Sharjah: Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Saleem Yousuf is back at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, where he is well remembered for his spectacular catches and pugnacious batting during the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series in the 1980s.
Yousuf, now 54, is the manager of the Pakistan A team and a selector. The veteran recalled the days when India and Pakistan featured in many an intense battle in Sharjah.
“It used to be a special occasion for everyone when we played against India. I am happy I was the wicketkeeper during some of Pakistan’s memorable victories over India here,” he told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.
“They used to be very hard games, but exciting. Cricket used to be at its best and so it is important that India and Pakistan must play again here. It is good for cricket.”
Yousuf, who played 32 Tests and 86 One Day Internationals, is generally regarded as one of the most agile wicketkeepers Pakistan has ever produced. He was the man behind the stumps at a time when Pakistan’s bowlers were tough to face due to the sheer variety of tricks at their disposal.
“I am happy to have kept wicket against bowlers like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Abdul Qadir and Tauseef Ahmad. They were all superb bowlers and they could produce unpredictable deliveries. That was a time when our pacers bowled reverse swing and, as a wicketkeeper, it was really tough,” said Yousuf, who was behind the stumps in the intensely fought Bangalore Test against India in 1987, which Pakistan won by 16 runs despite Sunil Gavaskar’s classic knock of 96 in the second innings.
“I will never forget that Bangalore Test. It was a real turner and to keep on that wicket was a huge effort. It was a special moment when we won it,” added Yousuf, who scored a fighting unbeaten 41 in the second innings of that contest.
Yousuf even opened the batting for Pakistan and, in the 1990 Austral-Asia Cup in Sharjah, top scored with 62 to ensure the team led by Imran Khan scored a 26-run victory over India.
“Imran was a captain who led from the front. He gave the feeling of trust and gave ample chances. It is important for any youngster to get that feeling of trust which Imran conveyed. It makes you give your best for your captain.”
Yousuf believes that wicketkeeping is one of the toughest jobs on a cricket field but a really enjoyable one.
“Wicketkeeping is a thankless job but the most difficult job. It might look as if it is easy for a wicketkeeper to catch the ball and they are not expected to drop a chance,” he said.
“If players who are fielding at mid-on or point drop a catch, it is termed as bad luck, but when a keeper drops a catch it is not pardoned. A good catch or a run out by a wicketkeeper can change the game.
“The most important factor to be a good wicketkeeper is to practice the techniques and have a willingness to learn from the seniors. It is very important for any team to have a good wicketkeeper because he is the one who will know the wicket very well and can be of huge help to the captain.
“To keep wicket against spinners, a wicketkeeper should have good footwork to be in the right position. Over all these factors, to be successful, one should enjoy keeping wicket.”
