Dubai: Intikhab Alam, the legendary leg spinner of the Sixties and Seventies, is the manager of the visiting Pakistan team. A shrewd captain as well as coach, Alam had played a vital role in Pakistan lifting the 1992 World Cup as the manager-coach of the team.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Alam spoke in depth not only about Pakistan’s match-winning leg spinner Yasir Shah and his breed around the world. He expressed his delight over the fact that leg spin, which was once considered to be an expensive art, is now becoming a powerful weapon in all forms of the game.

Following are the excerpts:

Is leg spin becoming a strong weapon even though the Shane Warne days are over with Yasir Shah emerging as a very fine strike bowler?

I think over the years, the world has produced so many good leg spinners and it is a very important component of this great game. I am really pleased to see a few leg spinners around now. We (Pakistan) had some very good leg spinners in Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmad and now we have Yasir Shah. South Africans too have a good leg spinner in Imran Tahir. So personally for a former leg spinner, it is very heartening.

What kind of a role can leg spinners play if they are good?

If you are a good leg spinner, he can play a very vital role. I consider leg spinners as match winners and other countries too have leg spinners who are now match winners. So it is a good trend as previously we did not see too many leg spinners.

What is it that makes Yasir Shah stand out among the world’s best leg spinner today?

Yasir has lately done especially well. Two things are very important for a leg spinner. You need a good captain and I think (Pakistan skipper) Misbah Ul Haq has used him brilliantly. Yasir has been successful because Misbah has created enough confidence in him and he responded well to that confidence.

Also, I think you need icons (for leg spinners) as most young people want to watch somebody who has been successful and they too want to become like them as great leg spinners. Even after they retire they leave their legacy. Australia’s Shane Warne is one of them. India too has produced some very good leg spinners in the past also. I think leg spinners are good for the game.

What is the change you have seen of late when it comes to picking leg spinners in the team?

Previously, people had a different kind of thinking. They all thought leg spinners are too expensive to play them in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches. I think a good leg spinner can play in all three formats of the game.

In Twenty20, how can leg spinners become effective?

In Twenty20, you have to hit them and to be effective a lot depends on the confidence of the bowlers. One has to use his trust and that can help in becoming successful in all formats of the game.

Does pitch really matter for a leg spinner to be effective?

If it is turning, then there is nothing like it. Not only leg spinners but any spinner wants a turning wicket but they would like a bit of bounce on the wicket. If the pitch has got a bit of bounce, pace and turn, I think, it is a blessing for leg spinners.

According to your observation over the years, what makes a good leg spinner?

To be a good leg spinner, one has to be very disciplined. They need to work extremely hard. They have to bowl and bowl to master it. Leg break is actually a stock ball so you have to be very accurate. Then you should have the ability to turn the ball in different degrees and using the bowling crease effectively. There are two wicket taking weapons one is the flipper and the other is the wrong one. To become a master of wrong one you need lot of time and a lot of practice. Once you master it you should also know how you use it which is also very important.

How do you enjoy the role of managing the Pakistan team?

I have done it in the past. It’s a challenge and I enjoy working with them.