as bad as some - and I know a lot of Pakistanis think he gave decisions against them, but he has given such decisions against South Africa, New Zealand and even Australia (he was for example, the umpire who controversially adjudged Craig McDermott out caught behind when there was a lot of doubt and Australia needed one to win a Test against the WI in 1991-2 - they lost by a run). He was removed from the ICC panel altogether which means he cannot umpire in any international. Many countries don't want him to so I guess as far as democracy is concerned you can only argue against it. Ultimately its a sacking and that is no cause for happiness - maybe a ban for a year, two?


PakPassion.Net: Are you satisfied with the way PCB handled the doping issue and considering the fact that Asif and Shoaib are our two best bowlers do you think the panel could have been a bit more lenient? What does this mean for both players careers?

Osman Samiuddin: Well they can't be anymore lenient than letting them off completely! It sends out a really dangerous message that someone can test positive for steroids here and completely get away without any punishment by claiming ignorance which is no defence anywhere in the world. That really dangerous message has been picked up by WADA now and I doubt that we have heard the end of this. As for both players careers - well Shoaib has been controversially left out of the squad for reasons other than those stated and Asif I imagine will probably go back to doing what he does best without any major change.


PakPassion.Net: Who do you think should be our coach after Bob hangs up his boots and why?

Osman Samiuddin: John Wright - proven coach, loves the game, loves the country, loves the people here and loves the cricketers' attitudes.


PakPassion.Net: Why do all the Asian teams have foreign coaches? Do you think it’s a good idea to have a foreign coach?

Osman Samiuddin: It reflects poorly I guess on local coaching talent which is a shame. I don't think nationality should be an issue ever - it should be whether the coach is good enough or not but obviously if as a nation you are producing good local coaches there is nothing like it. There are very few local options as coaches too which is a real shame.


PakPassion.Net: Who are your favourite batmen and bowlers, both current and of all time?

Osman Samiuddin: Ufff so many - Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, Shane Warne, Lara, Ambrose, Waqar, Imran, Ijaz, Salim Malik, Hooper, Richardson - really I could go on forever.


PakPassion.Net: In your opinion who is the greatest batsman in Pakistan’s history: Inzamam or Miandad? What about Yousuf, where does he figure and is he headed for greatness or is his current form a blip?

Osman Samiuddin: Well Inzi is still playing and for proper comparison only when he stops and we can retrospect will we have a better idea. But I would say Inzi and Javed are both up there - I know Inzi has more matchwinning 100s but matchwinning is dependent on 10 others as well. Javed made two hundreds in consecutive tests in one of the greatest test series of the 80s - in 1988 against WI - and Inzi's record, against Australia is relatively poor. There is much much more but I genuinely can't say - I'm just happy to have seen both play. Yousuf is a damn fine batsman though I guess much of his legacy will be built after Inzi retires.


PakPassion.Net: What is your view on the current climate within cricket, in regard to the supposed dominance of batsman over bowlers? Do you feel that this dominance is an improvement on Test cricket of the past because nowadays we are essentially viewing a results orientated sport, or do you feel that another balance needs to be struck (or do you think anything else for that matter)?

Osman Samiuddin: I have always, possibly because I am Pakistani and we have had some excellent bowlers, had more sympathy and fascination for bowlers. I guess the game has become more batsmen-oriented, with shorter boundaries, similar, bland pitches the world over but the game has been geared towards batsmen for a long time - only now it has gotten more so. In little things like giving the batsman the benefit of the doubt - why? Why not give it to the bowler? In not giving lbws if batsman are hit outside the line of off-stump, even though the ball will go on to hit the stumps - why? Results are created as much by bowlers as batsmen so yah, I think a balance needs to be found definately. Otherwise that Wanderers match may become a more regular occurence. Which means you may as well get rid of bowlers altogether and replace them with machines.


PakPassion.Net: We struggle in bowling friendly conditions. Why can’t the PCB enforce different wicket conditions in the domestic scene?

Osman Samiuddin: Hmmm. I am not sure but possibly some combination of the climate (though in Mohali they did create a grassy, bouncy pitch) and the groundsmen we have. Also of course, it doesn't help if captains and batsmen always push for flatter pitches. In domestic matches actually, if you do follow it, for the last couple of seasons pitches have been greener and more bowler-friendly than ever before - more seam bowlers are getting wickets, fewer batsmen scoring 1000-plus runs a season. I think at the start of the Patrons Trophy this year in fact, in the first few matches, there were three or four sub-100 scores. These are pitches that help bowlers completely but for some reason - see above - we don't produce them at international level at all, bar the odd occasion (like the Karachi Test against India last January).


PakPassion.Net: How many people are responsible for the team selection? I read recently that Mr. Ashraf has issued a written instruction regarding team selection in order to curb the power of Inzi, is there any truth to this?

Osman Samiuddin: Essentially Inzi has the final say with what is given to him. In practice it is meant to be now a decision between selectors, captain, vice-captain, bowling coach and coach. Like I say, eventually it boils down to coach and captain though at the moment, I am not sure it is even that.


PakPassion.Net: Why do the selectors always confuse tests and ODIs? A player performs poorly in the ODI series and is dropped for the tests and vice versa. Your thoughts?

Osman Samiuddin: It is a strange thing yes but that says more about the selectors than it does about anything else.


PakPassion.Net: Much has been made of Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq's immense talent but sometimes poor return on the field. What are your thoughts on potential roles for Afridi and Razzaq in the Pakistani side? If you picked them, how would you use them in the batting order and the bowling attack? If not, which 'specialist' cricketers would you choose instead and why?

Osman Samiuddin: Hmm - until recently I genuinely believed that both had a place in the Test squad at least but I am not sure anymore about either. Afridi has already been sidelined to an extent but Razzaq remains and I just don't think he does enough as a batsman or a bowler often enough to guarantee a place. Why not, as Pakistan are beginning to develop a strong bowling attack, go with specialist bowlers and have a specialist batsman at six (faisal iqbal or asim kamal for now) instead of an all-rounder? As it is Malik and Hafeez are both playing and can offer, between them, a fifth bowler in Tests (three pacers plus Danish). As far as ODIs are concerned, I believe Razzaq deserves a place no doubt in that side. As for Afridi, God I'd love for him to be there in the side, but rationally, I suspect he has lost some ground over the last six months or so.


PakPassion.Net: Pakistan has just lost two of their strike bowlers. In my opinion, an odd notion has crept into the Pakistan cricket world. Rather than using 4 strike bowlers, we seem to only be relying on two strike bowlers and then making up the numbers with containing bowlers and all-rounders. Is it a real problem?

Osman Samiuddin: Well those two are back now so hopefully reliance on bit-part players might be lessened.


PakPassion.Net: Is the dearth of fast bowlers in Pakistan really so chronic that without Asif and Shoaib, we are so lacking in penetration? So much so in fact that we cant find a replacement for Razzaq’s bowling other than another 80mph medium pacer? Who is the fastest bowler on the Pakistan domestic circuit?

Osman Samiuddin: Fastest bowler on the circuit is Mohammad Irshad I believe though not necessarily that good yet. I dont think there is a dearth - they may not be as quick as they used to be but there are still some good bowlers coming out. I mean most countries in the world would be happy to have produced an Umar Gul or Mohammad Asif in the last couple of years and we have both. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is also a handy option - especially in ODIs - and Shabbir is there too. I know doubts will always remain about his action but 50 Test wickets in ten Tests around the world is not a bad showing. Behind these guys is Mohammad Khalil who is still a decent bowler, Samiullah Niazi who is also apparently coming along, Anwar Ali and a couple of bowlers who did so well in the U-19 world cup. So yeah, they aren't all demon-quick bowlers but as long as they take wickets - who actually cares?


PakPassion.Net: Where in your opinion has it gone wrong with Mohammad Sami and what can he do to join the likes of Imran, Wasim and Waqar as a pace bowling legend?

Osman Samiuddin: Not really sure - maybe if he had a captain like Imran who invested so much confidence in players he liked, he could've done something. But he has had a captain like Wasim and even Waqar who have always been impressed with him. Many say it is a mental thing entirely so I guess that needs to be sorted before he can do anything.


PakPassion.Net: Did you see the u19 WC and if you did, who impressed you the most out of the U19 threesome of Anwar Ali Khan, Jamshed Ahmed and Akhtar Ayub. What do each of them now need to do to progress further in their respective careers?

Osman Samiuddin: Anwar Ali was the most impressive and he has taken the most significant strides since. All three are playing first-class or grade cricket and I guess they need to keep doing it. The hard part they have already done by being noticed and succeeding at one level. Now it is a matter of keeping to it. Anwar Ali I think is the closest to a major breakthrough.


PakPassion.Net: What do you expect from Pakistan in the World Cup? Will they make the Semis, the Final or not even leave the groups stages? How much would the return of Asif and Shoaib affect our chances, are they really that integral in ODIs?

Osman Samiuddin: Can't say - Asif and Shoaib if they play will have a big role to play. The pitches - if they are like they were in 2005 - will help Pakistan and teams like India and SL. I think a semis appearance is what is expected at least. Beyond that, it's anybody's game.