From ze Vault - Waqar Younis

[hussein]

s there joy or a tinge of regret as you bid farewell to an illustrious career?

There are a lot of things going through my mind at this point of time. It is an emotional moment. There is a mix of regret and some great moments about the last 15 years. But as I say my goodbye I don't wish to whine. I am happy that I played my cricket with my heart, not so much my mind. But my heart has given it up now and I want to let go.

Who was the greatest bowler of your era?

It is a difficult question, but I would say Wasim Akram was the best bowler I ever saw. He was a top bowler and his bowling gave me a lot of courage. That made me a better bowler. His preparation before games impressed me no end. There used to be times when he would not train and bowl extraordinary spells. He was an exceptional performer.I also rank Glen McGrath and Javagal Srinath very highly for the kind of performances they have given.

You are, in a way, the last great fast bowler from Pakistan. Does it worry you that the legacy of fast bowling in Pakistan might be at its end?
The worse thing that could have happened to Pakistan cricket is that Wasim Akram and I went at the same time. We did not get enough chance to pass on the knowledge to the youngsters. But, maybe, some people did not want it to happen.

Does it hurt seeing the young Pakistani fast bowlers struggle?
Surely, it does hurt. I don't see the passion in them to succeed. When Wasim Akram and I played together there used to be a straight competition. There was a lot of controversy about our fights but it helped the country. We wanted to outdo each other with the ball. [Shoaib] Akhtar and [Mohammad] Sami are not fighting for wickets and it shows. Laughing

Do you think the rules for what constitutes ball-tampering need to change?
When we [Pakistanis] did it, they called it ball-tampering. When their bowlers did it, they labeled it reverse swing. But I agree with Geoffrey Boycott, who said Wasim and I could have bowled out the English team of that time with oranges.

The media has just hyped up the whole thing, but I feel something or the other has always been happening with the ball. Earlier bowlers used Vaseline on the ball; then they started picking the seam of the ball. Something will always happen to the ball; no new laws can stop that from happening.

Earlier, also the ball did things; today they call it reverse swing.

To my mind, chucking is a far bigger issue than ball-tampering. The ICC must bring in a law to change that from happening. The Under-19 World Cup, recently held in Bangladesh, was a big eye-opener for me. I was an adjudicator there and I saw some youngsters with suspect actions. You just cannot stop them. Some top-class bowlers who chuck are playing the game and no one is stopping them.

Was captaincy a bane or a boon for you?
Captaincy was the best thing that happened to me until the last World Cup. I enjoyed it every bit. I have led one of the best Pakistan teams and also one of the youngest; it has been an honour. When I led the youngest cricket team there was no coach. Besides Saeed Anwar there was no other senior in the side. I never enjoyed myself more. The players were just ready to die for you. It was a great dressing room.

But in the 2003 World Cup, it wasn't really the way we wanted to play. I was just jinxed when it came to World Cups. I trusted some wrong guys and they let me down. But that's no excuse. We played badly and I didn't do my job well enough.

Do you think bowlers don't make good captains?
I don't agree with that. I know the general belief is that batsmen make good captains. But I think all-rounders make the best captains, since they have a fair idea of both the departments. But in Tests, I think bowlers make better captains. Because, let's not forget, bowlers win Tests.

How much did the match-fixing allegations affect you?
They never played on my mind. Some loud mouths like to put people down. They [the allegations] made me sad but never affected me. But I think it has stained the game forever. They will always be there. There is so much money in the sport now that these allegations will never die.

Imagine, in this [India-Pakistan] series, a cricketer told me that games were being fixed and huge sums of money involved. If the Karachi one-dayer was fixed then that is great fixing. If the one-dayers were fixed then hats off to the fixers.

Have you ever been involved in match-fixing? Have you ever been approached?
I wouldn't say that I have never been approached. I have had phone calls from strangers asking me to fix games. I don't know who phoned. Maybe, someone was just fooling around with me. But that was a long time ago, in the early nineties. But I have never entertained match-fixers.

Which would be the most unforgettable moment of your cricketing career?
My first wicket in Karachi, of Sachin Tendulkar, is unforgettable. I remember knocking his middle stump out of the ground. It was a precious wicket. I never thought that he would become such a great cricketer. There was a lot of hype about this young kid from the tenth class and we were wondering what he was all about. I was told that he was the future of India. And how true that was. I am retiring after 15 years and he is still playing well for his country.

It was only in the last Test when I hit him on the nose off the glove that I realized what he was all about. After that he scored 50-odd runs against an attack that had me, Wasim, Imran Khan and Zakir Khan. That was guts.

[Savak]

He was amazing from 1989 to 1997. But 1997 onwards his bowling more or less deteriorated. Dont know whether he lied about his age or his injuries just took a toll on his body. He sacrificed too much pace in the end and if the ball wasnt swinging he would struggle. He could no longer bowl with the old ball and became a new ball bowler.

But from 1989-1997 this guy was without a doubt the best fast bowler in the world.

[Bouncer]

whats the source of this interview?

[TAK]

Some top-class bowlers who chuck are playing the game and no one is stopping them

who could he mean?

[Bouncer]

Originally Posted by anon. Which would be the most unforgettable moment of your cricketing career? My first wicket in Karachi, of Sachin Tendulkar, is unforgettable. I remember knocking his middle stump out of the ground. It was a precious wicket. I never thought that he would become such a great cricketer. There was a lot of hype about this young kid from the tenth class and we were wondering what he was all about. I was told that he was the future of India. And how true that was. I am retiring after 15 years and he is still playing well for his country. It was only in the last Test when I hit him on the nose off the glove that I realized what he was all about. After that he scored 50-odd runs against an attack that had me, Wasim, Imran Khan and Zakir Khan. That was guts.

[siddharth]

Originally Posted by Bouncer whats the source of this interview?

An old interview
http://www.rlca.com.pk/waqaryounisinterview.asp

[daily_dreamer]

A legend who gave us so many great moments. Looking back at his career I think the World Cup was a thorn in his side. In 1992 he was injured when arguably he was at his peak and in 96 Ajay Jadeja happened. In 1999 unfortunately he didn't get a game except for Bangladesh when I felt that he deserved a chance in the Super 6's perhaps ahead of Azhar (in fact Mushtaq Ahmed was also warming our bench during that tournament - what an embarrasment of riches). In 2003 he had the very difficult task of captaining a side littered with ex-captains and it just wasn't meant to be.

If Wicky had skippered a young side perhaps his captaincy may have been different. Watching him close up in 2001 when Pak toured England I thought he was a vocal and inspirational captain but one who needed to develop tactically and was leading a potentially volatile side of ex-captains.

Also re the question relating to bowlers as captains in the interview, Pak is crying out for a bowling captain who is willing to play on sporting wickets. The Inzi era was symbolised, at least in test cricket, by some low octane cricket on dull wickets at home.

[Saj]

A legend is the only way to describe this man.

One of the few bowlers who could put fear in the hearts of batsmen. I've actually seen the guy run into bowl and you knew that the batsman just did not fancy it all.

The King of Reverse Swing.

[daily_dreamer]

And yet he was forced to retire from the game without being given a send-off. This is how the PCB treats a legend. Upon his return to the team as bowling coach, where he made significant strides in eradicating Pak's perennial no-ball problem and seemingly developed the likes of Gul's reverse swing abilities, he was promptly sacked.

Round of applause for the Pakistan Cricket Board please.

[Saj]

well Daily dreamer, the fact that we have 2 great bowlers who are not involved with helping our up and coming bowlers is a travesty in itself.

Here's what Rana Naved ul Hasan said in his interview for PP:-

PakPassion.Net: During that period you kept thanking Waqar Younis and crediting him for your match winning bowling. Please tell us the story behind this statement.

Rana Naved Ul-Hasan: Yes Waqar bhai was around at some of the camps we held. He was a great help to me in looking at some technical aspects of my bowling. He worked with me on the issue of reverse swing, we worked on my runup and made a couple of adjustments as well as looking closely at my bowling action. He was a huge boost and inspiration for me.

[daily_dreamer]

Originally Posted by Saj well Daily dreamer, the fact that we have 2 great bowlers who are not involved with helping our up and coming bowlers is a travesty in itself. Here's what Rana Naved ul Hasan said in his interview for PP:- PakPassion.Net: During that period you kept thanking Waqar Younis and crediting him for your match winning bowling. Please tell us the story behind this statement. Rana Naved Ul-Hasan: Yes Waqar bhai was around at some of the camps we held. He was a great help to me in looking at some technical aspects of my bowling. He worked with me on the issue of reverse swing, we worked on my runup and made a couple of adjustments as well as looking closely at my bowling action. He was a huge boost and inspiration for me.

Its that very point about being a psychological boost and inspiration that is the most pertinent. Without doubt Waqar has technical accumen but so do other bowling coaches who had inferior pedigree as a cricketer. Troy Cooley, for example, is widely recognised as being the best bowling coach in the world right now. But picture the scene...you're a young inexperienced Pak bowler, your team has just been hammered by the opposition batsmen in the first session and you return to the dressing room at lunch...who would inspire you more? An Australian fast bowler with whom you have communcational difficulties or a legendary Pakistani fast bowler whom you used to idolise as a youngster and who has been in this situation many times before only to turn the scorecard on its head.

This bedraggled Pak unit appears to be lacking inspiration and whilst a man like Waqar may not have the credentials to be the head coach, he certainly would inspire the young bowlers more than Lawson who himself was a fast bowler.

[Saj]

Originally Posted by daily_dreamer Its that very point about being a psychological boost and inspiration that is the most pertinent. Without doubt Waqar has technical accumen but so do other bowling coaches who had inferior pedigree as a cricketer. Troy Cooley, for example, is widely recognised as being the best bowling coach in the world right now. But picture the scene...you're a young inexperienced Pak bowler, your team has just been hammered by the opposition batsmen in the first session and you return to the dressing room at lunch...who would inspire you more? An Australian fast bowler with whom you have communcational difficulties or a legendary Pakistani fast bowler whom you used to idolise as a youngster and who has been in this situation many times before only to turn the scorecard on its head. This bedraggled Pak unit appears to be lacking inspiration and whilst a man like Waqar may not have the credentials to be the head coach, he certainly would inspire the young bowlers more than Lawson who himself was a fast bowler.

Well look at the Shane Warne role now that has been announced in the last few days. Cricket Australia knew that despite Warne's ability to create the odd controversy here and there, his talent alone would inspire up and coming leggies in Australia, so they have created this role for him. Why couldnt the PCB create a role along those lines for Waqar and/or Wasim

[the SHA]

Knowing the PCB, they'd create a specialist role for Wasim or Waqar and fill it with Junaid Zia!

[Raz]

Originally Posted by the SHA Knowing the PCB, they'd create a specialist role for Wasim or Waqar and fill it with Junaid Zia!

With his sidekick Mohammad Khalil