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| Rana Naveed-Ul-Hassan |
Question: You're returning to Sussex this season. Does it feel like your returning home?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I'm really happy to be back at Sussex. Two years ago, I played for Yorkshire and then came back to Sussex last year. I consider Sussex to be my second home because of all the love I get from here. I enjoy my time here because the atmosphere is very much like home. These guys are like my family and treat me like a brother.
Question: You'll only be playing half the county season this year. Why are you playing until only June?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I have played a lot of cricket over the past couple of years. I have had the chance to play in England, Australia, Bangladesh and Pakistan so it all adds up. It's very difficult for a fast bowler to make it through an entire season, especially having played so much in a short span. I don't want to be a burden on the team during the second half of the season. There are sixteen four-day games in total and playing four-day cricket for an entire season takes it toll on you. One day and T20 matches are manageable but not four-day matches. So as of now I'm only going to be here for the first half of the season. I did the same last year as well. If I'm doing well physically and holding up at the half-way point then I will consider staying for a longer period. I might even stay with Sussex for the entire season if I'm feeling well. Otherwise, it will only be half the season.
Question: You have been playing county cricket for a long time and have a great amount of experience here. What are the positives and negatives of the English county cricket?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I don't think there are any negatives. It can be a very positive experience for any up and coming cricketer from Pakistan. You get a chance to learn a lot by playing county cricket because you go up against very good batsmen and bowlers from all parts of the world. It's a very good opportunity for young bowlers and batsmen irrespective of whether they are from Pakistan or from any other country.
Question: You're saying that county cricket is a very positive experience for players. But lately, very few Pakistani cricketers are playing county cricket in England. Fast bowlers in particular are not being allowed to play country cricket. There are exceptions like yourself and Yasir Arafat but most fast bowlers like Umar Gul have been prohibited from playing county cricket by the PCB. Do you think that the PCB is making a mistake by blocking players from county cricket?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: As far as Umar Gul is concerned, it was a good decision by the PCB to stop him from playing county cricket. He has been playing a lot of cricket for Pakistan. So for him to come and play a full season of county cricket would not be very good for him. But upcoming players like Wahab Riaz and Azhar Ali should definitely spend a couple of seasons playing county cricket. It will help them become more mature cricketers. It's very good for young players who have not played a lot of cricket. But players like Umar Gul don't need to play county cricket. He's a permanent member of the Pakistani team and has played so much over the years. If he wants to come and play here, then he should limit it to one day and T20 cricket only. Being a fast bowler, it would be very hard for him to play four-day matches.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I'm really happy to be back at Sussex. Two years ago, I played for Yorkshire and then came back to Sussex last year. I consider Sussex to be my second home because of all the love I get from here. I enjoy my time here because the atmosphere is very much like home. These guys are like my family and treat me like a brother.
Question: You'll only be playing half the county season this year. Why are you playing until only June?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I have played a lot of cricket over the past couple of years. I have had the chance to play in England, Australia, Bangladesh and Pakistan so it all adds up. It's very difficult for a fast bowler to make it through an entire season, especially having played so much in a short span. I don't want to be a burden on the team during the second half of the season. There are sixteen four-day games in total and playing four-day cricket for an entire season takes it toll on you. One day and T20 matches are manageable but not four-day matches. So as of now I'm only going to be here for the first half of the season. I did the same last year as well. If I'm doing well physically and holding up at the half-way point then I will consider staying for a longer period. I might even stay with Sussex for the entire season if I'm feeling well. Otherwise, it will only be half the season.
Question: You have been playing county cricket for a long time and have a great amount of experience here. What are the positives and negatives of the English county cricket?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I don't think there are any negatives. It can be a very positive experience for any up and coming cricketer from Pakistan. You get a chance to learn a lot by playing county cricket because you go up against very good batsmen and bowlers from all parts of the world. It's a very good opportunity for young bowlers and batsmen irrespective of whether they are from Pakistan or from any other country.
Question: You're saying that county cricket is a very positive experience for players. But lately, very few Pakistani cricketers are playing county cricket in England. Fast bowlers in particular are not being allowed to play country cricket. There are exceptions like yourself and Yasir Arafat but most fast bowlers like Umar Gul have been prohibited from playing county cricket by the PCB. Do you think that the PCB is making a mistake by blocking players from county cricket?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: As far as Umar Gul is concerned, it was a good decision by the PCB to stop him from playing county cricket. He has been playing a lot of cricket for Pakistan. So for him to come and play a full season of county cricket would not be very good for him. But upcoming players like Wahab Riaz and Azhar Ali should definitely spend a couple of seasons playing county cricket. It will help them become more mature cricketers. It's very good for young players who have not played a lot of cricket. But players like Umar Gul don't need to play county cricket. He's a permanent member of the Pakistani team and has played so much over the years. If he wants to come and play here, then he should limit it to one day and T20 cricket only. Being a fast bowler, it would be very hard for him to play four-day matches.
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| Rana Naveed-Ul-Hassan |
Question: You have had the chance to play in a lot of countries around the world. Where did you enjoy playing the most?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I have enjoyed the most in England because I have been playing county cricket here for 6-7 years and have had success every year. I started with league cricket in England about 10-12 years ago. So I guess I enjoy playing in England the most.
Question: You played a lot of club cricket early on in England. How beneficial is club cricket for those cricketers who don't get a chance to play county cricket?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: There's a tremendous amount of talent in Pakistan. We are lucky to get an opportunity to play county cricket in England because a lot of players from Pakistan don't get this opportunity. But you cannot get a chance to play county cricket unless you have played for Pakistan team - that is one of the requirements. That's why a lot of cricketers end up playing league cricket. The standard of league cricket in England is also very high so it is beneficial for young players. The more cricket you play, the better you get.
Question: You have worked very hard on your fielding over the past few years. During the World Cup, we saw that the fielding standards of Pakistan are very low when compared to some other teams. Why do you think we can't seem to improve our fielding?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I have noticed that most of the fielding coaches for Pakistan have been former bowlers. A few series' ago, Ijaz Ahmed was appointed as the fielding coach and there was an improvement in the team's fielding. Now, Aqib Javed is in charge of the fielding. I don't think any other team has a bowling coach acting as a fielding coach. This is the main reason for our team's poor fielding.
Another major reason is that most Pakistani cricket grounds have hard surfaces. It is very difficult to dive on such surfaces. Changes have been made and the upcoming players from the U-19 level have had a chance to play on better grounds. That's why the younger players are better fielders. They are being taught how to dive as all the facilities are present at the Academy. We didn't have such facilities during our time. Players from South Africa, Australia, and England are very good fielders because they are used to diving around as they have been practising on excellent grounds.
Another reason for our poor fielding is the way we train. We haven't changed and improved our system over the years. I have played in various countries, including Australia and England - they all have advanced training methods and fielding drills. Everyone else has developed their cricket but we are stuck in the same place.
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| Rana Naveed-Ul-Hassan |
Question: After the World Cup, a lot of people were calling for Javed Miandad to be named the batting coach. As of now, both the coaches with the team are former bowlers. Do you think that a batting coach is necessary?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: Definitely. If you take a look at the English cricket team you'll see that they have 3-4 coaches with the team. They have Mushtaq Ahmed as a spin bowling coach and various others for the other aspects of the game. South Africa and New Zealand also have different coaches for different aspects of the game. Our batting has been inconsistent over the past few years. A lot of our young players are a bit immature. They don't know how to build their innings. So Javed Miandad or any other great batsman would really help the young players. All our present coaches are former fast bowlers. Our bowling has always been great. We need to improve our batting and fielding and for that we need good fielding and batting coaches.
Question: You've been playing cricket for a long time in various parts of the world. In doing so, you have had a chance to play under many captains. Who is the most impressive captain you have played under in any form of the game?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I think Inzamam was a good captain. He was the captain when I made it to the Pakistani side. He was very supportive and was able to utilise all the players very well. I really enjoyed playing under him. If you are enjoying your cricket then you will perform well. You can say that I consider Inzamam to be a role model. I gave it my all because I knew he would support me at all times. A good captain is one who knows how to get the best out of his players and I think Inzamam was the best captain I have played under.
Question: Who was the best coach you played under?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: Bob Woolmer was a very good coach. Everybody in the team respected him and we miss him now. I got the chance to be with him for 2-3 years and learned a great deal from him. I performed very well and won a couple of Man of the Series Awards during that period. That was a golden period for Pakistan team. We had a great atmosphere within the team and we were like a family. Bob had learned how to deal with us Pakistanis and we learned a lot from him. Unfortunately, he passed away during the World Cup. We miss him and always will. I still consider him to be the greatest coach I ever played under.
Question: One thing that stands out in your career statistics is that you only played nine Test matches for Pakistan. It must be very disappointing because you performed well but managed to play only nine matches.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I'm not really disappointed because I always preferred one day cricket. I was given the role of being a one day bowler. I have only played nine Tests and I was never fully prepared for these matches! I would come in during the morning of the match and would be told that I was going to play because Shoaib Akhtar or Sami are injured. That is probably why I wasn't too focused on Test matches and hence, was not able to perform too well. But I'm not going to blame anyone because a lot of it comes down to the individual. There were only about two matches that I knew I would be playing in a couple of days before the match. Otherwise, I was always informed of my inclusion in the playing XI at the last minute - and in such case, it is very difficult for a player to prepare himself. But still, I'm not going blame anyone because my performance in Test cricket wasn't as good as my ODI record.
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| Rana Naveed-Ul-Hassan |
Question: You are now 32 years old. Do you think you have any chance of returning to international cricket?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: Absolutely. I never think negatively. I was with the team during the ODI series in Australia and was satisfied with my performance. But after returning from Australia, I was banned from international cricket but I did not give up. I played domestic cricket and performed very well. I went on to play in Australia and now I am playing in England. So I think I can make a comeback if I continue to stay fit and perform well.
Question: You were banned after the Australian tour due to alleged under-performance. I know that you were trying to arrange a meeting with the PCB to clear your name but were unable to do so. How frustrating was that episode?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: After the Australian tour, we were called to meet with some members of the PCB. About 6-7 of us were called one by one to state why we had a poor tour and what was happening within the team. I told them the truth and I guess that was a mistake. As they say, the truth is bitter and is difficult for some to swallow. Mohammad Yousuf was the captain at that time and he did not want to see me in the team. But because Abdul Razzaq was injured, I was recalled by the board as I was already playing cricket in Australia. Mohammad Yousuf did not accept me when I came and he did not utilise me properly. There was no unity within the team - there were about 8 captains within the squad. Then Shahid Afridi was made captain all of a sudden during that series. It's very difficult for any team to perform well against a top-ranked side in such circumstances. There were so many controversies and fighting within the team.
After that some players like myself, Yousuf, Malik, and Younis were banned while some others were fined. I had done well in the one day series. During the T20s, I was hit with a ball by Johnson and that affected my hitting towards the end. I had told the physio that I was not fully fit. I told the tribunal the truth that I was injured and could not hit and we ended up losing the match. I told them to call the physio into the meeting if they did not believe me. They asked me why I did not go back to the pavilion if I was injured. I said that I was playing for my country and wanted to give it my all. I tried to win the match but was unsuccessful. I told them that I had given it my all but if they wanted to ban me for losing that match then it was their call. I was assured that nothing of that sort will happen but when I got home, I found out that I had been banned. That was a very tough time for me because my family members and friends would ask me what I had done to be punished so severely. I tried to explain the situation to them but it was very difficult.
I have always given it my all when playing for Pakistan. In 2004, I was with the team in Australia when my father passed away. Younis Khan's father also passed away at that time and he returned home but I stayed with the team. My mother told me that it would be too late anyway so I decided to stay with the team. I've done a lot for Pakistan and I don't think I've been rewarded for it. My family and I were extremely hurt when I was banned. My father always told me to give it my all for Pakistan and I can say that I've always given everything I have got for the team. I've never done anything to bring shame to my country. The ban was eventually overturned and I came back to domestic cricket and performed well. I was named in the 30-member squad for the World Cup but missed out on the final 15. I still prayed for the team to do well. My prayers are always with the team.
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| Rana Naveed-Ul-Hassan |
Question: You've had the opportunity to lead your team in domestic cricket. Did you ever get the thought of captaining the Pakistani team?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I have never really thought about that. We already had so many captains in the side that I stopped thinking about it. Everyone was competing for the captaincy. But I only wanted to concentrate on my cricket. Whenever I will get a chance to play, I will play for myself and for my country.
Being the captain of the Pakistani team is undoubtedly a great honour but getting the chance to play for Pakistan is also an honour. That's how I look at it.
Question: You mentioned that captaining your country in Test cricket or one-day cricket is a great honour. What are your thoughts on Shahid Afridi's decision to retire from Test cricket after just one match as captain?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: It's because he is a one day specialist and his style of cricket is better suited for the shorter formats of the game. I believe he made the correct decision to retire from Test cricket given his current age. However, I feel he can play ODI and T20s for at least another two to three years.
Question: You have been playing domestic cricket for quite some time now. You've seen a lot of changes during this time, some good changes, some not so good, different chairmen, different boards and different people making important decisions for Pakistan cricket. In your view, what changes need to be brought about in domestic cricket to improve Pakistan cricket?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: The reason our domestic cricket isn't improving is because we don't have the facilities. We play four-day matches with a one or two day break between matches. For example, last year we played a match in Rawalpindi and had to leave for Karachi the very next day as our next scheduled match was in Karachi. Whilst a few can afford to travel by air, most players take the train. Our team took the train from Rawalpindi to Karachi but on the way, it broke down and we ended up having to wait two days. As a result, our match which was starting the next day had to be cancelled! In the presence of such factors, how can we expect to improve our cricket?
I believe that the PCB is because of the players and not the other way around. If we want to produce quality cricketers and improve the domestic circuit, then we need to learn from the Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi domestic cricket. Those countries have improved their domestic cricket tremendously over the years and therefore are producing quality players. The PCB needs to focus on providing as many facilities as possible for the players.
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| Rana Naveed-Ul-Hassan |
Question: There are several Twenty20 tournaments that are being organized by different cricketing nations - the IPL, the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL), the English domestic T20 league, etc. Should Pakistan develop their own Twenty20 tournament whereby they invite foreign players as well?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: Yes, we definitely should. However, security is a big issue. Ever since the attack on the Sri Lankan team, no team is ready to play in Pakistan. However, the situation has improved now. Once we successfully host a few tours with teams such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, then the PCB should look to organise a tournament similar to IPL where we have foreign players participating. This will be a step towards restoring international cricket in Pakistan and also help improve our cricket.
Question: The squad for the West Indies has been announced. A few youngsters and upcoming players have been selected - Junaid Khan, Sadaf Hussain, Aizaz Cheema (who was later declared unfit). Are there are any young fast bowlers in the domestic circuit who have impressed you?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: Yes, there are a few have impressed me. Hammad Azam is a talented all-rounder who I have played with. I think it will take one or two seasons for him to mature, but he is a very exciting prospect. Azhar Attari from WAPDA and Junaid Khan have been very impressive as well. We have a couple of youngsters who I feel can play for Pakistan in the near future provided they continue to work hard.
Question:Thank you for your time. It's always a pleasure speaking to you. Any message to your fans on?
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: I want to request all my fans to pray for the success of all the players in the Pakistan Team and please remember me in your prayers as well.
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| Rana Naveed-Ul-Hassan |
