It is nearly 2:30 in the morning (Pakistan time) and after several tries, I finally get through to Anwar…on his cellular phone. He is surfing the net, he tells me; which explains why I couldn’t reach him at his regular number. He is surprisingly alert, and sounds happy to have reestablished contact with me. "It seems like you are interested in interviewing me only after I make a big hundred," he laughs.

Not true, I assure him, although the last time we spoke was after the Chennai massacre. Here is more from our conversation.

Well, several things went against us. First the light was bad, really bad. It was more difficult for the fielders to pick out the ball than it was for the batsmen. Anything hit in the air was lost in the dark, and we frequently gave away two runs when even a single would have been impossible. Then the ball was changed several times. When play started after the interruption, we were given a new ball. And since Saqlain was bowling, being a spinner, it became difficult for him to grip and turn the ball. But there is no doubt that we badly missed Wasim and Waqar. With their pace, it would have been interesting to see if the Indians would have made it.

It’s one of those things. Normally, Saqlain is our best bowler. But the Indians played him well throughout the series. All credit to them.

Oh, there were too many lapses on our part. I think we missed stumping chances off both Ganguly and Singh. And the dropped catches, particularly Aaquib’s dropped catch of Ganguly, were crucial.

Frankly, Azhar is an all-rounder, and not really a strike bowler. By selecting him to open our bowling, we were taking a risk. The other choice was Fazl-i-Akbar, and since Azhar is a better batsman, we had to go with him.

 Do you think the Pakistani players were a bit overconfident initially?

I wouldn’t say we were overconfident. I think we were confident. The wicket was a beautiful batting surface, and we knew runs could be made easily if batsmen just hung around. Again, I must give credit to the Indians. They played really well and held their nerve. They were the better team on the day…and definitely deserved to win.

I think we did. There was no celebration because we weren’t very thrilled about winning in that manner.

 What changed the umpires’ mind? What brought them back on the field?

A couple of things. Azharuddin stayed out there in the middle and protested. He talked to Rashid Latif, and after consulting with his players, Rashid decided it was only fair to continue playing. Then the match referee gave us the option of continuing.

 Why wasn’t Mushtaq Ahmed played?

We had two leg-spinners already. We felt for those conditions, they were better options.

 In hindsight, how badly were Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis missed?

I am confident the results would have been different…probably in our favor. Wasim is at his best in the slog overs, and that is where we were most vulnerable throughout the tournament. He can bowl those fast yorkers, which are so difficult to hit. Besides, just his presence, I think, would have given the Pakistani team some inspiration--and the opposition something to think about.

 The team for the South African tour has been announced; Wasim Akram is missing from the list and so is Shahid Afridi. Did you expect this?

Wasim, I think, has a hamstring problem. I spoke to him a few minutes ago, and he was quite disappointed at not being able to take part. He was looking forward to bowling on the faster surfaces. As for Shahid Afridi, I think the Board feels that he is not yet ready for Test cricket; I think they are molding him into a specialist one-day opener; hopefully he will make it to Test cricket.

 Do you prefer Shahid Afridi to Aamir Sohail as an opening partner?

Aamir is definitely a better batsman. He has a sound technique and temperament. Shahid needs to learn to play a longer innings. He has played more than 50 matches, but has only one hundred. That is not good enough at this level. But he is still young; he has time, and he shouldn’t give up.

 Are you surprised that Aamir Sohail’s been promoted to Vice-Captain, given that he was dropped/banned a few months ago?

Not really. I think the selectors are playing it safe with Rashid Latif; so if he decides to not lead, they have an experienced player ready to take over. And since I refused the Captaincy, I think Aamir was their logical choice.

 You had a short and somewhat unsuccessful stint as Captain. If asked to do so, would you consider leading the side again?

There were other factors that contributed to my failure. My batting didn’t click. Our main strike bowlers were suffering from injuries. But, yes, if asked to lead again, I would. Not now, though. Maybe a year or so from today.

 You have a knack of converting 50s and 60s into hundreds, especially against India. Why does it come so easy to you?

Other than Srinath, India doesn’t have a good strike bowler. It is quite easy to score five runs an over and play a longer innings against such bowling. That’s what I try to focus on—playing a long innings. I think a lot of talented batsmen simply throw their wickets away—even when they are well set, when by simply staying at the wicket they could accumulate runs.

 What do you think of the present crop of Indian bowlers?

Srinath’s good. He is pretty accurate and can be difficult to hit at will. The Indian team is missing Kumble. The others are young and will get better with experience.

 Any predictions about Pakistan’s performance in South Africa?

It will be an interesting contest. I think South Africa is on a bit of a roll; but we aren’t pessimistic. We are going with an open mind, knowing that we have a young, inexperienced side. But we are also aware that we have the firepower to do well. Inshallah, we will do well.

 Saeed, I thank you for your time, and wish you plenty of luck for the tour of South Africa.

Thanks, we’ll need it.

Saeed Anwar in Numbers

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