‘A team not coming to Pakistan isn’t playing against the best’

Younus Khan is the flavour of the season. Having led Pakistan to World Twenty20, the new captain cool has set his sights on higher goals. He spoke to DNA from Colombo on the targets his side has set, the problems in his country and the original captain cool MS Dhoni. Excerpts:

What worked for you in England?
There was no pressure on us. Nobody was expecting us to reach the semifinals, leave aside winning the tournament. There were no media persons hanging around our team. We had a lot of time to concentrate on our jobs. Unlike, say, the Indians we had a lot of freedom.

So you say you were not scared of losing?
We were second last time. We were on the verge of winning the final against India but we lost because we made some mistakes. I knew we panicked under pressure. All we had to do was hold our nerves. We won because we did not wilt under pressure. We knew how to handle it

You said it is not the end of the world if you lost in T20.
As a captain, I have to send out a message to the team that we are under control. The key to success is the understanding of the situation. Everyone thinks T20 is short but there are 120 balls to play. How you play those balls and what plans you have is important. In the semifinal and final, we didn’t panic. We were on top of the situation because we were not worried about consequences.

Your team is known to be unpredictable and divided…
Look, we have more match-winners than any other team. Take for instance the Indian team. There are not more than a few match-winners. But we have 11. The challenge for me was to identify the right personnel. Once we got our combination right, we knew no one can stop us.

Afridi was taking singles. Was it your influence?
It is difficult to control Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal. I gave them freedom to do what they want. I told them that I will not grudge if they fail. How can one hold back Afridi? It was maturity on his part to play like that. It wasn’t my influence.

Was there extra motivation to win because of international isolation?
No one is willing to visit Pakistan so we wanted to prove our strength at the biggest platform. It was a mega event and we were determined. We missed a chance to beat Australia in Abu Dhabi. That defeat rankled. If a team is not coming to Pakistan they are not playing against the best team in the world.

You think other teams’ attitude towards Pakistan will change?
It should. It is a law and order problem because of some mad people. I grew up watching players like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad. So if there is no cricket in Pakistan, who will be models for the young cricketers of my country? I’m really concerned.

What can one expect from the Pakistan team?
It is business as usual. We have won the World T20. That’s it. Every day is a new day I believe in the present and the future, not in the past. So we have to move and concentrate on the job at hand and prepare for the future. At present, we are focusing on the Sri Lanka series. Yes, we have a few targets. We want to do well in the World Cup and of course in the Champions Trophy. We want the World Cup back. Then I want Pakistan to be among top three cricketing nations.

Will you reconsider your decision to retire from T20?
There is no pressure on me to reconsider. No one has spoken to me. I think the timing was right to bow out. I’m at the top and my team is at the top. I should give a youngster a chance.

Will you be playing in the IPL?
I was not getting to play for Rajasthan Royals. As captain of Pakistan it was difficult for me to sit out. I told the team that I should be released. We had a good understanding and they released me. I don’t think I will play again.

Do you have any message for MS Dhoni?
He is a fantastic guy and fantastic captain. He does very well under pressure. He had two good years and has matured having overcome many pressure situations. He should sit with his team and start afresh. I’m sure he will come good again.