da betway： With over 200 Test wickets, including 50 in his last tenTests,Saqlain Mushtaq can rightly claim to be among the most successful, as well as revolutionary, offspinners of the modern era -yet he continues to be ignored

da brwin： Interview by Osman Samiuddin05-Jun-2014

Saqlain bowling during his last Test appearance – againstBangladesh in September 2003
(c) AFP
It’s been a long time since you last played for Pakistan. Where haveyou been?
I haven’t been in the national team, but I have been playing for Surreyconsistently.Is it fair to say you had a tougher time this season, compared topast ones, at Surrey?
Actually, the wickets were shared around this season. We’ve hadseamer-friendly tracks and people like Azhar Mahmood, Martin Bicknelland Ian Salisbury have been taking a lot of wickets as well. Butoverall, I don’t think I did too badly.You are one of the few big names who have been playing in thePatron’s Trophy, for Pakistan International Airlines. How would you rateyour season so far?
It’s been OK. I’ve enjoyed playing here, although the facilities aren’tgreat. They have improved, but there is still some way to go. Thestandard of cricket is good, but we have to improve.You haven’t taken that many wickets in the competition so far thisseason, and there have been suggestions that you have lost some formover the last year.
I don’t know about that. I think that judgment was based mainly on theonly Test match I played against Bangladesh at Multan. I hardly bowledin that match – I think it was three overs in the first innings and 20in the second, over about three spells. It wasn’t really enough to getinto a rhythm. In any case, the pitch was seamer-friendly and the pacebowlers, Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed, did so well that they bowledthroughout most of the match.Do you feel you have lost a bit of your mystery because you haveplayed so much cricket, especially at Surrey?
I don’t think so. The type of bowler that I am, I need to be playingconsistently and constantly, to get into that rhythm. I need to bebowling long spells and I honestly don’t think I have done too badly. Inthe series against South Africa, prior to the World Cup, I got a fewwickets, and before that, against Australia and Zimbabwe, I was thehighest wicket-taker. I had a few niggles, especially with my shoulder,when I came back from Surrey. I had bursitis, and needed a fewinjections in my shoulder before I played against Bangladesh. But I’m OKnow, I’m feeling looser in the shoulder and getting back to where I waspreviously.Do you think that playing so many one-dayers over the years hasreduced your effectiveness, because your role is to contain as well asattack?
No, and I think my record in one-day cricket speaks for itself. Over thelast two years, however, my position in the bowling order has beenshifted too much. Previously, I had a defined role. I would bowl threeovers in the first 15, then bowl at the death. Now I bowl all over theplace: in the middle, beginning, or the end – but never with a fixedstrategy in mind. Also, I haven’t played international cricket regularlyfor almost 13 months – I played a game here and there, but notcontinuously.Are you working on any new deliveries at the moment?
Yeah, I have a few things up my sleeve. It’s important that you keepdoing that – trying new things, experimenting with your skills and notgoing stale. Most importantly, I am building up my overall fitness, andam concentrating my energies on getting picked to play against India.Let’s talk about your future with Pakistan. Given that you havetaken close to 50 wickets in your last ten Tests, why do you think youare not in the team?
In the last year or so, I have been among the highest wicket-takers inTests for Pakistan. I don’t really know why I’m not in the side. Ihardly played any one-day cricket last year – two or three games in theWorld Cup, where I got some wickets, but after that I don’t really know.I guess the new guys have performed well, and when I played againstBangladesh, I was injured. I told them that before the game, but theselectors insisted they needed me to play, so I did. And since then, Ihaven’t featured in the team again.Do you feel that the selectors haven’t given you a fairchance?
Yeah, they haven’t given me the perfect opportunity. I have served mycountry for nine years now, and have done so well. If you look at mycareer, I have performed consistently well and there isn’t really aprolonged bad patch in there.Do you think there are any non-cricket factors keeping you out ofthe team?
The newer players have been performing well so far, so maybe that’s it.I hope I am in their plans, though, but I don’t honestly think there arenon-cricketing reasons involved. I am only 27 at the moment and I reckonI am good enough to play for another ten years or so at the highestlevel.

Happier days: Saqlain playing for Pakistan in the World Cup
(c) Getty Images
Are you looking forward to the India series?
I am. I have been successful against them in the past. It’s one of thetoughest series as a spinner, because they are by far the best playersof spin around – especially on subcontinental pitches. Then, of course,there is the added pressure of playing against India.Do you usually bowl against the Indians with a set plan?
There is usually a set plan against any batsman, but against the Indiansyou have to play tough, aggressive cricket. I got Sachin Tendulkar acouple of times when we were last over there, in 1999, and you have tolook to attack them as a bowler.What do you think is your greatest weapon as a spinner?
I genuinely believe every ball I throw down is a weapon. I look to takea wicket with every ball I bowl.Who is the best batsman you have bowled to? Who has impressed youthe most?
I try not to think in those terms, where someone is difficult to getout. I back myself against any batsman in the world. I have bowled tosome great batsmen: the Waugh brothers, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting,Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Aravinda de Silva.But I never think, “Gee, they’re tough to bowl against,”because I’ll never get them out thinking like that.What has been your most memorable wicket, and match, so far?
Undoubtedly Tendulkar’s wicket at Chennai in 1999 – because he is sucha good batsman and because it was such a great Test. Also, Steve Waughin a one-dayer at Adelaide in 1996. He tried to hit me over mid-on, butgot a leading edge to my straighter one and was caught by Mohammad Wasimat mid-off. Then there’s Marcus Trescothick in a one-dayer at Lord’s in2000, where I got him in the last over of the game and we won by acouple of runs. As far as the match is concerned, though, it would haveto be the Chennai Test, just because of the pressure and how close itgot at the end.What exactly happened between you and Javed Miandad after theBangladesh series? There was allegedly a verbal spat between the two ofyou over selection?
I don’t want to get into that.Finally, what are your future plans and aims now?
I want to play for at least another ten years for Pakistan. I want totake 500 wickets in Tests, and the same in one-dayers. In the immediatefuture, I want to get fit and ready, and selected, for the India tour.