With a family that boasts names like Imran Khan (Uncle) and Majid Khan (father), it is nothing short of a mystery that Bazid Khan has failed to cultivate an international career for Pakistan. A solid, orthodox right handed batsman who has played for Pakistan on 6 occasions, Bazid has been unable to find a place in the national side. At the age of 30, time is slowly running out for this elegant batsman and in an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Bazid talks about the influence of his family on his career, his views on domestic cricket as well as his own chances of regaining a spot in the National side.

26th December, 2011

PakPassion.net: My first question is about your beginnings in terms of playing cricket. Your father was such a great cricketer and everybody who follows Pakistan cricket and international cricket knows your father. How did you get into cricket yourself?

Bazid Khan:It was a childhood obsession. You can say that the first thing I ever did was to take up the bat. So, it started off just as a hobby and passion, and then I played a lot of cricket in school. From a very early age I started playing and I was about 14 when I played for the Islamabad U-19s. So basically, it was a big time obsession.

PakPassion.net: And who were your cricketing heroes and idols? Obviously, your father was someone who you would have idolized as a cricketer. Who were the other great cricketers that you tried to copy?

Bazid Khan:My all time idol was Viv Richards at that time when I started [playing cricket]. For quite a few years, I didn’t even know the extent of what my father had done and so, it was only afterwards that I realized how good he was and how good my uncle was. But as a batsman, I idolized Viv Richards a lot.

PakPassion.net: You mentioned your uncle there, the great Imran Khan, and you know there’s a lot been said about-and I don’t want to go into too much detail with regards to the relationship between your father and Imran-but a lot of people want to know if they are now on speaking terms? Or is it still a case of they don’t speak with each other? 

Bazid Khan:Oh, that’s all in the past. They talk like cousins now, right, and have a very good relationship now. There was friction before but I think now, it’s been 5-6 years that they have been on very good terms.

PakPassion.net: That’s very good to hear, you just mentioned that you used to play for Islamabad U-19s, how did you get spotted to play for Islamabad U-19s? Also, who spotted you to play First-class cricket? 

Bazid Khan:I started playing as a club cricketer and they used to have U-19s scouts by the tournament and there, I was spotted and got into the Islamabad U-19s team. But there was a lot of club cricket and it was very good. It used to be two days long and it was very organized, so that helped me a lot.

And then afterwards I played with Islamabad and then I played in the U-15 World Cup. Following that, we came back when we shifted to Lahore and after that I captained Lahore U-19s. I played one game-I think my debut was in 1997 or 1998 maybe-I played one First-class game for Lahore.

Later, I actually went to England to study and I studied there for a year and a half. When I came back, Redco had been formed and they called me up and said, ‘You have to play for Redco,’ and so, I played in the Tissot Cup [One Day Tournament], got lots of runs there, and that was the real recognition I got after which people started talking about me.

PakPassion.net: Once again, just regarding Islamabad-obviously Lahore and Karachi are the big epicentres of Pakistan cricket, you know they are the cities that everybody knows produces a lot of big cricketers-but Islamabad has produced some good cricketers over the years as well and it seems to be producing better cricketers these days?

Bazid Khan:Yes, cricket now has expanded a lot. Especially Islamabad, which has a lot of grounds now and obviously, cricket has expanded so much that a lot of players even from Hyderabad are coming through. I don’t know about quality, but the quantity certainly has expanded.

PakPassion.net: Do you think that for some sportsmen, like yourself [whose fathers have been such great cricketers or sportsmen], the expectations are high? Was there more pressure on you to do well?

Bazid Khan:Yes, this thing comes naturally. Sunil Gavaskar talked about his son going through the same thing. It is quite difficult as you are always compared to your father and how good he was; how good you are and all that is added pressure. But the pressure on yourself also, I think it increases with this expectation. But it has its pros and cons, and it is something you can’t avoid, you can’t change, and you have to bear it.

PakPassion.net: You will have had a lot of advice from coaches and senior cricketers over the years, but sometimes the advice from family is the advice that really helps and benefits you. What was the best bit of advice your father ever gave you with regards to cricket?

Bazid Khan:Obviously, my father and my family have been very, very supportive. I have never been pulled back at all. They have always pushed me rather than anything else. Best bit of advice would be that once, I was going through a really bad patch and he said, ‘Well son, remember that it’s only a game.’ We tend to forget that it is basically still a game and that you have to enjoy it.

PakPassion.net: Bazid, you have played some cricket in Netherlands as well, what was the standard of cricket in Netherlands like? How did it help you and do you have any plans to go back there and play again?

Bazid Khan:Yes, I played a few games there, not the whole season [maybe half a season]. There, cricket was basically domestic cricket and not leagues. They have sort of five levels and I played in level 2. They play mostly on matting which is pretty difficult to adjust to, but it’s quite organized and I thought because of the matting it is quite difficult there as a batsman.

And surprisingly, I didn’t expect it but standards there are quite good, especially with the fielding and bowling sides [standards] are pretty high.

PakPassion.net: Yes, we recently did an interview with Mudassar Bukhari the allrounder for Netherlands and he was saying that cricket there is definitely improving.

Bazid Khan: Yes, but I think the problem they have is that all their top players, they don’t play in the Netherlands. They come from abroad. Obviously, when you play with good players and when you are playing with your own international players, you learn a lot. But in their leagues [or domestic, whatever you want to call it], they are deprived of all their top players who just come to play internationals.

PakPassion.net: Bazid, at the moment we are seeing consistency in selection with regards to players even if they don’t do well for two or three matches. You know, they are given a chance to continue. Obviously, back in your day, if we go back to 2004 when you played in a couple of ODIs and were then dropped, you know, it must be quite painful and frustrating to see some of the boys being given a lot of chances these days and back then, guys like yourself were brought in for a couple of matches and then dropped?

Bazid Khan:Yes, it’s the most difficult thing to face. I think I scored a 66, which was the highest total in the Pakistan team and then I didn’t play for 2-3 years. Then, in the last ODI game, I think I got a 50 after which I was dropped and I didn’t even get a central contract. From then on, I have not been selected again, so it is very frustrating.

What I basically think is that it should be difficult getting into the team, but once you are in the team, you should be given an extended run. If you play one game and then you are dropped, then either your selection was wrong in the first place [either they were wrong the first time], or they were wrong in dropping you and so, it doesn’t make any sense.

PakPassion.net: Did the selectors [when you were dropped from the ODI side or the Test side], did they explain to you what you needed to work on or was there any reasoning behind why you were dropped?

Bazid Khan:[laughs] No, that sort of thing does not happen in Pakistan. The reason why you were dropped, even if you ask, they don’t pinpoint anything.

PakPassion.net: I guess, Bazid, I don’t want to sound very negative here but it must be frustrating because you know, there were probably some people in the Pakistan Cricket Board who weren’t in favour of Mr. Majid Khan, and probably they wanted to take out that that frustration against yourself perhaps?

Bazid Khan:Yes, maybe that was the element there. It’s a tricky road. I don’t see, especially in Pakistan, I don’t see any sons of any cricketers doing well. Sadiq Mohammad’s son came to First-class cricket and he played a few seasons, and then he went back. So, it’s not a good place to be playing cricket when your immediate family has quite a name in cricket.

PakPassion.net: Suppose you were made a member of the selection committee 15 years down the line. How would you handle the selection process differently given all that you have been through as a player?

Bazid Khan:Consistency is the key – really. As a selector either you go by your gut feeling and stick to it or, if you can spot potential you have to go with it. The Australians pinpoint a few players and its not that if they don’t perform in one series or two series, they drop them. If you spot talent and you think the player is good enough to play on the top level, then you stick with him. Very few players just come in the team and be part of it for ever – they have to struggle for the first two years.

Especially for a batsman, it’s a learning process even when you are age 40! Once you are spotted, they have seen your potential to play at the top level then you have to give him a chance.

PakPassion.net: We had become used to seeing scores of 500 in domestic matches. It used to be that the first team would score 500 and then the second team would bat on for the remainder of the match. But this year it was different. Most of the matches were very low scoring. Is this due to poor batting or good bowling? What is the main reason for this change? 

Bazid Khan:I will put the blame on the pitches a lot because if you look at the past 7 or 8 years, they have been preparing what they deem to be green-tops. But actually they are sub-standard pitches – they are quite wet. Nobody criticizes when the match is over in two or two and a half days – there is no action taken. Batting is a lot to do with confidence and repetition. If you are not getting conditions to score big then you are not used to scoring big. So eventually, you will become a player who will not be able to play a big innings. This is the problem – if you don’t give a batsman conditions conducive to big scores then he won't score then obviously it effects the confidence. You adapt to changing your game just to get by – its quite a tricky road.

I feel that in domestic cricket when a game is drawn, people say the pitch is not good. But when the game ends early, with both teams scoring 100 runs or some low score, then its considered alright. Although all the players and managers will tell you the pitch is not good but there will never be an investigation after the game – the board will never investigate or question the curator. In other countries, for substandard pitches, you get bans or fines – not in Pakistan.

PakPassion.net: You mentioned substandard pitches. What's the biggest problem with these pitches? Is there too much grass left on them?

Bazid Khan:The biggest problem is that these pitches are wet. The difference between First class and Test match pitches [we don’t have any Test matches now over here!] is vast – its the complete opposite [to what a quality Test match wicket should be.]

PakPassion.net: Why are the pitches so wet? Is it because of the quality of the covers?

Bazid Khan:The pitches are basically underprepared. I think the groundsmen are either told to leave grass on the pitches and make them more result oriented. Or, there is a four day game and then there are two days off and there is not enough time to prepare a proper wicket. Also the ball that we play with is hardly of International standard – not the type with which International cricket is played with.

PakPassion.net: This committee is being set up to look into improving domestic one-day cricket. You have been playing domestic cricket for a long time. What changes do you think need to be made to improve domestic cricket? 

Bazid Khan:The more the games are televised, then everything comes on the television and everything gets exposed. The umpiring standards, pitches and balls – everything is out in the open. When cricket is not televised, most of the [problem] things are swept under the carpet.

If a lot or large chunk of domestic cricket was televised, you would get a lot more people watching it and the other thing is that all the problems would come to the surface.

PakPassion.net: A lot of people have said that departmental teams and regional teams should be separated. You play for a departmental team, what are your thoughts on that idea?

Bazid Khan:The thought behind that process is that like in England you have counties that are made of smaller towns – regional – so a side from Bolton is something people can identify with. Our cricket doesn’t have that type of thing. We don’t have what you refer to as “Mohalla” which allows people to identify with a player and then you see him grow and play for your city – then people can come and watch and things will improve. Right now, if you are a good player and you play for a region or a department, no one can identify with him. The basic problem comes from lower than the region or departmental level – the basic problem comes from the fact that if you are living in a certain area, you should play for that area - you should have a team from that area! That’s how it [cricket] can really grow.

PakPassion.net: KRL is a very well known team and has produced the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Wasim, and Yasir Arafat who have gone on to play international cricket. But KRL has been struggling in recent times and were also relegated a couple of seasons ago from Division 1. What seems to be the problem at KRL and what needs to be improved?

Bazid Khan:We did well last year and were a bit unlucky not to get promoted, but this year there has been a management change and they have turned it upside down. Wasim has not been captain. And also the team hasn’t gelled as I think, there is a bit of a distance between senior players and the management. They have made Zulfiqar Jan the captain who is a very good lad but I think, we’ve struggled to gel the team together.

PakPassion.net: We have seen a lot of good performances by the batsmen and bowlers in division 2 cricket this year. Rahat Ali, a bowler for KRL, has done very well. Tell us more about Rahat and any other young cricketers that have impressed you this year.

Bazid Khan:Rahat Ali has bowled really well and he has come on really well after last year. He could be a find as he has bowled with good pace and skill on very flat tracks and he has produced wicket taking deliveries. He still needs a year or two but he is an exciting prospect.

As far as batsmen are concerned, none spring to mind – maybe because I am a batsman myself! Usman Salahuddin is pretty decent but still needs to work a bit. He’s done well in the past two years. A batsman who I rate – again he is from KRL – Ali Khan. He is a very talented all-rounder. He didn’t do too well this year but I have never seen someone hit sixes with such ease.

PakPassion.net: Bazid, you had a good season for KRL, even though KRL haven’t done so well. Did you make any changes to your game this year?

Bazid Khan:Its been a good season. Even the last couple of seasons have been good. I've just been working on my game – maybe a little more mature this year. Also working hard on my technique. Basically, the pressure of seeing main players from my team not doing that well might have helped me too.

PakPassion.net: A lot of cricketers in Pakistan are not well educated and don't have many plans after their playing days are over. You are lucky enough to be well educated and can speak English fluently. Do you have any plans of a career after cricket or do you plan on doing something within cricket? 

Bazid Khan:I really haven't thought about it but I think once I stop playing, at least for a few years, I would like to take a break and get away from all this. After that, I may look to get involved into commentary or coaching or anything like that.

PakPassion.net: Misbah-ul-Haq has proven that age is no barrier when it comes to making a comeback to International cricket. Do you still have hopes of one day being back in the International side for Pakistan?

Bazid Khan:Obviously, without that hope I don’t think I would have carried on! Still I hope that I will be selected and get a chance and that keeps you going. I am still hopeful that maybe, in the next couple of seasons the selectors see something in me and call me up for selection!

PakPassion.net: Many thanks for your time

Bazid Khan:Thank you.

Discuss!