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Abdul Razzaq
 Pakistan cricket has produced its fair share of all rounders, the undisputed champion being the great Imran Khan. I was fortunate enough to be invited for tea to the home of Abdul Razzaq, one of Pakistan’s finest limited overs all rounders. Arguably Razzaq hasn't fulfilled the major expectations that we had of him. He enjoyed a golden period between 1999-2002 where he shone in the 1999 ODI WC and was man of the tournament down under in the Australian ODI triangular tourney.
But then he suffered a wrist injury in 2002 and on his return he'd lost a lot of pace. Wasim, under whom he enjoyed the most success, admitted that Razzaq did not enjoy bowling. Bowling around 80mph, he relies on his trademark leg cutters to get wickets. For test match cricket, especially on flat wickets, he's now more of a stock bowler than a wicket taker.
Since 2002 he has shown occasional glimpses of his complete all rounder prowess. He seems most at home facing death bowlers in ODI games where he has consistently dispatched the ball straight down the ground for six. The trick is to slightly open his stance keeping all his options open, then to smash the ball to all parts of the ground. It's this destructive batting quality which has kept Razzaq in the international limelight. Twenty20 could not have arrived at a better time for Razzaq, hard hitting all-rounders like Razzaq were made for this type of cricket.
This is the 2nd time I have met Razzaq and I have to say he is a down to earth family guy, a true gentleman. I hope you all enjoy the interview.
Read on for the English and Urdu text versions of this interview. I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Uzair (Disco Lemonade) for transcribing this interview into Urdu.
 If you were made captain, would you be laid back or aggressive?
You should captain according to the match situation and the time you have left. It's about reacting to the situation with the team combination in mind, it doesn't pay to be over aggressive without good cause.
If you were made captain how would you deal with the internal politics?
It's a simple solution, if your decisions are always merit based then no-one can object.
You debuted for Pakistan in your teens so you would know how difficult Pakistan domestic cricket can be for our young players. Have you seen any promising youngsters at domestic level?
Any player who performs in domestic cricket is always a good player...
No I meant have you personally seen any promising youngsters?
Due to my commitments with the Pakistan team, I don't play a lot of domestic cricket. In my opinion more domestic games should be broadcast live so that everyone can see the players for themselves.
Can you name any players that you think have potential for the future?
I haven't really thought about this but there's two promising players who were recently added to the Pakistan A team.
Is one of them Hammad Azam?
Yes. Hammad is one but the pressure level in u19 cricket isn't the same as it is at the international level. He needs to attend camps, play matches and be groomed properly. Then when he gets his chance, it's up to him to perform.
Are you one of the players still owed money by the ICL, what's the latest on that?
Yes. It's still pending but there's a chance we might get our money. Let's wait and see what happens.
What's the truth behind the rumours about Razzaq and the Kolkata Knight Riders?
I signed a contract with KKR in August of 2009, it was a done deal. Then they told me they wanted to cancel the contract and have me in the auction. They said I'd be worth more at auction and so I signed the waiver but it was all a plan from the start. Their plan was to not let any Pakistani players be bought in the auction and that's what happened.
Do you think they were acting under political pressure or was it solely an IPL decision?
In the modern world you can't hide these things. Everyone knew what was happening, it became an international farce. It was a political decision, the Indian government stopped the franchises from bidding.
Well their decision killed the interest of most Pakistani fans in the IPL. The same thing happened before the last IPL and Pakistan won the T20 WC because our players were fresh and not fatigued by the IPL.
Right now the Indian government doesn't want good relations between both countries. Sport is one of those international bridges which can help to foster good relations between nations. If you think back to that first Indian cricket tour of Pakistan in recent times, you'll remember that it thawed relations between us at every level. This is all a political game of chess. When both governments end their tension the rest will follow.
 In the recent RBS T20 Cup why did you leave the Lahore Lions and join the Sialkot Stallions?
I captained the Lions to the final last season so I was fully expecting to be named the captain again. But at the eleventh hour they named Salman Butt. I have no problems with Salman, he's a much more junior player than me. The decision was taken by the Lahore region and they wouldn't explain their reasons to me so I joined the Stallions.
Would you play for the Lahore Lions next season?
I live in Lahore. I should represent my city and I wanted to play for Lahore this season too. I only joined Sialkot because of the way the whole issue was handled by the Lahore region. Actually I was made an offer to captain Sialkot but I refused and joined them as a player.
Have you discussed these events with Salman Butt?
It had nothing to do with Salman, it was purely about the Lahore Association's attitude.
Do you want to play Test Cricket again?
Definitely, if the backing is there from the board then yes I would.
On a personal note, I strongly believe that you should be selected for the England tour. You're a senior seam bowler with lots of county experience, that makes you a major asset in a tour of England.
Insha Allah but we have to wait for the board's decision.
You've been playing cricket since 1996, have you given any thought to when you want to retire?
I think I have 3 or 4 years left. In the end it will depend on how long I can maintain both my fitness and performance.
You play a lot of club cricket, anything you'd like to discuss about that?
I play for P&T Gymkhana (Panthers and Tigers) in Lahore, which is owned by Zaidi Sahab. I was first selected for their u16 side, then again for their u19 side. That's where I feel cricket really started for me and I've been with the same club since u16 level.
Back then the facilities weren't great. As an international player you now know the importance of diet and gym work but this sort of fitness education doesn't happen at the domestic level in Pakistan.
That's always been the case but if you have the talent, then you'll get the opportunity. If you turn up at one of the camps and you show the coaches something special then you'll get picked. So in that sense the doors are always open but it's up to you to show what you can do.
Earlier you mentioned Mohammad Irfan to me, have you seen him bowling?
We both play for P&T club and we're looking after Irfan there, he'll get better with time.
Is he good enough to play inernational cricket?
I can see him playing test cricket, I think that suits his style of bowling.
 What do you think our chances are of winning the T20 World Cup?
We're the World Champions so we have a good chance. If we take to the field like champions then it'll put a lot of pressure on the other teams.
Finally any message for your die hard fans who're always praying for your success?
I'd like to thank them for their good wishes and to ask them to keep praying for me because it does make a difference.
I'd like to say a big thank you for your time on behalf of all
Thank you
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