Biryani, kheer, and kebabs. Pakistan all-rounder Agha Salman has been in love with these delicacies ever since he landed in India. The Pakistan team arrived in India after almost seven years and has been enjoying its stay in Hyderabad, with fans pouring in numbers, attempting to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars.
A couple of nights ago, the road leading to the famous Jewel of Nizam was thronged by fans when the word was out that the Pakistan team was at the Golkonda Hotel in Saifabad for dinner. Signing autographs and obliging selfies, Salman and his team members had a great time, all the while enjoying the local cuisine.
“I am yet to get over it, and the reception has been outstanding, and we are loving our stay in India. Khana to lajawaab hai aur logon ka pyaar bhi (The food is really tasty, and so is the love of the people)“ Salman told Sportstar in an exclusive interaction at a city hotel where the Pakistan team is staying.
Among the current Pakistani squad, only Mohammad Nawaz and Salman have previously toured India. While Nawaz was part of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 squad, Salman was a member of the Lahore Lions team that participated in the 2014 Champions League.
“When I came to India last time, I was literally a kid and was very curious to know about India and the feeling of being in the country, about how people will behave and overall the atmosphere. I still remember the love people showered on me and I felt I was playing in Pakistan. The culture is almost the same and so is the language. Now I am a bit more mature and understand things and I knew how well we will be treated as I have been here before. We are enjoying the hospitality and looking forward to playing good cricket in this World Cup,” the all-rounder, who made his ODI debut against the Netherlands at Rotterdam in 2022, said.
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It’s been close to a week since the Babar Azam-led side has been in town, and although the fanfare refuses to die down, Salman said the team’s focus will narrow down to cricket as the marquee event is all set to get underway.
Pakistan will open its campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and will then play against Sri Lanka on October 10 at the same venue. The team will then fly to Ahmedabad to take on India in what will be a blockbuster clash on October 14.
The Lahore-born 29-year-old said that the India clash is an important fixture, but they would settle for a loss against the arch-rival and rather win the World Cup. It is a message that has come straight from their captain, Babar.
“Babar has said that losing to India is not a problem and winning the World Cup is more important and we will take that. Because we are here not to win against India but to lift the World Cup. If we beat India and not win the World Cup, it will be a failure. The goal is to win the trophy. No opponent will be easy as it is the World Cup but we would love to beat England and India,” he said.
Salman further credited his captain for binding the team together and that they back each other irrespective of the result.
“Babar leads by example. He is the captain only on the ground. Outside, he is our friend and whether a player is junior or senior, he will spend time with them, have food and he treats people really well. He represents around 25 crore people and on the ground he backs all players. His leadership skills are really good but more than a captain, he is a friend.”
In a high-pressure tournament like the World Cup, team bonding exercises are a common practice and although the team missed one that was scheduled in Dubai due to a delay in visas, the all-rounder insisted that it hasn’t cause the team too much worry.
“We have spent so much time as a unit that we don’t need any bonding sessions. All of us are very good friends and back each other. World Cup is special as you play against the best players in the world against the best teams and if you have to beat the best, you have to be the best. The tournament gives us a chance to become national heroes and we want to make our nation proud. Our preparation is good and we are doing everything that is required to perform at this big stage,” he said.
Pakistan openers have been struggling to give their team a blazing start and have sometimes been over-dependent on Mohammad Rizwan and Babar. The responsibility of manning the middle-order lies on Salman’s shoulders, along with the likes of Iftikhar Ahmed, Nawaz, and Saud Shakeel.
With Babar and Rizwan keeping their bats fully charged, the middle-order has largely remained untested. However, Salman is confident in delivering the goods when it matters.
Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam, left, and Mohammad Rizwan run between the wickets during the ICC Cricket World Cup warmup match between New Zealand and Pakistan. | Photo Credit: Mahesh Kumar A./AP
“Our middle-order is young and has players like Saud and Iftikar and we have been performing well since last year. We have got the international exposure and our performance will be good,” he said.
Fast bowling has always remained the soul of the Pakistan cricket team. From the legendary Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and The Rawalpindi Express - Shoaib Akhtar - to the current crop of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, the bowlers have zipped through batting line-ups, startling batsmen with raw pace and swing.
Speaking about Pakistan’s pace bowlers, Salman said, “Pakistan is blessed to have produced such quality fast bowlers and it still keeps producing them. Even now we have some very good bowlers like Shaheen, Haris and unfortunately, Naseem Shah got injured and we will definitely miss him but his replacement Hasan Ali is a proven match winner and his performances in the past have been brilliant. Even Mohammad Wasim is a very good bowler and just because his last two matches didn’t go well doesn’t mean that he is a bad bowler. We have probably the best bowling attack in the tournament.”
The current attack, comprising Afridi, Hasan, Rauf and Wasim has largely struggled to make inroads on batting-friendly tracks. Salman, who was here in Hyderabad as part of the Lahore Lions squad had a fair idea about the kind of wickets that would be on offer and said that the pace department is working on variations to pick wickets.
“I was here in Hyderabad while playing for Lahore Lions and knew what kind of wicket we would get. I had an idea that the pitches in this venue would be flat and also the boundaries are small. The conditions are very much similar to that of Rawalpindi, especially the pitch. What I have observed while watching while India plays here or in the IPL, generally the pitches are flat,” he said.
“Chennai is a venue when there will be spin but other venues will be most flat and our bowlers have prepared accordingly. We keep working with our bowling coach on how to execute our plans in picking wickets in these tracks and the margin of error is very small and we have to bowl stump to stump and be positive in our approach. Another aspect is our bowlers will stick to their strengths. For example, for Shaheen the initial overs will swing wherever we play and he will try to maximise it early in the innings. Even Hasan gets some swing and we will stick to our strengths and keep learning new things. We will try to take the pace off the ball, use the bouncer but the pace will be our strength,” he said.
For the community at large, especially for the Indian and Pakistani diaspora, the excitement of watching the blue and green on a cricket field borders along the lines of nationalism. But according to Salman, who played against India in the recently concluded Asia Cup, players’ emotions don’t hit through the roof.
“The hype is created by the people but for us, it’s just another match. Even I was thinking about how it would be to play against India but when I played against them during the Asia Cup it was normal. From the outside there is this curiosity, talking about pressure, rivalry and other stuff but once the first ball is bowled the focus shifts to the match. From the outside perspective, it’s a very big match and people tend to elevate the match bigger than the World Cup but for us, it’s a match.”
The all-rounder who represents Pakistan in all three formats, further opined that players from both sides share a good relationship, with Virat Kohli and Babar setting an example.
India’s Virat Kohli (L) shakes hands with Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam before the start of the Asia Cup 2023 one-day international (ODI) cricket match between India and Pakistan. | Photo Credit: ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP
“The mutual respect between both the teams is great and we meet in a very friendly way. Yes, there is a healthy rivalry but off the field we are good friends and we share a good bond. The friendship is great and just look at how Babar and Kohli respect each other and it is wonderful. The same is true with other players.”
Although camaraderie is limited only on the field, Salman is looking forward to an opportunity to hang out with the Indian players.
“Earlier teams used to get the opportunity as they used to stay together, and order dinner in their hotel rooms. But now we stay in different hotels and that minimises the chances of meeting and having dinner. But if we get the opportunity it will be really nice and we will enjoy it,” he signed off before once again acknowledging the warmth and love India has showered on him and the Pakistan team.
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