| |
|
|
|
Q & A with Imran Khan Repercussions of the World Cup
Posted: Thursday June 24, 1999 02:20 PM
CNNI's Michael Holmes interviewed former cricket captain Imran Khan following Pakistan's loss to Australia in the Cricket World Cup final on June 20. Khan led Pakistan to World Cup victory in 1992. Michael Holmes: What did you think of the final and were you surprised at how Pakistan lost? Imran Khan: I certainly was. It was, in fact, a bit of an anticlimax because everyone was expecting this brilliant clash between two great teams. I guess Pakistan could just not take the pressure and really did not do justice to their talent. Michael Holmes: I read in an Australian newspaper that the Pakastani president had said that their players had better come home with the World Cup or not come home at all. One hopes that that is a joke of some sort but cricket of course is very, very serious in your country isn't it? Imran Khan: Well, I think it's an over-exaggeration. Basically people are extremely disappointed in Pakistan because cricket is such a passion in the country. And the way the team had played and the talent on display, everyone was expecting that Pakistan would really put up a great performance in the final. People are very proud of the team. I mean, not only Pakistanis, but generally the consensus was that the most exciting team in the tournament was the Pakistani team. So therefore, I'm sure there is great disappointment everywhere, especially in Pakistan. Michael Holmes: I'm think you are right. I think everybody did think that. Which brings us to an email from Thailand that asks the question: "In the final. it looked like Pakistan threw the game by batting like amateurs. What is the reason for this?"
Imran Khan: Well, what people must understand is that the World Cup final is as much a test of nerves as [it is] a test of skill. In the final, I got the impression that once Pakistan had actually got themselves in a good position when they were 68 for two, the moment they lost the third wicket, somehow they just could [take] the pressure of the World Cup final. And each batsman came in and just did not play sensibly and actually lost their nerves. They just collapsed under pressure. That's really the only way to describe it because anyone who's played in the World Cup final, you know the sort of pressure every player is under. And as the pressure mounted, [as] each wicket falls the pressure mounts. And as the pressure grew the Pakistani team seemed to buckle under it. Michael Holmes: I want to ask you the question about the broader issue of the World Cup and what came out of it. We saw several amazing performances, notably Bangledesh defeating India. Also some good efforts turned in by Zimbabwe and of course, even Scotland gave the Aussies a hard time. At the end of this World Cup, what do you think we have learned about the state of the game? Imran Khan: Well a lot of interesting things came out. But one thing that came out, [was that] the three top teams are Australia, South Africa and Pakistan. I mean that was quite apparent by the end. The other thing is that it did a lot for teams like Bangledesh and even Scotland. But Bangledesh because there is tremendous interest in cricket there. [Bangladesh] beating Pakistan, I think in the long run in terms of world cricket was a good thing, because it's going to spark off interest in Bangledesh. I think the team now feels they now have a chance to win test status and that was another good thing. But on the whole, I think that the competition generated a lot of interest all over the world. We saw in England, especially the Asians, the support that the Asians give to the World Cup is very interesting. It used to be an English game but even in England it was the Asians are the ones who are supporting cricket. And I think on the whole, World Cup increases interest in cricket all over the world.
| |||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||||
