Aqib Javed is one of those distinguished Pakistan cricketers who were crowned World Champions in '92. His excellent and controlled swing bowling at good pace played its part in restricting England's top order in the Final.

Aaqib Javed

Aqib Javed is one of those distinguished Pakistan cricketers who were crowned World Champions in '92. His excellent and controlled swing bowling at good pace played its part in restricting England's top order in the Final. Another of his crowning achievements is his world record 7/37 in a Sharjah ODI Final in '92 - a record which stood for a number of years, and which also included a hat-trick as he prized out three top Indian batsmen. 

Currently Aqib is entrusted with the position of the Bowling Coach at National Cricket Academy (NCA) and has under his supervision and tutelage a big pool of young and potential future Pak cricketers. He also renders bowling advice and guidance for the senior team players and the A-team probables. 
I visited the plush and serene settings of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) this afternoon. Situated besides Gaddhafi Stadium and the Head-Quarters of PCB, it's a spacious, imposing and beautiful work of architecture quite in conformity to the traditional settings one is accustomed to seeing in the more historical buildings of Lahore. It's located near the Gulberg / Liberty area which can be termed as the heart of the modern Lahore city. 

The interview lasted for over an hour on both sides of a small lunch break where we both and a couple of Aqib's colleagues had traditional Lahore chicken-chholay and naan cuisine. 

I met Aqib for the first time in 1991 when he was the overseas player for Hampshire and I got to know him pretty well. All these years have passed but he hasn't changed much…. he's still the same modest and affable character, with quite a down-to-earth and engaging personality. He has also maintained his physique very well indeed. 

I introduced PakPassion to him as the premier Pakistan cricket team fans' website in the world with roughly 900 registered members and growing. I had to give him the re-assurance that he can take it easy and not answer any questions posed which he does not want to or is uncomfortable with, as I can well understand his position with the Pak cricket set-up and the rules he has to abide by. 

The interview was conducted in a relaxed informal setting and mostly in Punjabi, interspersed with bits of English cricket jargon. I though made copious quick shorthand notes on a writing pad as Aqib gave his responses and below I'd like to present our discussions on various aspects as translated into English. I've organized the text in terms of the topics covered. 

PakPassion.Net: Which pace bowlers on the circuit can you identify as those with real potential and who can replace the pace bowlers currently in the squad in due course when time comes?
Aaqib Javed: Well...

• Irshad is the premier one I can name without any hesitation. He consistently clocks speeds at over 90 mph and is very strongly built. He's improving and realistically I see him ready for a debut and doing well for Pakistan team within a couple of years.

• Mohammad Asif is another. Unfit right now, he will be back soon though. He is another Naveed-ul Hasan Rana in that he has a big heart and bowls excellently in pressure situations, very good match temperament…. A very good pressure bowler with excellent fighting instincts!

• Yasir Arafat - To me, he is the best bowler in Pak apart from the guys already in the squad. I rate him very highly indeed. Be it bowling with the new ball or reverse swing, he is THE best around in the whole country apart from the pacers in the current squad which includes Shoaib and Sami. Arafat is roughly an 88 mph bowler and a good batsman too.

• Najaf Shah is a left arm pacer who usually clocks around 85 mph. Bob and all of us are very impressed with him.

• Imran Ali Pasha is another 85+ mph bowler who is making rapid strides too.

PakPassion.Net: But in Irshad's case, many wonder if it's hyped-up although Shoaib has identified him as his successor to the pace-crown. The skepticism amongst many comes mainly because his figures have not been that good over the last year or so domestically etc. 
Aaqib Javed: You have to realize he is tremendously fast…that's crucial…other things can be honed and come with time, but he has the basic weapon of a genuine fast bowler with him. And I am certain he will be ready in a couple of years for Pak. 

PakPassion.Net: Arafat was given a chance to play for the national team some years back but didn't impress… 
Aaqib Javed: He was too young at that time, he's now around 25 and a brilliant prospect. 

PakPassion.Net: ...and what about Rauf? 
Aaqib Javed: (look of disapproval on his face) No….the other bowlers I've mentioned are much better prospects. 

PakPassion.Net: What about Rizwan Akbar and Yasin Bari? 
Aaqib Javed: (shakes his head a bit) I need more time to make a call on them as it's too premature at the moment. But I know that at the moment they do not have outstanding speed and are fast-medium at best. 

PakPassion.Net: Can all the pace prospects mentioned by you reverse-swing the ball? 
Aaqib Javed: (smiles giving a very confident touch) Of course! Reverse-swing is an art mastered by us and it comes naturally to our pacers at this level. 

PakPassion.Net: What about batsmen? Which batsmen do you see as the outstanding ones gunning for a position with the Pak team in the near future? 
Aaqib Javed: Well to be frank, I don't see much outstanding talent around at that level but there are a couple or so very superb players around. Hasan Raza and Bazid are two outstanding players knocking at the door of international cricket for Pak.

• Hasan Raza is a personal favorite…he is the best option right now, a very solid player indeed, he has matured well and is READY for the team. He should be next in line for a place in the team.

• Bazid is the other one, hopefully he will be playing in today's Test. He was inducted into the squad on the back of a number of recommendations by all of us after his last tour. He has excellent hand-eye co-ordination.

PakPassion.Net: Regarding Bazid's ODI knock V West Indies a few days ago…some say he played rather slow. 
Aaqib Javed: No, he didn't! In cricket you have to play according to the match situation and for the team, which I believe he did. When his innings finished he had 65-odd in roughly 90 or so balls…that's decent enough. 

PakPassion.Net: What about very young players. Tell me a couple of names you believe will make it as "greats" and major superstars of the game judging by their precocious talent and exceptional approach to the game.
Aaqib Javed: Well...

• Nasir Jamshed - Let me tell you of this amazing guy. Nasir Jamshed from Lahore: He is about 18, a left-hander…an attacking yet technically composed batsman. An exceptional talent. He's a future "international star". I'll say he needs 4 more years to get polished before he storms onto the international scene. A tremendous prospect!

• Mohammad Talha …6'1, is just 17 and is a youngster from Faisalabad who is an exciting prospect in the pace department. Only 17 but already clocking in consistently at 85+ mph and getting faster all the time. This lad has a great future with Pak.

PakPassion.Net: So who are the most technically composed and correct batsman at this level…i.e. out of the ones NOT in the current squad? 
Aaqib Javed: Definitely Hasan Raza and Nasir Jamshed. 

PakPassion.Net: What about a couple of Karachi batsmen? A lot of things have been said about perceived injustices… 
Aaqib Javed: Which batsmen? 

PakPassion.Net: Saeed Bin Nasir and Faisal Iqbal…. 
Aaqib Javed: Saeed is not outstanding. Faisal was given a lot of opportunities. The ones I mentioned before are far better than these two. 

PakPassion.Net: Sufyan Munir? 
Aaqib Javed: Good batsman, but nothing extra-ordinary. 

PakPassion.Net: Who is the most promising all-rounder not playing for Pakistan at the moment? 
Aaqib Javed: Yasir Arafat, without any shadow of doubt! 

PakPassion.Net: What about Azhar Mahmood? 
Aaqib Javed: I don't see him making a comeback to the Pak squad now. 

PakPassion.Net: Coming to spinners…name the three outstanding spinners who will stake a claim for the Pak team in near future and some details too…who is the best of the lot? 
Aaqib Javed: Mansoor Amjad…then we have Imran Tahir and Tariq Mahmood. They are all different type of bowlers so I can't really say who the best is. But Tariq is a vicious turner of the ball in the Murali mould. 

PakPassion.Net: Tariq….more on his bowling action / legitimacy etc and results / consequences of Biomechanical Testing …has his action been modified to bring it into the ambits of ICC rules? 
Aaqib Javed: Well, yes. He was tested in Aus and his old action was indeed found to have breached the threshold of 15% which ICC allows. Then, we modified his action and now he bowls with a slightly different action to the one he used to have. He has 14 - 15 degrees straightening now which is within the range. He did not play domestic last season due to working on his modified action, but now he's bowling smoothly. 

PakPassion.Net: Can Tariq bat too? 
Aaqib Javed: Oh yes….that knock against India in the WC U-19 Semifinal for example. He definitely can bat too. 

PakPassion.Net: You mentioned Imran Tahir? I understand he played a bit for Middlesex last year with hardly any success.. 
Aaqib Javed: The youngster was playing County cricket for the first time. We should give him some allowances. He is a marvelous ODI prospect especially. 

PakPassion.Net: By the way, congrats on behalf of PakPassion for that stupendous performance in the U-19 WC where your stalwarts made the whole nation proud. How did it feel? 
Aaqib Javed: (looks very chuffed and happy) Simply awesome. I'm proud of what the boys achieved. 

PakPassion.Net: Apparently a few of the youngsters playing for Pak in the U-19 WC had a similar hairstyle to yours, why? 
Aaqib Javed: (laughs and then modestly says) which ones? Well, everyone has a role model and hero…I think I may also be the role model of some youngsters too… 

PakPassion.Net: Imran Pasha for example… 
Aaqib Javed: (smiles) Oh yeah ….. He did have that hairstyle. Really good bowler.

PakPassion.Net: Onto your playing career now. Who coached you most over your international career and before then? 
Aaqib Javed: Well the concept of coaches wasn't that entrenched in those days. You basically learnt the art yourself and then referred to someone for guidance when needed. Imran Bhai was always there when I needed guidance or had some technical issues with my bowling for Pakistan. Then there were Wasim and Waqar after that. Imran improved me a lot. 

PakPassion.Net: The best skipper….. 
Aaqib Javed: Definitely, Imran. For example, he lifted our spirits when we were down and spurred us to victory in WC '92 both by his game and by his motivating talk. 

PakPassion.Net: ah…that WC glory…tell us about how it feels thinking about it. 
Aaqib Javed: Brilliant feeling! Once-in-a-lifetime achievement! It was magnificent …actually seems like not long ago that we pulled that one. 

PakPassion.Net: OK. You are privileged to have made up the third link along with Wasim and Waqar at their peak. Who was better? 
Aaqib Javed: (nostalgic look on his face) Both are tremendous legends. I can't compare the two as they were different types of bowlers. But Wasim to me, is most definitely the greatest bowler of all-time. Greatest-ever!! 

PakPassion.Net: Ball-tampering allegations? 
Aaqib Javed: (laughs dismissively) Utter dross. What used to be called ball-tampering is called reverse-swing now. 

PakPassion.Net: The Palmer incident in '92 when you clashed with him…your views? 
Aaqib Javed: If only Imran had been there instead of Miandad, such flare-up wouldn't have happened. You see it's the job of the skipper to handle such matters tactfully and properly when it happens on the field. 

PakPassion.Net: So Aqib, are you saying it was Miandad's fault? 
Aaqib Javed: (smiles) Well, it can't be…has to be mine or Palmer's..isn't it! 

PakPassion.Net: Which Pak player have you learnt the most from? 
Aaqib Javed: Imran Khan. 

PakPassion.Net: How has the game changed from when you played it for Pak? 
Aaqib Javed: Well for starters, in Pakistan these days there is a lot more competition for places in the team. You simply can't take your place for granted anymore no matter who you are. In say the 70s and 80s, it was different…once you got into the team, it was not a big problem to play continuously for 6 years as competition was not this fierce. More so, in those days cricket was not played with such frequency and thus it was not uncommon for players to be playing for their countries for 15-20 years. Times have changed now. There are more options around in terms of player selection, thus more pressure on players in the team if they are to sustain their place. 

PakPassion.Net: But would you say that the increase in the number of matches played in a season puts a lot more strain on bowlers as compared to batsmen? 
Aaqib Javed: Agreed. 

PakPassion.Net: Which wicket would you term as the most satisfying or memorable?
Aaqib Javed: The slow ball I bowled to get rid of Greatbatch in '92 WC comes to mind…..something I innovated on. But then the most satisfying wickets are those whenever I dismissed batsmen like Martin Crowe, Tendulkar etc. That hat-trick V India in Sharjah is also one I relish. 

PakPassion.Net: Your World Record effort of 7/37 in ODIs got broken by Murali…how did you feel about it? 
Aaqib Javed: It's part of the game. Records are made to be broken. He broke my record and I believe even his record was broken later. 

PakPassion.Net: How were you able to bowl such great out-swingers? 
Aaqib Javed: It came naturally to me. Some bowlers are better at bowling in-cutters; I was better at outswingers. 

PakPassion.Net: What methods do you employ whilst coaching youngsters? 
Aaqib Javed: In what sense? 

PakPassion.Net: Say techniques, scientific equipment used etc…. 
Aaqib Javed: (smiles) It's something too detailed and elaborate to be explained in an interview! 

PakPassion.Net: How do you see the national team currently…. 
Aaqib Javed: (spark in his eyes) I believe the Pak era that culminated in '92 is coming back!! The era when we won the World Cup….I would say we are favorites to win the WC in couple of years' time. 

PakPassion.Net: Why such optimism? 
Aaqib Javed: (quite pumped up) It's all about having the right combination and balance in the team. We have an excellent bunch of players. Our team is as balanced as any other team in the world, and more so our players would have gathered enough experience as a unit when the World Cup event arrives. Inzamam as skipper is a big plus too…how he has made rapid strides… he's a very good skipper now…and things look real positive. 

PakPassion.Net: Opinion regarding Bob? 
Aaqib Javed: Doing well. Giving very good results. 

PakPassion.Net: How do you see Inzamam as skipper? Imran says he is maturing fast. 
Aaqib Javed: (look of immense admiration apparent) Brilliant! He has a great grip on the team now and commands respect. I agree that he has come a long way and matured now. 

PakPassion.Net: What about Imran's anger on him before? About not playing the rest of the Test Series in Aus? Imran had himself played after taking pain-killing injections as you would know being a part of that WC '92 team. 
Aaqib Javed: Well, not everyone can be like Imran Khan. He was unique. Inzi is a different kind of skipper, he has his own style. 

PakPassion.Net: How do you compare the styles of Imran, Miandad and Inzi as skippers? 
Aaqib Javed: All different. Imran had a very strong and impressive personality; Miandad not so but he was very skilled and read the game wonderfully; Inzamam is excellent and contributes a lot to the team. 

PakPassion.Net: More on Inzi please….a comparison with Miandad as a batsman too… 
Aaqib Javed: Well! When he hangs up his boots, I reckon he would have staked a strong claim to be the greatest player ever from Pakistan alongside Imran Khan. Just have a look at the mountain of runs he has scored in both formats of the game! 
I reckon even now he has done as much if not more than what Miandad achieved as a batsman for Pakistan. 

PakPassion.Net: Better than Miandad? 
Aaqib Javed: Yah. How do you measure a batsman's greatness? By the number of runs he makes, his average and consistency. Inzamam is superior already to Javed. And he is very consistent too. 

PakPassion.Net: How long do you think he can keep on serving Pakistan? 
Aaqib Javed: I say another two or three years. But when he finishes, he would have amazing records. 

PakPassion.Net: What would you say to talk that Younis Khan does not merit a place in the ODI team? 
Aaqib Javed: I don't understand….he is one of our main players and has been doing well recently. A great player to have in the team - be it Tests or ODIs. 

PakPassion.Net: So Younis as future skipper? What are your views on him? 
Aaqib Javed: He is an excellent skipper in the making. What I admire most about him is that he sets very high standards. An extremely hard worker and a great team man. Gives the message of hard work to the rest of the team by his own example and sets the standards himself. 

PakPassion.Net: Tell me what you think of Shoaib Akhtar's omission from the squad. 
Aaqib Javed: (serious touch to him now) Not being selected for WI tour is definitely a setback for him, but he can make it into a positive too. This gives him chance to prepare well for the very crucial England tour. Still some months remaining…ample time but he needs to make it count. He needs to work continuously on his fitness and the technical aspects of his bowling. I would advise him to take Imran Khan as his role model and work on his game in a similar style. 

PakPassion.Net: How much longer do you see him representing Pak and performing well….he has set his sights on seven years….. 
Aaqib Javed: He can definitely play 4 to 5 more years. Good that he has set his aims at 7, but realistically I think it is more like 4-5. 

PakPassion.Net: In Aus, he was criticized by some for not doing well… 
Aaqib Javed: That is rubbish…he took two fifers there against that team and if only he had had decent support from the other bowlers, Pak would have done much better in the Tests. 

PakPassion.Net: Is it true that he can no longer swing the ball like he used to? 
Aaqib Javed: Nonsense. Have a look at how he removed some of the Aussie batsmen in the last tour. 

PakPassion.Net: Was he played in the Third Test even though injured at the insistence of the skipper and Coach? 
Aaqib Javed: I am not aware of that, but he bowled very well overall in Australia. 

PakPassion.Net: I know you are one of the many ex-players who have mentioned a few times how Shoaib is a great team man and lifts the team.. Can you elaborate on that? 
Aaqib Javed: (look of admiration and awe) Yes….he is an all-out attacking bowler……when he charges in like that, sprints in, it lifts the morale of the players around him and pumps the team further in the field. You need an intimidating and threatening bowler like that in your team. 

PakPassion.Net: And Sami? Is he a match-winner? What are the problems that keep him from being a real success? Is it a tendency to bowl too fast or is it that he tries too hard etc.? Most of all, do you think he merits a place in the team? 
Aaqib Javed: Oh yes!! Sami definitely merits and deserves a place in the team. Sami's main problem lies in his faulty "feet alignment" when he bowls. 

PakPassion.Net: Feet-alignment? 
Aaqib Javed: You see…Sami unfortunately is injury-prone. His landing foot is not properly alongside his other leg when he delivers the ball which causes injury woes. We call this a feet-alignment and body-alignment feature in our parlance. Let me give the analogy of a car. If the tyres are not aligned, it will put load excessively and at wrong angles at the suspension resulting in major problems. It's the same with a bowler's fitness and body. Once the action is smooth and the feet align properly, injury problems are largely done away with and rhythm is achieved. 

PakPassion.Net: Do you think our team can still do well if we do not have Shoaib for the England tour…what chance would you give us then? 
Aaqib Javed: You need bowlers like Shoaib and Sami in the team. We imperatively need both of them for the England tour! 

PakPassion.Net: What are his best attributes as a batsman? 
Aaqib Javed: Amazing power and hand-eye co-ordination. 

PakPassion.Net: Well, how do you see his resurgence as a batsman? 
Aaqib Javed: In the past when he failed or went through a bad patch, it was more a case of him not being very confident. And not being able to judge the deliveries properly in the split second a batsman has when the ball leaves the hand…a batsman has to judge the line-and-length in the first five feet or so the length the ball travels after leaving the bowler's hand, to make an instantaneous decision as to what shot to offer there. Afridi when he is playing well, is perceiving that most brilliantly. 

PakPassion.Net: Is there any player in the Academy at the moment or around on the scene who can potentially be another Afridi? Any deliberate plans to model some player on Afridi? I know he is one of a kind though and how impossible it must be to coach someone on his style! 
Aaqib Javed: (ponders deeply for a while) Imran Nazir is definitely one in the same mould. If we work on him, definitely he can play like him as he already has many of the qualities Afridi demonstrates. 

PakPassion.Net: What is Imran Nazir's main failing as a batsman? 
Aaqib Javed: He sometimes pre-meditates his strokes and that can be suicidal. But he is still young and can rectify that. 

PakPassion.Net: Now onto changing of bowling actions……..it's been said by some that you have changed the bowling action of some pacers resulting in their effectiveness waning…what would you say to that? Bowlers like Rauf , Riaz and Irshad etc. 
Aaqib Javed: It's true that all three of the names you mentioned - I slightly modified their bowling actions. But that was to improve their bowling and to make sure they are less injury-prone..it's to do with the concept of “body alignment” which I explained earlier. 

PakPassion.Net: Which bowlers action are you modifying at the moment to improve his body alignment? 
Aaqib Javed: Yasir Ali is the one I'm concentrating much on these days regarding modification of bowling action…as he is injury-prone. 

PakPassion.Net: Tell me more about Yasir Ali. 
Aaqib Javed: He has good potential…..an 85+ mph bowler. He has good potential…..an 85+ mph bowler. In my opinion, was drafted in too early for the Pak team. 

PakPassion.Net: Tell me a bit more about the Academy… 
Aaqib Javed: We have continuous system…U-16 kids come…those chosen from all across the country to be meriting a place here, then U-19 and U-21. It's very hectic. 

PakPassion.Net: As a coach of youngsters, what do you emphasize on the most? I have seen a long list of attributes on the Notice Board outside Abdul Qadir Academy! But I want you to name just one in your case! 
Aaqib Javed: (smiles) Focus. That's the word. I tell the boys this is the quality which is common in anyone who is successful. You've got to have clarity of vision and focus well on where you want to be and what you want to achieve. I tell them they need to visualize and see the "pathway" to success. I tell them to day-dream about making it to the top and then work relentlessly towards achieving their dream. We here at NCA, also try to identify those youngsters who demonstrate this quality. 

PakPassion.Net: What if someone from abroad is interested in get training here? How do they apply? Especially for Pakistan-origin youngsters living abroad? 
Aaqib Javed: They can apply through the PCB Website. We have a detailed program running for two months in the year from December to January where we devote time exclusively to such trainees. There are four batches we organize for those coming from abroad, giving them two-week training. The batches get organized as applications come in. Then we give them in the end an assessment - an overall report as to what potential they have and their realistic goals. 

PakPassion.Net: Do you provide in-house accommodation too? Any guys from England who have been here recently? 
Aaqib Javed: Yes, we do. It's all set up here. Recently we had Bilal Shafayat and Usman Afzal - two England players of Pak-origin coming here for training. 

PakPassion.Net: What about those guys who want to play for Pak rather? 
Aaqib Javed: We welcome them…they can apply on-line through PCB / NCA site.