PakPassion.net had the distinct pleasure to speak with Asif to ascertain his reactions to a variety of topics connected with Pakistani cricket.

by Amir Husain

13 April 2011

 

If there is one person who can be described as the very personification of the term Gentleman Cricketer, one would have to look no further than a soft spoken Pakistani by the name of Asif Iqbal.

Born in Hyderabad, India, Asif migrated to Pakistan in 1961 to begin an illustrious career with the national team as a medium pacer and a top quality batsman. Although his bowling career was somewhat curtailed by a back injury, he focussed his attention on batting and earned the title “man of crisis” for his repeated and unflustered one-man rescue acts to save Pakistan from certain defeats. With an average of 38.85 spread over 58 test matches, Asif was noted for footwork and cover drives of exquisite nature. However, what really stood out from his career was his physical fitness and speed between wickets, which remained consistent even in his older years - a skill matched only by a young and upcoming Javed Miandad, who was to assume the mantle of Pakistan’s saviour in the coming years.

Whereas his glorious career as a cricketer may be part of cricketing history, Asif Iqbal has transitioned into one of the most well balanced and respected voices of experience to comment on this great game.

PakPassion.net had the distinct pleasure to speak with Asif to ascertain his reactions to a variety of topics connected with Pakistani cricket.


The World Cup 2011 campaign, the captain and team management

With the furore over Pakistani defeat at the hands of arch rival India still refusing to fade away, the question of satisfaction with the team's progress and Afridi's captaincy is very much a talking point.

Asif Iqbal, who captained Pakistan to a semi final berth in the 1979 edition of the World Cup, was sympathetic towards the team and its management.

He dismissed the fact that the team performance had been unsatisfactory stating that “we [Pakistan] had a tremendously successful World Cup 2011 because for a team that hasn’t had a great last year and has been starved of international cricket, playing in alien conditions and to finish up in the top 4 is a huge achievement. In addition, to top the table and make it to the semi final was a huge success.”

Asif was impressed by the sometimes beleaguered captain of Pakistan, Shahid Afridi, describing him as someone who was “inspirational and motivated players”. He felt that “he was someone who took the team with him and the players responded well to his style of captaincy”. However, there were a few areas where Afridi’s decisions could have affected the outcome of the semi-final. He pointed out the “persisting with Umar Gul when he had lost his confidence" and the failure to “change the batting order and put in a striking batsman between Younis and Misbah” as two areas where Afridi may have made strategic mistakes.

He also voiced his support for persisting with coach Waqar Younis for the future and insisted that the coach must also be praised for the success of the team. He noted that “credit that has gone to the team for reaching the semi final must also go to the coach”.

Asif did reserve his most seething criticism for other members of the Pakistani cricket establishment who have come up in recent days to accept accolades, stating that “If the team does well then its got nothing to do with the chairman or administrators, [and there's no call] for [them] to wear garlands at the airport and give statements because they have achieved nothing!”


West Indies tour: Exclusion of Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan from the ODI squad

One of the fall-outs of the World Cup campaign is the removal of the Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and the 'resting' of Younis Khan. Asif was clear about the reasons for Kamran's exclusion as he felt that “technically he [Kamran] has huge faults and the team was playing him due to his batting.”

Asif agreed with the exclusion of Younis Khan from the squad due to his abysmal performance in the World Cup and expressed his happiness at this manner in which the decision had been implemented. "Instead of saying that they have been dropped or dumped, the selectors and the board are saying that they have been rested which is a nice thing and should be appreciated.” Asif was further unhappy with the selection of Misbah-ul-Haq instead of some other more deserving young talent.


Batting Coach: Miandad and need for specialized coaching staff

Being the consummate professional, Asif was clear that coaching is not a skill to be taken lightly as it is a “specialized position”.

In particular, he does not believe that past exploits as a batsmen or bowler can lead to good coaching skills. He cited the example of John Buchanan who was Australia’s coach for most part of their reign over the cricket world, noting that he wasn’t a cricketer of note but helped the team achieve its goals. In that way, he opined that whilst Javed Miandad was a “great motivator," he was less convincing as a coach. "To have him around will obviously be of great help to Pakistani batsmen. But to have him as a coach – well I am not too sure,” Asif said.


The IPL Phenomena and the absence of Pakistani players from it

Asif, an innovator in his own right due to his role in the CBFS player benefit projects in Sharjah, was scathing of the idea of IPL. “More money than Cricket” was his curt reply to a question on explaining the rise of this tournament in India. As for the exclusion of all Pakistani players from IPL, he felt that the loss was that of the Indian audiences and the franchises. “I think the exclusion of Pakistani cricket has nothing to do with cricket. I am absolutely sure that many Indians and franchises would like to have these brilliant cricketers – the Pakistani cricketers [such as] the Afridis, the Abdul Razzaqs and the Umar Guls and Umar Akmals.”