Speaking with PakPassion.net Sialkot coach and former Pakistan all rounder Naved Anjum spoke of his delight at the news that Sialkot are likely to be taking part in the Champions League and also spoke of his wish that Indo-Pak cricketing ties resume on an international stage.

 by Amir Husain (21st May 2012)

Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 specialists Sialkot Stallions are likely to be given an opportunity to take part in this years Champions League competition in India. If the team led by Shoaib Malik does take the field, this would be the first time in four years that Pakistani players will play cricket in India.

BCCI chief N Srinivasan confirmed that a team from Pakistan will play in this year’s edition of the tournament, to be held in India in September, although final approval from the BCCI is yet to be given, the signs are very positive.

Speaking with PakPassion.net Sialkot coach and former Pakistan all rounder Naved Anjum spoke of his delight at the news that Sialkot are likely to be taking part in the Champions League and also spoke of his wish that Indo-Pak cricketing ties resume on an international stage.

“I’m not just looking forward to my team playing in the Champions League, but I feel it would be an honour to take part in such a tournament for myself and of course the whole of the Sialkot team and staff.”

Anjum who made his Test debut against India in Faisalabad in 1989, also hopes that the Champions League appearance for the Sialkot Stallions in India will be the re-launch of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan and the start of some great cricketing encounters between the neighbours and fierce rivals.

“I feel that the likely participation of Sialkot in the Champions League is a positive sign. Hopefully the Champions League will be the start of the resumption in cricket ties between India and Pakistan at an international level also. There is nothing quite like a Pakistan versus India encounter and it’s a shame that these matches are a rarity these days.”

Sialkot have been the stand out performers in Pakistan’s Twenty over format and the team to beat over the years back home. Even without exposure in foreign conditions, Anjum feels that the Sialkot team can be a very competitive unit in the Champions League due to the prevalent team spirit and the quality of leadership under Shoaib Malik.

“We will provide a stiff challenge for our opponents, irrespective of who we come up against. Sialkot plays very competitive cricket and they all have a very good understanding between themselves. In fact, whenever we bring in a new player to our team which we normally do on an annual basis, we do so after a giving it lot of thought for unity and the welfare of our T20 team. On top of that, we have an excellent captain in the form of Shoaib Malik, who takes his captaincy very seriously and is a class above all others. Malik is involved in the planning and works diligently with the coach and players" stated Anjum.

With the exclusion of Pakistani players from high profile domestic tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, there could be a real danger that the Sialkot team may feel overawed when they participate in the Champions League tournament for the first time. Anjum however does not believe that this will be a major source of worry for his team.

“I don’t think there will be any pressure as the Sialkot players are of such quality that you could take this team and put them in Pakistani colours in an international match and they will still come out on top. The level of understanding and quality of captaincy is such that no teams will ever take them lightly as opponents”

As Sialkot will be the first team to represent Pakistan in this tournament which will be featuring the top domestic sides of the world and will include the who’s who of the T20 format, good preparation will be an important factor in ensuring a satisfactory outcome. Instead of depending on a pre-tournament conditioning camp, Anjum feels that the best form of preparation will come from the fact that most of his players will be involved in competitive cricket in England.

“Most of our players will have finished the season in England or be involved in other tournaments so they will be in good condition to take on other teams in the Champions League. Experienced players like Rana Naved always like to play for Sialkot and will leave whatever tournament they are playing to represent their team so really we should have our best players available and we will be in good shape for this important tournament. We have an excellent blend of youth and experience and I am very confident that the team can play well and take the title in this prestigious competition” added Anjum.