Azeem Ghumman has plenty of experience for a first-class cricketer, having played 19 games before the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.PakPassion.Net is delighted to present an Exclusive Interview with Azeem Ghumman - Pakistan's successful captain at the U19 World Cup.
by Saj Sadiq & Haroon Khan (19th March 2010)
PakPassion.net: Were you surprised or expectant of a job as skipper in the upcoming ?A? tour?
Azeem Ghumman: No, to be very honest the only expectation was to get selected for the tour. The additional part of being named skipper was a bonus and something that I am extremely excited about. It was certainly not something I expected.
PakPassion.Net: Where did you hear the news of getting selected?
Azeem Ghumman: It was my sister who gave me a ring about my selection. She called me immediately, once she found out and told me that I had become the captain of the Pakistan ?A? team for the upcoming tour. It was a wonderful moment.
PakPassion.Net: Were you pleased about your selection?
Azeem Ghumman: Yes of course, at the time I was talking to my sister about the score of the current test match that?s going on. During that period she told me about my selection and it was tremendously pleasing to hear her say that and surprising in a way.
PakPassion.Net:You did a very good job in the recent U-19 world cup. What did you learn from that experience that might help in your latest venture with the Pakistan ?A? team?
Azeem Ghumman: Well, I learned a whole lot about captaincy from coach Ijaz Ahmed. He helped me enormously along the way in that world cup and I developed a lot of tactics and other tricks under him as a skipper. He taught me a lot of things during our time together as I was making a few silly mistakes in the beginning and it was helpful to have him looking over me.
PakPassion.Net: Captaincy is obviously a difficult job at any level of cricket ? what is the hardest part about captaincy?
Azeem Ghumman: Personally, it?s not a difficult job as long as you have certain strategies in your mind and are fully prepared for all things that might occur on the field. The key is to have all the lads united and if this occurs captaincy becomes straightforward and I haven?t found it difficult, yet.
PakPassion.Net: We have had many promising cricketers talk about on PakPassion such as Mohammad Irfan , Mohammad Talha and Yasir Shah. There are two upcoming cricketers, Tabish Khan and Abid Ali ? what is your opinion on both lads?
Azeem Ghumman: I have played a ton with both of these lads. Abid Ali is definitely an excellent batsman from Lahore and Tabish Khan is a respectable pacer from Karachi. Tabish has been played in domestic cricket for a while and thus I have got many chances to play with him. Abid Ali usually plays as an opening batsman and I am not certain which department team he currently is playing for, but it?s in Lahore.
PakPassion.Net: Obviously, you did not know about your captaincy role ? but, did the selector ask for your advice about team selection for the Pakistan ?A? tour?
Azeem Ghumman: Absolutely not and that?s the way it should be. There is no reason for me to butt in and try to force my views upon the selector as it?s not my job. To be honest, I found about my selection in the team the day it was announced, so the idea of influencing the selectors about certain players was out of the question. I honestly did not even know about a team being selected until a few days before it was announced.
PakPassion.Net: The member on PakPassion have eagerly followed your cricket over the past few years. Everyone knows you are playing league cricket in Surrey ? how is your stint with the club over there going?
Azeem Ghumman: The season is going well at the moment. The league I am currently playing in is quite competitive and it?s becoming an excellent experience for me. The club is giving me chances to get a ton of playing time as they play 2-3 matches a week. It helps maintain my form and I have enjoyed myself.
PakPassion.Net: What is the plan now in terms of the "A" team? What is the schedule for you, personally?
Azeem Ghumman: I have absolutely no clue. The schedule is not really set in stone with the club, as I might be called back to Pakistan for the Pakistan ?A? camp or other duties. I will certainly find out about the camps and other things as time passes on, at this point I am unsure about that stuff as I have not talked to anyone at the PCB.
PakPassion.Net: What will go on with the team? As in ? will there be camps held for sure before leaving for the tour or will all the lads meet up and just leave for the tour without any preparation?
Azeem Ghumman: There will most certainly be a camp before leaving.
PakPassion.Net: In your opinion, what should be the direction of the camp that will occur? With the likes of Waqar Younis and Ijaz Ahmed being on the English tour ? will the NCA coaches help out with the ?A? team?
Azeem Ghumman: I am not sure. Like I stated before, I just recently found out about my selection to the team. I am not sure about the coaches that will be assisting the unit at the camp. To be honest, I didn?t even know about the team that I would be leading, so knowing the coaches for the camp is impossible. I will find out later on once the time for the camp nears.
PakPassion.Net: Have you been to Sri Lanka in the past as in a tour or in any other capacity?
Azeem Ghumman: Well, I went at the under-19 level with the national team. It was a tri-series between Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. I did relatively well on that tour and scored a whole bunch of runs. It was an exceptional tour for me and I have positive memories of the place.
PakPassion.Net:Many top class Pakistan players have gone through the Pakistan ?A? team over the years. The likes of Azhar Mahmood, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar and other lads at one time were playing in the same ?A? team on a tour to England. In your opinion, what is the importance of the ?A? team for an upcoming cricketer?
Azeem Ghumman: The importance of the ?A? team is massive as it allows many cricketers an opportunity to exhibit their skills at a higher level. The player who performs in these tours ? they always get a good shot with the national team especially if they show a certain level of consistency. I have only played once before with the team on the Australia tour. On that tour, Umar Akmal made a whole boatload of runs and is currently doing well with the senior national team.
PakPassion.net: The Pakistan senior team is currently touring England, have you been following them in regards to the current test match?
Azeem Ghumman: I have been following the recent test match that is being played, however I don?t really get a chance to sit down and watch the match. Usually, I just find out the score and in that manner I have been following the team. Practices take up most of my time these days at the club and I don?t get time to watch much.
PakPassion.Net:Sri Lanka always presents difficult conditions for batsmen. Spinners from Sri Lanka and seamers from South Africa will obviously create some trouble for the teams involved on those pitches. Both are strong outfits at this level, what are your thoughts on them?
Azeem Ghumman: Yes, both teams are quite talented and this will make the tour exciting. We will get to see some competitive cricket by playing against these units and I feel Pakistan is not lacking in anyway either. We can compare ourselves to these teams as our squad is full with talent.
PakPassion.Net: The senior team is currently on the England tour and once they come back ? they will have a lot of cricket to play. They have many tests, ODIs and T20s coming up with the series in Dubai against South Africa. Will most of the boys have an eye on a spot on the national team?
Azeem Ghumman: According to me, every single player on the team has only one goal in life and that is to play on the national team and wear the Pakistani kit. All the boys will be looking forward to impressing the selectors and other important people with their play and hopefully something good will come out of it.
PakPassion.Net: Thanks Azeem. Hope you have a successful tour of Sri Lanka and with all of your future endeavours.
Azeem Ghumman: Thank you.
