The Hindu : Sport : Dharamsala's serenity has helped ease pre-tour tension

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 04, 2005

Sport

Sport

Dharamsala's serenity has helped ease pre-tour tension

Touring India is not new to me. I have come to India many times mostly to play cricket or on personal work, and each time I have discovered new things during my stay here. This time when we landed in New Delhi and I still felt both excitement and expectations building up inside me, I was not surprised. After all, this is not just another trip across the border. It is a very special occasion, a rare honour for a humble cricketer like me.

Not many Pakistan captains have had the privilege of leading the national team on a full tour of India. When I came here last time with the team, it was for a one-off match in Kolkata. Now we are here for a whole series and it's an entirely different feeling.

The temperature in Delhi and Lahore is usually the same at this time of the year. The warmth of Indian hospitality enveloped us as soon as we landed here. It felt nice to renew old acquaintances and catch up with friends and relatives before emplaning for Dharamsala.

I must say the scenic beauty of the place stunned us. The boys let out a collective gasp as soon as they stepped out of the aircraft. The snow-capped mountains, the chill and a light drizzle all added to make the scenario picture-perfect. International cricket in the sub-continent is mostly played in towns and cities so cricketers end up visiting places like Mumbai, Kolkata, Karachi and Lahore time and again on successive tours. To be in Dharamsala, therefore, is a refreshing change.

It is not only a beautiful place, it also scores heavily as a cricket venue. It shows how the game continues to grow in the sub-continent. It's the kind of place where I would love to come on a vacation with my family. The serenity and natural beauty of Dharamsala has helped in easing pre-tour tension. It's a good place to start what is going to a very tough series.

Negative comments

Many of my predecessors and revered seniors have already written us off. Some have even said this is the weakest Pakistan side ever to tour India, suggesting we will lose heavily. Such negative comments from former players can often demoralise juniors.

Well, I can say a few things as well, but as the captain of the side, my job is not to join them in a debate, but get my boys to answer their critics on the ground.

I, however, want to set the record straight. We have played with more or less the same bunch of players over the last couple of years. I wonder why these critics have labelled us as the weakest side now — just before our tour of India. Ours is a relatively inexperienced side compared to India, but not weak by any stretch of imagination.

It is sad that Shoaib Akhtar is out injured. He is a match-winner in his own right, but injuries are part and parcel of the game and this Pakistan team has shown that it can cope even without its fastest bowler.

It is a new series and the boys know that they will be judged by what they do in India. I believe we have the talent to surprise India.

(CafeCricket)

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