The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : We need to play more often: Saeed Anwar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 17, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

We need to play more often: Saeed Anwar

By K.C. Vijaya Kumar

BANGALORE, SEPT. 16. Saeed Anwar may have ruined bowlers' figures with 4052 Test runs and 8823 runs in One Day Internationals but his own stability was shattered by his daughter's unfortunate demise. A self-imposed break, a continuous sojourn into spiritualism and a comeback to the World Cup stage in South Africa, last year, did help the southpaw score another century against India. However the diminutive opener with the highest individual score in One Day Internationals — 194 against India at Chennai — bid adieu as the curtains eased in on the World Cup.

Anwar however reiterated that there were no regrets. "I was not performing at the level that I was used to earlier in my career. The commitment level was less and the adrenaline was not flowing and I had to leave," Anwar said. The Pakistan Cricket Board however was in no mood to let Anwar fade away and promptly appointed him as its Cricket Academy coach.

"Our Academy is considered as one of the best in the World. As for me as a coach, well I am testing myself whether I can do the job and attending seminars like these (ACC seminar in Bangalore) helps," Anwar said.

The recent winds of change in Pakistan cricket that blew along with Bob Woolmer's appointment as coach, has enthused Anwar. "We always had the talent but performing as a unit was difficult. Woolmer has managed to do well but I ask the fans to be patient. Remember Australia needed seven to eight years before becoming the number one team," Anwar said.

His calm eyes mirror a smile when talk veered towards playing against India. "To become a hero just score runs in Indo-Pak matches, no wonder I am popular here as well as back home," he said. "But we need to play more often with series of five Tests each. More matches will reduce the pressure on the players," he added.

Anwar's advice to fellow-swashbuckler Virender Sehwag was `stick to your game but maybe take a break'. Anwar explained, "Sehwag will have his spells of poor form because he is not strong on technique. But he has got his runs with the same approach.

"You talk technique to him and he will be finished. I scored 80 per cent of my runs on the off-side. There was risk and people talked about it and if I had listened, my career would have been over in a year. Unfortunately for Sehwag the ball does quite a bit in England. May be he should sit out a few matches, have a good hit in the nets and then get back," Anwar said.

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