SHOAIB_INTERVIEW_ARSALAN_24OCT94

MOHHAMAD ARSALAN INTERVIEWS SHOAIB MOHAMMAD

For Shoaib Mohammad, Bad luck never seems to be runnning out. The 32 year old opener started 1993-94 season in the same old dismal fashion - prove yourself or you are OUT!. Why a batsman of Shoaib calibre has to prove himself over and over again is beyond one's comprehension. Many other cricketers with lesser talent and ability have enjoyed selector's faith for long periods but this is never the case with Shoaib.

Q. Were you inducted a bit too early in the national side?

SM. No, in fact, I think I made it into the national side a bit late. There were many people who believed that if I had not been a part of the Mohhamad family, I could have represented Pakistan a lot earlier. Actually I was very confident of gaining selection in the inaugural series against the Sri Lankans in 1981-82 when almost the whole side had rebelled against Javed Miandad's captaincy. But somehow the things didn't work out.

Q. Has your family connection helped you or has it hampered your progress?

SM. It has helped me a lot. I have always taken great pride in the fact that I belong to such an illustrious cricketing family. I was one of the few preveleged ones eho belonged to such a family. It is a great honor for me indeed and I take it as a big compliment.

Q. Are there any other potential stars coming up in the second generation of the Mohammad's?

SM. Mushtaq uncle's son Sohail can really make it big. He play's in England and has already represented the second eleven of Glamorganand Northamptonshire. He basically an opening batsman and a terrific fielder as well. He can represent Pakistan oneday.

Q. You have been around on the international scene for ten years now. How would you analyse your career?

SM. I have definitely not achieved all that I wanted to do. I always thought about playing a major role in Pakistan's cricket. Even now I want to score runs in tough conditions. But the thing is that I never got a proper chance till 1988. The 1987-88 West Indian rubber was the first time when I played three tests in a row. In 1984 i scored 90 odd runs against England and almost won that match for Pakistan. Yet my name was missing from the very next test which Pakistan played. And this thing has happened on many occasions. I scored good score in a Test and still the selectors chose to drop me. It's like being constantly on trial. Perform-or-move-over appears to be the selector's approach in my case. Very few people acknowledge the fact that I have got a Test average second only to Javed Miandad's.

Q. What are the reason's behind your lacklustre showing in the Wills Cup?

SM. I hadn't played much cricket before the Wills Cup, though I scored 80 odd runs against the world XI. I was very confident and was middling the ball. There were a couple of bad decisions and a run-ouy mix-up.

Q. Imran talks a lot about the low standards of our domestic cricket. How far you agree with his assessment?

SM. Imran has played a lot of English County Cricket and Sheffield Shield in Australia. He knows a lot more about cricket than anyone of us. With his experience and background if he believes in something, he cannot be entirely wrong.

Q. Is our system capable of producing batsman who can score consistently abroad?

SM. It is only a matter of application. The talent of Pakistan is acknowledged all over the world. The talent is there. Not playing county cricket does not necessary mean that we cannot score runs everywhere. After all, we are the world cup holders and that competition was held in Australia.

Q. How different are our wickets as compared with other countries?

SM. The only part of the world where wickets are different is Australia. Hard and bouncy. The English wickets were much difficult in the "uncovered" era. Now with the exception of Headingley , they are all placid batting tracks.

The Indian wickets are almost the same as we have in Pakistan. And now the West Indian wickets also appear to have lost its character. In 1987-88, there wickets were fast and now they have slowed down. Yet none of our batsmen availed the opportunity of scoring profusely on the 1992-93 trip.

Q. Intikhab Alam once commented that you tend to get bogged down by good bowlers. Your comments on his assessment?

SM. When people don't have any knowledge of the game and don't have much to talk about , they can make such statements. If he comes to me directly and further elaborates this comment, I can give him a suitable reply.

Q. How long do you see yourself active at the highest level of cricket?

SM. I have not given myself a fixed target.I will continue to play cricket for as long as I am good enough to play for Pakistan.

Q. What factors have contributed to your rather chequered career?

SM. I blame myself the most. Knowing the unpredictable nature of selection in our country, there were times when I failed to perform. I almost always knew when I was going to get the axe. There is a long list of players who did not score and yet kept getting the chances. But everytime I walk into bat it's a do-ordie situation for me.

Q. Tell us about your most memorable match?

SM. My first Test hundered. That moment is still in front of my eyes. The most memorable moment indeed. Moreover, I would always remember the Barbados Test of the 1987-88 series in the West Indies. I scored half-centuries in either inings. We were so close to winning and ultimately lost due to poor umpiring. The west Indians were able to level the series. If Pakistan had won that Test it would have provided a great boost to my career as well.

Q. How do you rate the different captains you have seen?

SM. I believe Mushtaq Mohammad was the best captain I have had the opportunity to play under. And ofcourse the combination of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad was to good to be true.

Q. And the batsmen and the bowlers you have played with?

SM. Melcolm Marshall stands out among the bowlers both in terms of speed and ability. Similarly Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar are my all time favourites among the batsmen. Among my contemporaries, I regard Martin Crowe, Robin Smiths and Sunjay Manjrekar as the leading willow -wielders.

Q. What has been the most enjoyable place to play cricket?

SM. I love the atmosphere of Indian grounds, The beaches of West Indies - I have never been to Grenada and I adore the harbour of Wellington.