Former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal says Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar is the batsman he would want to bat for his life.
"Yes, if there is one batsman I will ask to bat for my life, it is Sachin Tendulkar," said Iqbal picking the famous quote to describe recently retired Australian captain Steve Waugh.
Iqbal, who himself was a reputed crisis man during his playing days, also says the criticism that Tendulkar has not won matches for India is unwarranted.
"It is not true to say he is not a match winner. It is difficult to compare players of different calibre like Sachin, (Brian) Lara and (Matthew) Hayden," Iqbal said.
However, Iqbal feels Pakistan would not be targeting Tendulkar since India were no more a one-man team.
"He is one of the finest batsmen. Fortunately for India, it is no longer a case of one-player team. Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag have taken the pressure off him. I don't think Pakistan will be targeting him (Sachin)."
Iqbal came out of his retirement in 1978 to play against India at home. It was an emotional moment not only for the cricketer but for the two teams as well.
India and Pakistan were, much like today, re-establishing sporting contacts after a gap of more than two decades then. For Iqbal, it was a dream come true to play against the country where he was born and learnt his cricket.
"What happened was, I had jokingly said 'if I am still alive I will play against India'," he said.
"I was born in Hyderabad (of Deccan), played in the Ranji Trophy and for South Zone. For me it was a dream to play against India, the country where I was born and learnt my cricket.
"We won 2-0 but it was much more than winning. The series raised hopes there will be a continuation in sporting ties and matches did take place (after that series)."
In the upcoming series, Iqbal says the hosts would prepare wickets suited to their fast bowlers but expected the Indian batsmen to produce big totals.
"India has one of the finest batting line-ups but unfortunately they do not have the bowlers. It is batting that won them the Test in Australia.
"Pakistan have the bowlers but not the batting. If I were to pick two players from the current Pakistan side who could be the match-winners it will be Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami.
"I think Pakistan will try and produce pitches that suit their fast bowlers. But India have just returned after performing well on Australian pitches, it should be a high scoring series."
Iqbal gave thumbs-up to Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly for the way he has led the team in recent years.
"Sourav has been given the opportunity and he has handled things well when all did not go well for him in the beginning. Now, he has grown in stature and is more confident.
"After the Australian tour, he has faith in not only himself but also in his team and knows how to get the best out of his players."
Iqbal played in 58 Tests and scored 3575 runs with the help of 11 centuries. The Indians who played against him still remember his running between the wickets on the fourth and final day of the third Test in Karachi.
He was 36 years then but matched a young Javed Miandad, who had made his debut only four seasons ago, in speed and helped Pakistan overhaul a fourth innings target of 164 in just 25 overs.
"In the present context, what was achieved in that series is not much exciting," said Iqbal reminiscing the match.
"Back then, Zaheer Abbas came up with one of his best knocks of his career. In the lead up to the series, there was a lot of hype about the great Indian spinners, but Pakistan played really good cricket.
"Karachi was the highlight of that series. The players were coming back after joining Packer, which made the win much more thrilling."
But the return series in 1979-80, when he was named the captain, was a humbling experience for Iqbal and his men.
"When we came back, I remember Gavaskar writing in an article that Pakistan were the favourites to win the series.
"In fact, India played far better cricket than us, and you also had a certain Kapil Dev who bowled superbly in that series."
Asked why Pakistan was not a batting powerhouse anymore as it used to be in seventies and eighties, Iqbal said the advent of Imran Khan was a reason for this.
"What has happened is, after Imran Khan, the youngsters have taken him as role model and there has been a succession of fast bowlers like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis."
Iqbal feels the hiatus in sporting ties between the two neighbouring countries has led to the hype around the present series.
"I think if India and Pakistan play each other regularly, people of both the countries will realise that playing on the field in not an act of God.
"It has also got to do with the people's mind set which still looks back at the time when India and Pakistan were separated. Whenever the teams play, they project it as a clash of two cultures."
Iqbal, who in later years was associated with Cricketers Benefit Fund Series in Sharjah, did not want to predict the outcome of the coming series.
"In the one-day series, it is the team that plays better on the day that will win.
"The Tests, as I said earlier, are going to be tall scoring games, subject to what kind of wickets we get.
"As a Pakistani, I would like Pakistan to win but it should be good cricket."
