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The cricket interview/Pravin Amre

"What hurts most is how everyone ignores you...

For those who missed it, click here for part one: On the outside, looking in...

You had a great start to your Test career, with that century on debut...

Yeah, I got that century, got the man of the match, got MOM again with 84 in the last ODI of that series.

Then we came back, played the Hero Cup and against South Africa again, we were 50 for 4 and then Azhar and I got a partnership going, we got to a decent total, I scored 48 in that game and then Sachin bowled us to victory in the last over.

Then the same team went to New Zealand, but I couldn't play because Sanjay Manjrekar was there. It was decided that Sanjay would play the Test, so he got to play the practise games as well.

If I remember, Sanjay was going through a bad patch at the time, was out of form in South Africa...

Yeah, that's right, but then in the Sri Lanka series, he came back and I was dropped. Then I didn't get to play in the home series, so despite the century on debut in SA, I somehow came to be known as a one day player.

After the New Zealand tour, where I didn't get to play a single game, I was dropped. Then I was picked for India A, for Sharjah, we won against Pakistan.

We then played a few matches in England, didn't win any, and I was dropped again. At that point, my form lapsed a little like any cricketer's would. I was captain of the A team that played England, but after the loss I was dropped, both as captain and from the team itself.

But Pravin, your average of 20-odd in ODIs surely did not support your cause?

That is because of my place in the batting order -- 6, sometimes 7. And remember, Kapil was in the side too, at the time, so if a wicket fell when there were only 10 or 12 overs left, Kapil would be sent ahead of me, so my chances to bat were even less, and mostly in the slog.

I am an attacking batsman, my forte is placing the ball, moving it around, running between wickets, I always managed to keep the tempo going and when needed, I could take the calculated risk.

To argue that point, you were sent in at number three in South Africa, and ended up skying the ball, trying to force the pace a bit too early...

Yeah. Actually, it was not decided that I would be sent in at that slot, the wicket fell and I was told to go play, there were no instructions given, I guess they felt that since I was in good nick, I might get the side to a good position, but it didn't work out. And I was dropped for the next ODI -- in Durban, where I had scored my Test century.

I wasn't supposed to play the final game, either -- but then Ravi (Shastri) was injured, and so I got into the 11, scored a match-winning MOM and got my second MOM award of the tour.

Realistically, granting your ability, how much of a chance do you give yourself to get back into the Indian side?

Well, like I said, I have the desire to come back, I have joined Bombay, given my no objection certificate to the board, and if I get a few good matches, well, you never know.

My routine has not changed, I still practise the same as before. There are times when you get depressed, disappointed, but then you figure that is life, there is no point in sulking.

The bottom line is, if getting runs is the only criteria, then I will get those runs against all odds. I have not lost my motivation for the game, I know I'll be playing good cricket. I don't want to make unnecessarily grand statements, about making a comeback. Let's just wait and see.

But realistically, the Indian team is now packed with talented players, how do you see yourself forcing your way into a berth...?

Look, during 1991, when I first debuted, there were players like Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Kapil Dev. And I still made the grade. That is what cricket has taught me -- that some things are not in your hands, you just have to keep playing, keep proving yourself.

You formed one of a triumvirate of talent, with Sachin and Vinod Kambli, how did it feel?

Well, it is one of the greatest experiences for me, that all three of us having come from one coach, Achrekar, and gone on to represent the country.

In fact it is a unique record that Sachin, Vinod and I , all hailing from the same school, played in that Bombay Test, it was a good match because Vinod got a double hundred, Sachin got eighty-odd, I got a quick fifty, between us we helped put up a big total and won the Test, so it was a great collective effort, to carve it in a Test win on home soil was rare and exciting.

I was just remembering, Sachin has signed up with Adidas, you gave Sachin his first pair of shoes of that brand...

At that time they, Sachin and Vinod, were juniors and we were seniors, it was a tradition that the seniors would give their accessories to the juniors, like Chandrakant Pandit did for me when he was my senior. So when I went to Nairobi and got Particular shoes, it was the half-spiked kind, Sachin liked it so I told him, if you get a hundred I'll give it to you.

The idea was to motivate him to get more hundreds and as it happened, he scored a hundred in the same match so I immediately handed my shoes over to him. For a long time after that, he never used any other pair, played with the one I gave him.

The world, today, is focussed on Tendulkar. How do you, having seen him at close quarters, assess him?

Well, what can you say about the lad, he is the best batsman India has ever produced, he goes down in my book as an all time great.

I remember when he came into the side, he was my junior in school, Achrekar-sir was our coach, a strict disciplinarian, would never praise anyone, he told me one day, this boy is a hero, he has what it takes to be the best -- and Sachin at that time was just 13.

I guess we all saw it, that is the reason we all helped him in whatever way we could, we Shivaji Park boys had this thing of pushing him, encouraging the lad, we had it in our mind that this boy should go up. And that is the reason Sachin too is so attached to Shivaji Park, even when he is most busy he finds time to come there, he knows that Shivaji Park is the place from where he rose and never looked back. As to Sachin the player, his knowledge of the game is high, he delves deeper all the time.

Shivaji Park seems, more than any other place, to turn out the most technically accomplished batsmen, why is that?

Because there, we don't get such good wickets, Shivaji Park is no batsman's paradise. We practise on some very rough wickets, so it prepares us for everything, gives ua good technique.

Talking of technique, how did you manage to cope with the bounce in Durban? In two Tests there, no batsman has really handled it well, from our side...

I have always played according to the demands of the situation. When I walked in that day we were 38/4, and I was aware of the fact that I was the last recognized batsman, that I had to stay for as long as I could. I knew it was my job to hang around and wait for these guys to tire, for the bowling to lose its edge.

I had not decided to get a hundred, anything like that, I only thought that I should stay at the wicket and get maximum runs. All I thought of was that I had to save the team from the follow on. Once I got set, it all seemed easy, I started to get the runs and we took the lead where, at one time, we were trying to avoid the follow-on.

Just curious, how come you never played county cricket?

Well, the thing is I was a specialist batsman and counties generally prefer guys who are all-rounders. Vinod, for that matter, also didn't play English league.

I used to go to East Africa, to Nairobi, and in fact I did spend some time with Glocestershire and Dewberry.

Why didn't you return, didn't you enjoy it?

Well, to be honest I never got an interesting offer because I was not a bowler. And after that I was playing in India, playing Kanga league during the rainy season. This year too I'll be going there but not on a long trip, otherwise I will miss out on domestic competition through the year.

To revert to your travails, do you see any similarity between your situation then, and Rahul Dravid's today?

Definitely, but at least he is in the Test side and I am not even in the reckoning for that.

I'll tell you this, there is a lot of difference when you play in the 11 and in the next match, you find yourself made 12th man, then you play again, and are dropped again -- that kind of thing shatters your confidence.

Did you feel that pressure? How does it affect you when it happens?

Not only me, I think it hits us all. When you are not sure of your place, there is that extra pressure, you keep feeling you are not good enough for the playing eleven, every innings, you go out thinking it is a test, that you are on trial. Playing out in the middle is tough enough without this needless pressure on top of it, you don't play your natural game, you try to play extraordinarily well and that is when things go haywire.

Take the case of Rahul Dravid, recently when he got so many opportunities, he did not do well, right? That is what pressure does.

Why do you suppose it happened to you? Is it that you were not influential, or you didn't get along with selectors, what..?

Well, actually I always kept a low profile and never interfered with anybody. I just let my game speak for itself. I got into the side after scoring really heavily in the three seasons that I played, my first class average was very high, around 87, I remember when I made the side, Sunil Gavaskar said that I was the only player to have earned my cap.

I guess at the end of it all, I don't feel guilty because I know that whenever I got the opportunity I did my very best.

So what do you think of India's chances in the '99 World Cup?

I think we have a fair chance, our bowling is well balanced and that for me is the most important thing. Even though the previous WC was a batsman's game, this one won't be, I think we have a good bowling side with Srinath and Agarkar, backed by Prasad and two supporting bowlers, we have a well balanced side. We have been lacking medium pacers for so many years, there was a time when Kapil or Srinath shouldered the entire burden but now, with Sri, Prasad, Ajit, it is well balanced.

How do you rate Ajit Agarkar?

As definitely one of the best finds for India in recent times, he's got good variety, now he has a world record, for the most number of wickets in first 13 ODIs...

Does he fit the all-rounder mould?

Definitely, I ahve seen him bat at close quarters, he can bat well at the highest level of the tame.

So bowling is our key to the Cup? Or are there any other factors favouring India?

Well, I think the last time, Sri Lanka won mainly because of their opening pair, this time India's big advantage in England is going to be the opening pair of Sachin and Ganguly. Like SL had Aravinda and Arjuna backing their openers, we have Azhar and Jadeja and hopefully Robin Singh, who will be a great help in the slog overs.

Okay, one last question, you talked of some of the highs in your career...what was your worst experience?

That is hard to answer.... I guess the fact that you play for India, you are a part of the side and overnight, you are dropped... that must be it...

What hurts most I guess is how everyone ignores you... friends, even journalists, people asking you what happened... all that is very difficult to cope with. I mean, you have a good series, you score runs, but for no rhyme or reason you find yourself beyond the boundary.. you can't understand it, yourself... for some players fielding is a handicap, but I was a very good fielder, so I could find no reason for being out... I mean, you are part of a winning combination and also contributing to the cause, so you don't know why you are out...

We won many matches, like the Hero Cup, then we defeated Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka after which I don't think India has won a series abroad. So we enjoyed being a collective, successful Indian team, we were the underdogs, the media had written us off.

The team had just been through the worst defeat in Australia, then the toughest of tours in RSA. And then we swept the Englishmen, hit a purple patch. And you are part of such a team, and suddenly, you are not part of it any more...

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