`We fear Sourav the most' - Anwar

Saeed Anwar has said that reverse swing will be a big threat for the Indian batsmen on the forthcoming tour of Pakistan. He has also implied, and juicy controversy will surely follow this, that Sachin Tendulkar is a spent force, while saying that Sourav Ganguly is the biggest threat among the Indian batsman.

Anwar said that the Indian batsmen were most at threat not from the new ball, but from the reverse swing that Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami were capable of producing. Speaking to The Times of India, Anwar said that a late burst by those two bowlers could tear the heart out of the Indian batting. He had some tips for the batsmen on how to play them.

"Start with seeing what side the shine of the ball is. Then, right-handers should take middle-stump guard. That will help them [in] playing the ball on the leg side with its late inswing. Even otherwise, they should play it as if they are playing inswing. Then, try and see the ball early and play it late. For that, you need a good eye, which you can develop by training hard."

Anwar then shifted his attention to the batsmen themselves, implying that Tendulkar was past his best, while praising VVS Laxman and Ganguly. "Laxman was superb in Australia," said Anwar. "Sachin is great in the mind but 10-12 years of international cricket is [sic] catching up. Rahul Dravid has always played better than Sachin abroad. Sachin hasn't won much for India against us and we know that."

"Actually," Anwar revealed, "Sourav Ganguly is the best bet for the Indians. He has performed better than Sachin and Rahul against us. We fear him the most."

Anwar also revealed how highly he thought of the two sides when he said, "I think the first Test will be crucial as neither team has the character to bounce back. India squandered [the] advantage against Australia while Pakistan are light on experience."

Anwar continued: "It all depends on who absorbs pressure better. The recent contests have been one-sided both in Test[s] and one-dayers, except for the Chennai Test in 1998-99. I think this series should be no different."

Anwar then revealed what goes on in a Pakistan dressing room before a game against India. "They are quite tense and different," he said. "Everybody is told that any performance against India can make or break their careers. We saw what happened to Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed after they suffered at the hands of Ajay Jadeja during the 1996 World Cup quarter-final in Bangalore."

So what was the solution for this tension? "We just tell each other to play without worrying," said Anwar. "I know this is difficult, but then, that's the key."

Anwar ended on a note of warm advice for the Indians. "Indians should play with heart and not with brain," he suggested. "Cricket dil ka khel hai, deemag ro sir dird honay se kaam karna band kar deta hai. [Cricket is a game of the heart, the brain stops working when one gets a headache.]"