Imran Khan on Pakistan

Former Great Imran Khan Spoke on Pakistan Team few days back.

Pakistan has made an impressive entry into the Super Eights, where they will start their campaign with a game against Sri Lanka. Fans must have noticed how rusty they were against England the other day, but they were an improved lot against Holland.

If they can shake off the rustiness that has set in due to the lack of international cricket, Pakistan has the tools to do well in this tournament. T20 cricket is still at a work-in-progress stage, and teams are coming to grips with its frantic pace. However, one thing I have figured out is that bowlers who bowl to take wickets and slow bowlers who can vary their pace have a very good chance in this format.

Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi have been very successful in both games because of the variety they possess. The former was bowling his doosras really well, and this made him very hard to face, especially for an inexperienced team like Holland. Umer Gul has also been one of the few pace bowlers to do well, and that’s because he bowls intelligently, with the aim of taking wickets and not merely to restrict runs.

It is imperative to have variety from a bowler's point of view. I do not subscribe to the view that bowlers are going to suffer at the hands of marauding batsmen. The fact of the matter is that you need to bowl only four overs, and if you prevent the batsman from settling down against you, it will be hard for him to hit you out of the ground. Most of the time, bowlers bowl like they do in the longer versions of the game, which allows batsmen to play predetermined shots. A lot of batsmen just line the bowler up for their next shot, and if you can surprise him, chances are you will restrict his scoring options. This is where Gul has succeeded so far, when even the likes of Brett Lee have been going for lots of runs.

The only area of concern for the Pakistanis is their fielding. They dropped Kevin Pietersen and he made them pay for it in the game against England. Good players do not keep giving you chances and it’s important to minimize mistakes on the field in T20 cricket because there is no time to make amends. The batting looks to be in good touch now, with every batsman getting some time in the middle. It's heartening to see Younis Khan, who has not been doing well in T20, getting a good knock in the last game.

I have often been asked whether I would have enjoyed T20 cricket. With all humility I would say that I would have excelled in this form. Even in my time, I used to love hitting sixes, and I always backed myself to clear the ground. As far as bowling is concerned, the challenge of keeping batsmen in check would have been a tremendous one for me, and since I always bowled to take wickets, I not have done too badly in that aspect of the game. All-rounders have an edge in this format, so I think I would have fitted in rather well. I always enjoyed playing under pressure, and T20 cricket does put a lot of pressure on players - it's a curious mix of pressure and fun which the players seem to be getting used to now.

That said, I would never have considered this format as the true test of my skill and calibre as a cricketer. The true test of a cricketer is whether he has talent, technique and temperament. Only success in Test cricket can prove that you possess all these three in ample measure.