Today, Dubai has become symbolic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings and Abu Dhabi’s major attractions are the Sheikh Zayed Mosque – which is the most important architectural landmarks, and the Ferrari World, a Ferrari themed amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

With UAE celebrating its 41^st National Day on Sunday, December 02, 2012, Dawn.com gives you a glance of the country, its buildings and attractions.

With a relatively vulnerable batting line, the onus will once again be on the bowlers to give their respective teams an edge. -Photo by AFP

 Match: 3rdODI Pakistan vs Australia (3 match Series is tied at 1-1)

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Date & Time: Monday, 3rd September 2012, 19:00 PST / 14:00 GMT

Overall Rivalry: Dominance; Australia 53 wins Pakistan 31 wins

Momentum in the last five encounters: Edge; Australia-3 Pakistan-2

Weather Report: Desert heat. Low of 30 Celsius but high humidity is a major cause of dehydration and cramps. Partial cloud covers but no chances of rain.

The 22-yard Report: The spinners will continue to get support while the Australian fast bowlers have already found success twice at the same venue in the previous week. The wicket should have a bit for everyone. Michael Clarke admitted to have made a mistake in Abu Dhabi for batting first but the captain winning the toss on Monday might follow suit.

Game On: The three match series is levelled at one apiece and set up perfectly to give an enthralling final contest. Now it will be the test of nerves. In recent times, Pakistan has found itself in good positions on multiple occasions only to throw it away. On the contrary, Australia has thrived under pressure, regularly snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Confidence and self-belief can do wonders in crunch situations and big games; come Monday it is exactly what everything might well boil down to.

There is a stark difference in the bowling attacks of the two teams; while the Aussies bank on pace, Pakistan almost completely relies on spin. On paper though both teams are evenly matched in strength and there is nothing to choose from. With a relatively vulnerable batting line the onus will once again be on the bowlers to give their respective teams an edge.

THe 38-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq is not getting any younger thus the question of him ending his career is not a matter of ‘why’ but ‘when’. Will he call it a day himself like Andrew Strauss did last week or will he be forced to hang his boots like most of his predecessors? These are questions that Misbah can best find answers for from within himself or his bat. If he fails to deliver, once again Pakistan may find itself searching for a new captain, sooner than later.

New coach Dav Whatmore might already have some influence on key matters while he will look to kick start his stint with the Pakistani team with a rare series win against the country he once represented as a player.

Carrying a self-destruct button, far too often Pakistan has been its own biggest enemy. Their body language can be an immediate indicator of what is going to follow next. The same team can look completely out of sorts on one day and turn up with all guns blazing the next – the first two matches of the series are cases in point. It is the sort of unpredictability that gives Pakistan the X-factor but it is also what it is infamous for.

While the Aussies are more methodical and rational with their cricket, one knows what to expect from them in a decider like this. Be sure for them to fight hard, hold their catches and save every possible run in the field. However, the impetus of the contest will largely depend on which Pakistani team shows up; the one full of hungry tigers or that which so often falls like ninepins.

Game Changer: On Friday, Nasir Jamshed was given out leg before in the third over of the innings when he was batting on 4. The UDRS came into play and the replay showed the ball pitching outside leg, case closed. He went on to score a brisk match winning 97 on a day that could have ended a lot earlier for him. What would have happened as a consequence of Pakistan losing an early wicket chasing a target of 249 will never be known, courtesy of the available technology.

Pre-Game Talk: “Whenever I’ve heard of being a trump card for the team, I aim to perform even better. The expectation puts a bit of pressure but this motivates me to do better. I know batsmen fear facing me and it makes me happy,” Saeed Ajmal realises his role and impact before a big game.

“I’ve got three starts now and haven’t been able to go on, so it’s an area I need to continue to work on, and our top order needs to do so,” Michael Clarke identifies the importance of converting starts into big runs.

Last XI Fielded Australians: 1 Matthew Wade (wk), 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 George Bailey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 James Pattinson

Last XI Fielded Pakistanis: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Abdul Rehman, 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid Khan

Possible Changes: Australia might go in with at least one forced change as Mitchell Starc pulled a side/chest strain at the game in Abu Dhabi. Alister McDermott is expected to fill in that spot and try to fit into the big shoes of his father, the former Australian fast bowler Craig McDermott. The openers have posed a bit of a problem at the top but with the Australian reluctance to chop and change too often, they might get another hit. If fitness permits Shahid Khan Afridi will be expected to slide back into his spot replacing Abdul Rehman as a specialist spinner. Lack of form could also see Sohail Tanvir lose his place to rookie Anwar Ali, giving all four Pakistani fast bowlers a go on tour.

Trivia Quiz: How many ODI captains has Pakistan had after the retirement of Imran Khan in 1992? (Answer will be published in the 1st Pakistan vs Australia T-20 match preview)

Answer to previous quiz: Moin Khan and Wasim Akram are the two Pakistani cricketers to have scored more ODI runs than Misbah-ul-Haq without scoring a century.

Final Words: Pakistan goes into this game wanting to change the tide against the former world number one team, marking the end of an era. On the other hand, the Aussies will look to stamp their authority to signal the world that their decline is temporary and they still hold the mantle of the team to beat. Both teams have more than the Cool & Cool cup to play for; the basic human desires of pride and glory.

The writer grew up in a home with sports as its religion and “The Cricketer” subscription of black and white pages as holy script. He resides in Istanbul and can be reached here.

Shoaib Malik may get a nod over a fast bowler, although it would take a very brave captain to go into a crucial encounter with only one seamer. -Photo by AFP

Match: 2nd ODI Pakistan vs Australia (Australia Lead the 3 match Series 1-0)

Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Date & Time: Friday Aug 31st 2012, 19:00 PST / 14:00 GMT

Overall Rivalry: Dominance; Australia 53 wins Pakistan 30 wins

Momentum in the last 5 encounters: Carnage; Australia-4 Pakistan-1

Weather Report: Sulking hot with a warm breeze. Partly cloudy but no chances of rain. Low of 30 Celsius with a high of 41 Celsius. Winds at 15 to 25 km/h. Plenty of water intake is advised.

The 22-yard report: The pitch is expected to support spin and the ball might not hurry onto the bat. The captain winning the toss will most likely bat first. Only 8 out of 19 chases have been successful at this ground. However, it is the first time both innings will be played under lights which should reduce the disparity in conditions between the two innings.

Game On: Old folklore narrates that Pakistan is blessed while playing matches on Friday in UAE. This story finds its root in Sharjah where in the 90’s Pakistan triumphed over arch rival India in numerous finals held on Friday. The religious reverence of Friday gave the story extra mileage for the Arab residents who poured in big numbers to the ground on their weekend; Friday in the region is the true equivalent of a Sunday in the west.

A more logical explanation of the depicted Friday wins could be the quality of the Pakistani team in the 90’s, a lot has changed since then. Pakistan went into this series with back to back series losses to England (0-4) and Sri Lanka (3-1) in familiar conditions and now finds itself 0-1 down in the current series. Some respite was provided by the lucky Asia Cup win against Bangladesh in the final.  To further Pakistan’s worry, it has been over a decade since they won a series against the Aussies.

Australia itself has not had a very good run recently, conceding its number one ranking last month that it held for a staggering 117 weeks out of a total of 128 since the rankings started in 2002. It has also quickly slipped down to number 4 after losing 4-0 to England.

Australia will look to polish of Pakistan and seal the series in Abu Dhabi so it can crawl its way up the ranking and also get to test its bench strength in the last game in Sharjah. The Australian bowling looks decent when matched against a frail Pakistani batting line. Man of the match in the first game, Mitchel Starc, got his first five-wicket haul and will look to carry forward his momentum on Friday.

The Aussie batsmen need to buckle up when facing the potent Pakistani spin trio. Two Michaels, the Captain and Mr. Cricket hold the fort in the middle-order, being the only ones with an average of over 40 or substantial experience. However, their inexperienced lower order showed maturity to steady ship. Their openers are not very consistent but the two lefties are positioned there to get them off to a flyer. The nemesis for left-hand batsmen and number one ODI bowler in the world, Mohammed Hafeez, will have other ideas if given the new ball again, which is very likely. Also, how they face the Saeed Ajmal threat and read his doosra will hold the key to their batting performance.

Pakistani batsmen on the other hand need to making themselves counted after their lacklustre performance on Tuesday. Four of their batsmen got starts and two of them half centuries. Yet they managed to accumulate only 198 runs and failed to bat 50 overs. The Pakistani batting collapse seems to have become customary and it comes as a surprise when it goes missing in the scorebook.

Batsmen number 3 to 6, who form the heart of the Pakistani batting line, have scored 46 half centuries amongst them with only a solitary hundred. Leading the appalling statistic is captain Misbah-ul-Haq, scoring 20 fifties, but is yet to achieve three figures. This inability of conversion is the primary reason of Pakistan not achieving big totals or even respectable ones in most outings.

Game Changer: On Tuesday, Australia needed 34 runs of 36 balls with 5 wickets in hand and Pakistan had to throw its last card. The captain threw the cherry to Sohail Tanvir who conceded 14 runs and the game was all but over. Ajmal with two allotted overs remaining picked up a wicket with the third ball of the next over but it had come one over too late.

Pre-Game Talk: “We were sure about the target today but we lost the way. We committed mistakes, mistakes we have been repeating in the last two or three series but we can’t win matches if we continue to do that.” Misbah knows where the mistakes lie but can he rectify them?

“We knew he was going to be a key bowler and I think that’s one of the real focuses we’ll have going in to Abu Dhabi is how we play him, and try to milk him a little bit better and try not to give him his wickets.” George Bailey is weary of the Ajmal effect.

Australia, last XI fielded: 1 Matthew Wade (wk), 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 George Bailey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 James Pattinson

Pakistan, last XI fielded: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema

Possible Changes: Australia might go in without shuffling to keep their winning combination intact. However, the sticky turning wickets of UAE may make them consider left-arm orthodox spinner Xavier Doherty in place of one of their faster men. Pakistan has taken 16 players for a three-match series from which young pacers Anwar Ali or Junaid Khan could get the nod. Shoaib Malik may be considered as a replacement for a fast bowler, adding one more spin option and strengthening the batting line up. Pakistani fast bowlers rarely bowl their allotted quota in UAE but going in with just one fast bowler is unlikely; it will take a brave captain to do otherwise.

Trivia Quiz: Who are the two Pakistani cricketers to have more career runs than Misbah-ul-Haq without scoring a century? Hint: They have both captained Pakistan (Answer will be published in the 3rd ODI preview)

Final Words: Pakistan finds itself in a very familiar do or die situation and needs an inspirational performance from within its own ranks. Australia will go in as favorites but Pakistan performs best with its back to the wall and will need all the Friday blessings to level the series. A good crowd is expected to come in and support the hosts.

The writer grew up in a home with sports as its religion and “The Cricketer” subscription of black and white pages as holy script. He resides in Istanbul and can be reached here.

Mian Zahid Hussain pointed out that despite massive facilities to the investors export from EPZ is not even five per cent of the country’s exports which is a point of concern, and effective measures be taken to match the export performance of EPZ with the facilities and exemptions given to investors. - File photo

KARACHI: Investors from UAE have started shifting their business to Export Processing Zones in Pakistan due to higher cost of doing business in Dubai and Sharjah’s free zones.

Chairman, Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), Tariq Hasan said a number of Pakistani investors, who had set up units at Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai and Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah, have either planned to return to their own country due to ever-increasing cost of land and other expenses or have shifted to Export Processing Zone Karachi.

He said around four to five Pakistani investors based in two above zones have recently set up their units in Export Processing Zone Karachi in sectors, like water and food.

He added that two more local investors based in UAE zones have purchased plots at Karachi’s EPZ.

He said the EPZA from its own resources is planning to hold road-shows in UAE to lure more local investors.

The Export Processing Zone of Karachi has 130-140 operational units; out of total 200 units while 70-80 units are closed.

He said that EPZ earned $575 million in 2011 through export earning which he considered not satisfactory and vowed to fetch more in future.

Addressing members of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) on Wednesday, he said that EPZ Karachi perhaps is the cheapest free zone in the world as it costs only Rs350 per day to the investor.

He informed investors in UAE have intimated him that free zones in UAE are about 45 per cent costlier than
EPZ Karachi and they intend to return to their own country.

According to KATI press release, Tariq said that import of machinery to EPZ has become zero-rated and now investors can import machinery without any customs duties.

He further informed that EPZA is also trying to get relaxation of business ratio at 50-50 to the tariff and non-tariff areas to attract more investment to the zones.

He said that the EPZ is providing one-window facility to investors, including all utilities, infrastructure and security. He told the KATI members that Mehran Highway is now being constructed and would be completed in March this year. He agreed to the proposal by the former Chairman KATI, Mian Zahid Hussain, that representatives from private sector should be taken on board in advisory committee of EPZA.

He said that EPZ charges only 1.5 per cent tax while import is totally free, but unfortunately very few people know about EPZ in Pakistan due to sheer negligence by commercial counselors.

Mian Zahid Hussain pointed out that despite massive facilities to the investors export from EPZ is not even five per cent of the country’s exports which is a point of concern, and effective measures be taken to match the export performance of EPZ with the facilities and exemptions given to investors.

"I knew how to tackle them, where to bowl, what to bowl." -File Photo

From his street cricket days to being world champions, Wasim Akram talks about his career, his favourite deliveries, intimidating batsmen and much more in an exclusive interview with Dawn.com.

Let us start from the beginning. Did tape-ball cricket have a part to play in your early days in the game?

I played a lot of tape-ball cricket, in addition to the plain tennis ball. I remember six-a-side (competitions) had just started in Lahore, in around 1983, when I was living with my grandmother in androon (inner) Lahore. At 15, I was a tape-ball ‘professional’ and would take ten rupees per game to win matches for different teams.

It was only after 1983 that I started playing with a cricket ball. Before that, everywhere I played, sarkoun pay, chhatoun pay ya school mein (be it on the roads, roof-tops or in school), it was with the tennis ball. In Ramazan, of course, we used to have a tournament every night.

Do you think tape-ball cricket is a stepping stone for budding fast bowlers?

I think the idea is really to just play cricket at that age, get your muscles going and get used to fast bowling. Once you hit the age of 14, you can make the transition to a cricket ball.

When I started bowling with a cricket ball, I was quite nippy, because I was already used to exerting more energy with the tape ball. So by the time I made the switch, I had already strengthened my shoulders.

A common theory doing the rounds is that since tape-ball cricket is very common in Pakistan, we produce a lot of fast bowlers. While in India, young cricketers play with the heavier MRF ball, which means not many young Indian fast bowlers are produced. Do you agree?

It is a good observation and could be one of the reasons, but I think the biggest factor is the difference in psyche. Fast bowlers, in India, arrive on the scene very quickly but they soon disappear (in a year or two), instead of going on to become quicker.

Look at the examples of Irfan Pathan, RP Singh, Munaf Patel and so many others. They have now found another (fast bowler) in Umesh Yadav, let’s hope he can keep on going instead of fading away like the rest. They often lack the hunger and drive that is required to improve after hitting the big stage.

Growing up as a tape-ball fast bowler and then switching to hard ball – do you think there are any technical drawbacks involved?

No. You don’t make the switch suddenly. I went to a proper cricket net for the first time in my life in 1983, on the recommendation of a neighborhood friend, Khalid Mahmood (also a first-class cricketer) after he saw my tape-ball bowling on the streets. I was a tenth-grader at the time so didn’t really pay any attention to his advice. He wouldn’t have any of it and took me along to Ludhiana Gymkhana on his bike. That is when I slowly switched from tape-ball cricket to the real game.

You got your maiden five-wicket haul in your debut first-class match against New Zealand. Was it then that you realized you had made it?

No I didn’t. I thought while playing that game that if I don’t get any wickets I will be gone. I don’t know how I got those seven wickets.

After that match, I was lucky to be looked after by good mentors. Javed Miandad was my captain and he played a major role in grooming me, as well as Mudassar Nazar. And then, I met Imran Khan on the Australian tour (for the mini-World Cup).

So when did the feeling actually sink in?

When I took ten (wickets) in my second Test I realised, actually I was told by Javed bhai “you can play long for Pakistan.” Mudassar Nazar explained that I must work hard. “Tareeka bhi tou hota hai na mehnat karnay ka, paaglon ki tarah thori bhaagay jaatay hain (hard work must be done in a smart manner; you can’t just jump into it). I was lucky to be surrounded by these people at the beginning of my career.

Story goes that you were actually not going attend the open-net camp after not getting a turn in the nets…tell us a bit about that.

Yes. After not getting a chance, I complained to my coach Sabih Khan and fast bowler Saud Khan and told them I wasn’t going to attend the camp. They convinced me to give it a try and told me they would try to make sure I get my chance. So on the fifth day, I got a turn with an old ball late in the day. I looked good. Agha Saadat (former Test cricketer), who was the camp commandant, tossed a new ball to me and I have never looked back since that day.

You had a small bustling run-up, not common with fast bowlers at the time. How did you come up with that?

If I recall correctly, it was during the 1987 tour of England that I shortened my run-up after Imran told me to give it a go. “You will be able to play longer,” he said. But I was worried about my pace.

So Imran bhai took me along and measured out a run up. I ran in (from his mark) and bowled at the same pace.

Afterwards, he told me: “If you can bowl at the same speed with a shorter run-up, why run such a long distance?” And he was, obviously, right.

Did Malcolm Marshall also influence you?

Marshall shortened his run-up later in his career. I would talk to him and kept picking his brains whenever I could. I always thought (and still do) that Marshall was the most complete fast bowler cricket had ever seen.

Since we played against and with each other a lot, I would pester him with questions all the time and he always listened to me.

And then there was Imran. All the technicalities related to fast bowling, the mental grooming, reading batsmen’s mind, everything – I learned from him.

So Imran Khan was to you what Terry Jenner was to Warne?

Definitely. Especially when it came to fast bowling. Generally I had two mentors, him and Miandad.

Imran always stood at mid-on, whispering in your ear. Tell us about that and if you can recall specific instances following or not following his advice.

I always followed his advice because I needed somebody to guide me, give me confidence for the ball I was about to bowl…aur Imran say behtar to koi bowler tha hi nahi confidence bharanay kai liyay (and there was no better bowler than Imran when you needed a confidence boost).

With the new ball, we usually talked about bringing the ball in and with the old ball, he told me to change it up. Bring it in sometimes, then take it out, bowl a bouncer, and so on…

Did you ever think or do it any different than what Imran told you?

No.  Never…because he was Imran Khan. By ’89, having played a few (English) county seasons, I had polished my game and knew what I was doing.

It was the same with Waqar. We usually stood at mid-off or mid-on when the other was bowling. We were constantly talking to each other and we also had several arguments but we still talked. What to do, what not to do…

It is very important for young and experienced fast bowlers to talk. You only have to look at the Indian bowlers (in Australia) to realise it. They get hit around, they are lost, but nobody talks to them. At least I had people telling me what fields to set.

The idea is to distract the batsman: Akram. -File photo by AFP

Your action underwent a lot of modifications through the years. Who did you work with for that?

Mostly I just worked it out myself. Going around the wicket, going over, sometimes front-arm over, sometimes open-chested. The idea is to distract the batsman.

Several left-arm fast bowlers, like Chaminda Vaas and Zaheer Khan emulate your action while bowling the yorker, by going more round-arm before the action starts…

Yes the hand goes up and it’s a much higher release. The trajectory is better when the ball drops sharply to the base of the stumps.

How did you come up with that? Did you pick it from someone else?

I was inspired by the great West Indian fast bowler Joel Garner’s action. I gained confidence knowing I was emulating his action and eventually perfected the Yorker.

Unfortunately, I had to abandon that action later on as the cleverer batsmen were able to figure it out. Then, I started bowling bouncers with that change-up.

How often did you bowl the slower ball?

I learnt the slower ball in the post-1992 period after I saw Franklin Stevenson of the West Indies in the county circuit. I would practice in the nets, hit people on the head, have the ball fly over the nets. I got it right after a lot of practice.

Up until ’92, it was all about pace. After the World Cup, however, I realised that variations were necessary in the one-day game. In county cricket, we would play up to three limited-over competitions at a time, which was vital to giving me match practice with it (slower ball). It became really useful and I picked up a few wickets with it in the county tournaments.

You said you practiced with your slower bouncer towards the end of your county stint at Hampshire. Was no one else bowling it at that time?

Yes, it wasn’t being bowled back then. It was really at the end of my career that I started experimenting. I liked trying new things and I was the first person to use the left-arm around-the-wicket angle consistently as a wicket-taking ploy.

How important is the left arm angle?

Very important, since it is a difficult angle for batsmen. When a left-armer comes around the wicket to a right-hand batsman, he (the batsman) is fooled into thinking that the ball is going to tail-in. So he is bound to play at it. If it holds its line or even moves away, there will be a definite edge.

Later on, for some reason, the mindset of umpires changed a bit and leg-before decisions were not given from that angle. Earlier, I would even get lbw decisions in my favour with fuller-length deliveries.

When did you consider yourself at the top of your game?

After the 1989 Australian series until the end of my career, I always felt in control. The county experience had really worked its magic and even my batting had improved by that time. I felt I could compete.

Did you feel that no one could really stand up to you?

Yes. I felt like I could get any batsman. I told myself: daroon ga nahi kisi say, na darta tha (I won’t get intimidated by anyone, and I never did).

So was there no one you feared as a bowler?

I have had battles with several greats – like Sir Viv Richards, Martin Crowe, Allan Border, Mark Taylor – where at times they have won and sometimes I have won, but I was never intimidated by anyone. I have intimidated others, never got intimidated myself. I knew how to tackle them, where to bowl, what to bowl. By 1990, I knew how to get on top of a batsman.

Do you remember any particular ‘intimidating’ spell?

There are many, but where it started was in 1989-90 during the Australian tour and Melbourne, specifically. I picked up 11 wickets. Wickets with the new ball, then with the old ball, reverse swinging it both in and out… even bowling batsmen off low, swinging full-tosses.

You have said that you considered Sir Viv to be the greatest batsman you have bowled to. What was it like to face him as a bowler?

Viv was a different breed. It wasn’t just his batting, it was his aura. Over six feet tall; itnay itnay (these huge) muscles; no sign of any protection; forget arm or chest guards, not even a helmet. So that whole aura was intimidating for a young skinny bowler that I was back then.

However, I still got his wickets a few times. That, I should admit, was also because his greatest days were behind him. I am glad I faced him then and not earlier.

How do you rate him among the modern greats?

While his record is not the same (in terms of numbers), he was the most devastating batsman I have bowled to. It is hard to rate him and compare him with some of the batsmen who came after him. Still, I watched and admired him a lot. When I was growing up, there was only name and that was Vivian Richards.

Playing against the best always gave me inspiration. I would tell myself to prove a point against the big names. If (Ian) Botham was playing, I’d tell myself I must bring him down.

How would you rate Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Inzamam-ul-Haq or Rahul Dravid?

It is very difficult. All of these guys have such amazing records that it’s difficult to pick one out.

And who was the hardest to bowl at?

I got Ponting out on several occasions, without getting hit around much. As for Tendulkar, I didn’t play a Test against him for ten years at the peak of my career, I have also dismissed Lara but I think he was the most difficult. He seemed very unusual to a bowler’s eye, with the bat coming down from up high at an awkward angle. He would also jump here and there, so it made him a very different and difficult batsman to bowl to.

So no batsman worried or intimidated you ever?

If I had to pick someone it would have to be (Adam) Gilchrist in one-day internationals (ODIs).

But you do have some amazing dismissals against him (Gilchrist).

Yes, but he has hit me quite a bit as well, man. Gilchrist wasn’t an Afridi-type pinch-hitter. He was a proper batsman, who could hit you anytime, anywhere. Afridi sahib ka kya pata? 100 main say aik match main chalna hai baaqi ka pata nahi… (With Afridi, who knows? He’ll score in one match out of a hundred. The rest, you don’t know…)

You have also bowled to Virender Sehwag. Was he comparable?

I have bowled very little to Sehwag and no, I didn’t feel the same way. In 1998-99 he came down to bat at number five or six during the Pepsi Cup in India, when Shoaib Akhtar and Abdul Razzaq got his wicket. The only other time (we faced each other) was the 2003 World Cup, where he got off to a great start thanks to our ‘premium’ fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

Pace is everything for a fast bowler, but there comes a time when you start losing it. When did it happen to you and what were your feelings at the time? Was there a sense of denial?

No denial for me. After 1997, I realised that I had lost a bit of pace. I was always nippy, but I had mastered the art of swing by then. See, there is no room for denial. One should know and admit it. There is a lot more to fast bowling than just pace.

Tell us how you and Waqar defended that 125-run total against New Zealand in 1992-93?

It was a long time ago, but we had decided that gaind haath say chorna nahi ha (we weren’t going to let go of the ball) because if we did, the match was gone.

Did you guys have a spat during that series?

No. Javed was captain and Waqar was new to the team. Javed bhai gave us the ball and said, “Whatever you can do will have to be with the new ball.”

We wouldn’t even tire of bowling at that time and it started to reverse a bit at the end, which gave us hope because New Zealand had never really learnt to tackle reverse swing. Apart from Martin Crowe, none of their batsmen had a clue about it.

While your ODI and Test records are equally special, as a viewer it seems like you enjoyed bowling with the white ball more than the red one. Is it true?

Yes, early on I did. They changed the rules later. The two new balls disappeared and bouncers were banned, which made it really difficult with one white ball. Despite this, I really enjoyed bowling during the death overs more than any thing else.

As much fun as it was, Test cricket was the ultimate challenge. In ODIs, you knew you will get wickets when the batsmen tried to hit you out at the end. Mazaa tau Test cricket ka hee hai na phir (Test cricket is the real fun, after all).

Does that mean you’re in favour of having two new balls back in the ODIs?

Yes. If you look at the game today, everything is in the batsman’s favour. On sub-continental tracks in particular, the ball deteriorates quickly and you lose sight of it after the twelfth over! I am glad the International Cricket Council (ICC) had the brains to make the changes.

Two deliveries: One, to Dravid in Chennai, where you take the top of off after a loud lbw shout was turned down; the other to Robert Croft in England, where it defies physics and hits him in front only to be turned down. Both have created quite a furore on YouTube amongst your fans. Can you tell us a bit about them?

I remember them both reverse swinging. With Croft, I went around the wicket and bowled with a lot of energy. I bowled really fast on the Oval pitch. This was in 1996. Someone gave me a picture of Alec Stewart ducking my delivery, with both his feet airborne and over the wickets, as he is sways out of the way.

With Dravid, I brought two balls into him earlier. In this day and age, he would have been given out but not then. Before it happened, I had worked on bringing it in and then I said: ab main iski laat say bahar nikaalta hoon (I will bring it out from his leg) and that is what I did. It happened exactly how I had visualised it: where I would pitch the ball and what result it would produce.

So you had complete control over those miraculous deliveries?

Definitely. Tukkay main aisee ball nahi ho sakti (you can’t fluke such deliveries). You can bowl a bouncer and get a top edge or the batsman gifts you a wicket off a fluke delivery, but you can’t get wickets.

Wasim Akram with Shoaib Akhtar and Inzamam-ul-Haq. -File Photo

Talk to us about the 1999 World Cup loss. Must be a low point in your career?

Very, very low. Forget the fact that we lost the final, the way we lost that match and the performance we gave…spineless!

How much did that hurt compared to 1996?

The feeling was very different. In 1996, it was more about the attitude of the players. We had players like Aamir Sohail. I was injured. They knew I was injured and couldn’t play the quarterfinal. Even before the match started, they (players) had started saying things like “we are going to lose the match.”  Had we won, they knew it would make me a successful captain.

You see, these cricketers have spent their entire careers trying to bring me down instead of focussing on their game, which is why they were not able to perform well – they have always been distracted.

Back to 1999 then, tell us about the mood in the dressing room before the final. What was going through your mind?

We were very confident. We had performed well throughout the tournament, with an excellent bowling attack in Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Azhar Mahmood, Abdul Razzaq and me. We were batting down until number nine.

In hindsight, do you think batting first was right decision?

I have always thought it was the right decision. We had been batting first on seaming tracks throughout the tournament and it had been working for us.

We saw a lot of highs during your captaincy, but one thing that also came to the fore was the chasing problem. Why?

I think it was a psychological issue more than anything else. Pakistan, on most occasions, still falter while chasing totals. A sense of fear creeps in and they are confused about the approach instead of just trying to get there sensibly with strike-rotation.

Looking at the team we had in those days, this approach doesn’t seem to suit them. We had aggressive cricketers like you, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, even Moin Khan. Why, then, were you guys so defensive in chasing?

It was always in the head. The fear of losing takes its toll. You start thinking of things like, how will people react if we lose? We did try to get rid of this mental stigma. In the end, it depends on the batsmen and how good they are as players, and most importantly, their mental strength.

It is said that Inzamam always shielded himself by batting at number five. Do you agree?

Of course. If Inzi had come at one or two down, he would have been a different player. He would have had over 10,000 Test runs to his name. Unfortunately, he was always on the back foot, because he didn’t believe in himself, which was his biggest problem.

The first five dismissals that come to your mind?

[Long pause] I will have to think about them.

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. -File Photo by AFP

What was it like to play under Waqar’s captaincy? What did you think of him as a bowler and as a captain?

As a bowler, he was great. A great sight to watch, he was one of the greatest bowlers of all time. I don’t think I saw or will see a bowler like him ever again.

As a captain, though, he had no brains, no strategy and was always on the back foot.

And, as a coach?

I think Waqar did well for Pakistan. However, he and others (in Pakistan) should realise that once you have stopped playing, that is it for you. It is the players who will remain in the limelight, not the coach. In our part of the world, coaches want the power first and then the job. Why do you need all the power? You are supposed to back the players and the captain, that’s it! Decision-making is the captain’s job and he has the final say.

I coach Kolkata Knight Riders and all I want is for the guys to listen to my advice and show up at the nets on time. Just make a strategy and give it to them and then it is up to them. Stay away from the limelight, like Gary Kirsten did. If anybody wants to know how a coach should behave, they should look at Kirsten’s model and how he remained in the shadow.

For the generation that grew up in the nineties, the sight of you running in at Sharjah is imprinted in memory. How do you rate Sharjah, and what are your other favourite venues?

Sharjah was fun. I loved playing there because of the crowd (half-Indian, half-Pakistani), the noise levels, and the attention we received. The facilities were nice too, but the tension and the pleasure of getting a wicket in that tension was what made that place so special.

If I had to pick a ground it will have to be Melbourne, because of the pace and bounce. Also because I got a lot of wickets every time I bowled there. In Pakistan, I would pick Karachi and bowling in the evenings, with the sea breeze coming in. It used to swing up to three feet sometimes.

If you could change your career with any other bowler, who would it be?

Malcolm Marshall.

You will exchange it, just like that…

Haaaan! Araam say. (Yes! Just like that).

Not Imran Khan?

No. As a bowler Marshall, as a leader Imran Khan, of course.

When you played your last match in the 2003 World Cup, you were the tournament’s highest wicket-taker at the time. Do you think you could have gone on for longer?

Of course I could have played on. I would have liked to carry on in ODIs, at least. However, for some reason, PCB’s then chairman Tauqir Zia thought he knew more about cricket than me. After all, I have played 100 Tests and 400 ODIs, while he has played one club match, maybe. So it was more about ego than anything else.

When new chairmen take control of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), their egos go through the roof and they start thinking they are God. I am glad I retired because I didn’t even want to play under these guys. Waqar ka bhi kaafi satyanaas kia hai un sub nay (they went on to ruin Waqar’s career).

Since there are several fans, who still cling onto the hope of waking up to the news of a Wasim bhai comeback…we heard you bowled in the KKR nets recently and troubled the batsman?

Yes. Initially I got bored but then I bowled to all the batsmen. It was coming out fine and the batsmen were troubled. Swing ho rahi thi ball (It was still swinging).

Is a comeback on the cards, then?

No there is a time for everything and I have had my time. I am not like most cricketers in our part of the world, who have been holding on to the job of coach for the last 80 years and don’t give anyone else a chance. I am not taking any names but you know what I mean.

Your memory is unfortunately fading and you are allowed to have one ball, either the Alan Lamb one or the Chris Lewis one, remain intact. Which one will you pick?

The Alan Lamb one, definitely. It was an unplayable delivery which was planned for. I asked Imran what to do and he said do this. Neil Fairbrother, who I had played with at Lancashire, was at the crease and he told Lamb what I was going to do, i.e. go around the wicket. But Allan Lamb had no idea that someone could go around the wicket and bowl such a delivery…

The writer has been a player and junior coach in Auckland’s club cricket circuit, and has worked with the New Zealand Cricket Player’s Association. He is currently working as a freelance cricket journalist.

China and the Gulf Cooperation Council announced they were launching free trade talks in July 2004, and have since held five rounds of negotiations, according to China FTA Network. They have agreed on most issues concerning trade in goods, it said. - File photo

SHARJAH: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for the speedy conclusion of talks on a free trade pact with Gulf states, as he paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

`Both sides need to show political will to sign the agreement as soon as possible,` Wen told participants at a joint Chinese-Arab business conference in Sharjah, one of the UAE`s seven sheikhdoms.

`The negotiations have been going on for seven and a half years, while business communities on both sides would like to see` an agreement concluded, he said.

`The launch of a free trade area will bring benefits to both sides,` added the Chinese leader who is touring the Gulf amid fears that rising tensions over Iran`s nuclear programme will disrupt world oil supplies.

China and the Gulf Cooperation Council announced they were launching free trade talks in July 2004, and have since held five rounds of negotiations, according to China FTA Network. They have agreed on most issues concerning trade in goods, it said.

Bilateral trade between the GCC and China grew tenfold to $100 billion in the past decade, UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed AlNahayan said last year, adding the GCC aims to increase it by the same amount this decade.

On his first stop in Saudi Arabia, Wen presided over the signing of energy deals with China`s top oil provider. Deals were also inked on his second stop in the UAE. Wen`s trip comes as West ups the stakes in its standoff with Iran, threatening to impose sanctions on the oil exports of the Islamic republic, which provides 11pc of China`s oil imports.

Iran is the third largest provider of oil to China. Qatar and the UAE, although both major oil-producing states, do not yet figure among the top 10 oil exporters to the Asian economic giant.—AFP