Exclusive: Akram, Manjrekar on World T20

New Delhi: In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram and former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar reflected on what the ICC World Twenty20 promises and a range of other issues.

CNN-IBN: The IPL may be over but the fun and games are not, because very soon the T20 World Cup will be brought to us by ESPN-Star by Wasim Akram and Sanjay Manjrekar. Wasim, are you getting the feeling that the T20 World Cup is here?

Wasim Akram: Yes, very much. I didn't go to the T20 World Cup the last time as I was busy. But this time, I'm very excited myself because I haven't done commentary for T20 cricket as much. Is it as much fun, Sanjay?

Sanjay Manjrekar: My experience of T20 is the local competition in Pakistan. That was my first exposure when we had domestic cricket in Pakistan, domestic teams playing at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, where people were on the roof tops. That's when I realised there is something about T20 cricket and something about evening games.

Wasim Akram: I think T20 is about entertainment, fun, quick-fire or fast food cricket. Everything is done and dusted with in three and half hours. It's all good fun, the kids love it. It's a great way to introduce the game to youngsters worldwide.

CNN-IBN: One of the things for a change will be that Sanjay will be on the side as the great Wasim Akram and not having to face him. You must have faced a lot of him in the eighties.

Sanjay Manjrekar: Unfortunately. But when I watch today's cricket, I feel sorry for the guys who didn't play Wasim Akram. You could be battered by him or you could play him well on occasions, but the experience of having faced him was different. I see people in India follow him closely and its because of the impact he has made on the Indians, left so many memories - good or bad - but they are going to last forever.

CNN-IBN: You are going to be commentators together. That will be fun as well. You have worked a lot with Indian commentators but Sanjay is a new addition to the team.

Wasim Akram: I have been listening to him for the last 7-8 years. People in Pakistan think that I live in India, and people in India think he lives in Pakistan. I have been listening to him a lot, and I like the way he gets on, he speaks what he thinks, sees, and I'm really honoured to have him on our side.

CNN-IBN: Is he a more exciting commentator than a batsman?

Wasim Akram: He is very exciting as a commentator, but he was perfect as a batsman.

CNN-IBN: Sanjay, have you spotted the Lancastrian accent in his commentary, or has he lost it now?

Sanjay Manjrekar: He is almost Indian. It's nice to have somebody from the sub-continent, because we have the same kind of values and we can connect that with cricket as well. So there is a lot of synergy there.

CNN-IBN: Let's talk a little bit about Twenty20 cricket. Did you watch the IPL?

Wasim Akram: Yes, I did.

CNN-IBN: What about the IPL did you enjoy the most?

Wasim Akram: I enjoyed the way it was done. It was fun, it looked fun on television. The competitiveness among the cricketers and of the game. The first year didn't look that serious to me. The rich people bought their teams, bought players - would be fun. But this year, it was all about pride and winning. You could see the difference in the game as well.

CNN-IBN: One of the things that stood out in this IPL was all the veterans. Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Anil Kumble - Wasim Akram should be playing in the IPL.

Wasim Akram: I have had my innings, believe me. If I bowl now, I'll probably kill the leg umpire.

CNN-IBN: You saw Anil bowl, you saw Adam Gilchrist keep wickets, you saw Matthew Hayden get runs.

Wasim Akram: The key to these experienced cricketers doing well is the fact that they know that you can't hit every ball out of the park, and you can't get a wicket from every ball. That's why the experienced players got runs. Unless you're Gilchrist, that's a different ball game altogether. If you hit a boundary or a six, take a single off the next. You need to have wickets in hand in the last five overs. So they're learning now.

CNN-IBN: We've had sixty T20 games to watch of late. Is there a concern at all, that there has been too much T20 cricket, maybe people have had too much of it, and the T20 World Cup is coming up too soon?

Wasim Akram: T20 cricket has just started now. It's not going to be too much. The difference with the ICC is that it becomes nation against nation. The people's reaction to it would be totally different as it would be towards the IPL. There would be a lot more countries involved.

With the IPL it was about supporting cities or franchises. People won't get sick during the T20 World Cup because, eventually, both the tournaments would be once a year.

Sanjay Manjrekar: Say there is another Premier League, maybe the Australian Premier League, maybe then people would start feeling this is enough. But this is the World T20. These are the best teams in the world, international players clashing against each other. The feedback that we've got as to what people are anticipating in the channel - is tremendous.

CNN-IBN: Another criticism against the T20 World Cup has been the number of so-called weak teams: Ireland, Scotland, Holland. Does that worry you because in the IPL you never get a game, even in the case of the Knight Riders, you never got a poor game. But here you might get a completely one-sided game at the start of the tournament. Could that be a negative?

Sanjay Manjrekar: No, not in T20 cricket. Weak teams in the 50-over format can be a real hindrance, and it's something that the administrators get criticised for. The beauty of T20 is any weak team can compete better with a stronger team in a short format. If at all there is a one-sided game, it doesn't bother public too much because it finishes off very quickly. One of the reasons why 50-over cricket suffered a little bit is that with weaker teams, it was not just about losing badly but you had to sit through the 100 overs to see the team that was going to lose anyway.

Wasim Akram: I agree with that. The ICC have to do this to promote the game, so there will be a lot more tournaments coming up. Bangladesh can be quite lethal in T20 cricket, I can tell you that.

Sanjay Manjrekar: I don't think you can add any more nation to Test cricket, the ICC can give up on that, even 50-over cricket for that matter. When people have the option of playing T20, they are not going to try and get better at the longer versions.

CNN-IBN: The tournament will be in England in June. Who better than Wasim Akram to tell us what it's going to be like? We saw in South Africa in this IPL, that the bowlers got into it. It wasn't like the batting fest the first season was. What can we expect from the conditions in England. Will the games be of 180-200 range or 140-150?

Wasim Akram: I just got to know that the weather in England in June would be the hottest in quite some time and sunny all the way. There are three venues: Lord's, which juggles a bit, a bit of seam movement. But the Oval has always been a flat deck, doesn't matter whether it rains or not, and so is Nottingham (Trent Bridge) - the flattest track in England. So yes, I think there will be a lot more runs than in South Africa. The spinners won't be able to turn the ball as much. The wickets there don't break as quickly. Spinners might get some bounce at Oval.

CNN-IBN: You expect the batsmen to come into it a lot more in England than they did in South Africa in the T20 World Cup?

Wasim Akram: I think so.

Sanjay Manjrekar: One of the biggest characteristic of what we saw in South Africa was the effectiveness of spin because of the slowing wickets as well as the bounce. That had a huge impact in the final scores and the results. Teams that were set targets of 140 were struggling to get there.

You might not see that kind of surfaces in England, so the spinners may not make as much of a contribution as they did in South Africa. Thereby I think maybe the scores will get better. Unless the overhead conditions keep changing. Then you're not guaranteed of anything.

CNN-IBN: Let's talk about the favourites. A lot of people's favourites are India - they are the defending champions. Sanjay, are you worried a little bit about how some of the players look jaded. Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj didn't have the greatest IPL. Zaheer is injured, not so sure whether he'll play or not. These are key players and India is not very sure. Is it a concern or is this team way above everyone else? Even Sachin Tendulkar mentioned about him being worried about Sehwag and Gambhir.

Sanjay Manjrekar: There are two things. There's a positive in the kind of cricket that they've played in the recent past, which is a lot of T20 cricket. That's match practice, which not too many other nations have had. That can be a huge advantage going into the World Cup.

Jaded is the negative. Zaheer Khan's injury is a big worry. Zaheer's presence in the bowling attack is very important for India. But having played so many matches, I can look at it more as something going for India rather than hindering them from not playing well.

CNN-IBN: Do you agree with that? Do you think they've got a few problems to deal with before they get onto that path?

Wasim Akram: People have been saying that they're fatigued, they're probably tired, maybe bored even. They probably are. But they are winning. When the team is winning, you don't feel tired, you don't feel fatigued. When you know as a team that you can win against any side, in any form of the game, and when the World Cup comes everybody gets together and they want to win the World Cup. Especially with the depth the Indian team has now, I think they have a good enough chance.

CNN-IBN: Wasim, you have spoken about how you rate Pakistan quite highly going into the T20 World Cup. Pakistan have had a stop-start season, but the fact that you pick them must be for a cricketing reason. What do you think is going in Pakistan's favour?

Wasim Akram: I have seen their recent performance against Australia. Although they lost the one-day series 2-3, they played very good cricket comparatively. They didn't look rusty, and they won the Twenty20 match comfortably. But for Twenty20 cricket, they have a good enough side - they have all-rounders, they have variety in Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Saeed Ajmal, who can bowl the doosra very well. Then of course we have Shahid Afridi. There is a lot of variety at Younis Khan's disposal. Pakistan has been playing Twenty20 cricket at the domestic level as well, where they frequently post big totals.

CNN-IBN: What we also saw the last time in South Africa was a grand occasion: an India vs Pakistan final. It felt like either you were in Lahore or in Kolkata. But imagine that on June 21 at Lord's, and you will know the black market of tickets will be massive. What an occasion would that be if there is a repeat of the 2007 final, and we get the kind of game we got the last time?

Sanjay Manjrekar: The first game between India and Pakistan actually sealed the success of T20 cricket for the Indians. They loved the concept, and then India went on to beat Pakistan in the final. That was it, India was a die-hard fan of T20 cricket. But for that to happen again, the odds are not in favour. But let's hope for the best.

Wasim Akram: Yes. But there are 2-3 teams you can expect to reach the last four - India, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa.

Sanjay Manjrekar: New Zealand is also a team that I would want to watch, especially because they are playing in England, the conditions little similar to their home conditions. And they have got a few dangerous players there. Brendon McCullum didn't get too many runs in the IPL, but we know he can be a great T20 player. Ross Taylor is there, Jacob Oram failed in the IPL but these are guys who know what T20 is all about.

Finally - anyone can win. I think we are starting to understand that there is so much uncertainty. You need to have a good team but the rest is beyond your control. Cross your fingers and pray to the Almighty before the match.

CNN-IBN: We are talking about T20 cricket and its prospects and you are talking happily about Pakistan cricket. But is there a fear in your heart as one of the greats of this game, about what is happening to your game and your country, are you worried? Tell us how all of this has impacted you.

Wasim Akram: Of course I'm worried like every other Pakistani. We all are worried. We love our cricket, we watched whatever happened to the Sri Lankan side. We all are very saddened. But we love this sport and cricket has to go on, sport has to go on.

CNN-IBN: Do you believe teams should come back to Pakistan and play?

Wasim Akram: Not in the near future. We have to assess the situation in six months' time and I'm sure things are getting better. Security will be better. And after a year, Pakistan Cricket Board can start asking teams to tour, of course with the help of ICC.

CNN-IBN: What do you feel, Sanjay? Wasim said you're almost an honorary Pakistan citizen and you have worked enormously in that country. There is a great amount of love for the game, but these incidents have feared cricketers. Cricketers are now genuinely fearful about going to Pakistan.

Sanjay Manjrekar: I think the onus finally is with the Pakistan government. It is something that is beyond Wasim's control. All of us can just be emotional about the issue, but finally, security has to be provided to every visitor. Basically, the situation in Pakistan has to improve, so that it doesn't become a country where there is constant turmoil. And once you have an option, like they had recently when they played Australia in Abu Dhabi, then most foreign teams would say 'Okay. We would love to play Pakistan but not in Pakistan'. So it's something that is beyond the reach of the players.

CNN-IBN: A young Wasim Akram would have seen Imran bowling at the grounds in Pakistan, a young Wasim Akram would have seen Zaheer Abbas bat and all of that. Do young players have that opportunity?

Wasim Akram: No they don't. Not right now. There is no cricket unless and until it's first-class cricket. And Pakistan Cricket Board is not promoting first-class cricket at all.

CNN-IBN: The other issue was the pulling of the World Cup already from Pakistan. Do you think that was a hasty decision?

Wasim Akram: I have my own opinion on that. I think I'd rather keep my gob shut on that one. But everybody knew this is going to happen. The PCB should have given them (ICC) the alternate venue, or told them, 'Okay. Give us six months. Let's assess the situation.' But that didn't happen.

CNN-IBN: I want to ask you about Shoaib Akhtar. Once again, he is out of the Twenty20 World Cup and this time it's not an injury, and it's something we can't even say on television, although the PCB has released a medical report of what is the problem with him, of having genital warts. Do you think he needs to be persisted with still, or does Pakistan now need to actually say bye-bye to the bad boy?

Wasim Akram: I know Shoaib very well. I think that was his last chance. I have been here for two weeks, so I don't know what's happening. I can only guess. And my guess would be, why that report came out was because Pakistan Cricket Board probably doesn't want Shoaib Akhtar any more. They have probably said 'enough is enough. We have been supporting you for the last 6-8 months.' He was with the team, he played the one-dayers, he bowled well with the new ball, his second spell was a problem. But for four overs he was good enough. But he blew it away again. That's Shoaib Akhtar. He's been very consistent in that.

Sanjay Manjrekar: Perfect for T20, is Shoaib. Loves to bowl just four overs, and you can only bowl four overs.

Wasim Akram: But then he can't walk.

CNN-IBN: Wasim, you have been part of a World Cup winning squad in the 50-over format. I remember asking you this last year, and you had said you worried for one-day cricket then. What are your thoughts about one-day cricket now, as long as we have this: the Champions League, another T20 World Cup, with a few one-day matches scheduled in between. Will people be watching one-day cricket?

Wasim Akram: I think they will be. One-day cricket has more to do with the skill and a lot more in Test cricket. Every format has its own charm. What the ICC did best with ODI cricket was to introduce the Powerplay. So anyone can win the last 10 overs. If you take the Powerplay in the last five overs, it has got people interested. I think people will watch it.

Sanjay Manjrekar: I beg to differ. I think after T20, 50 overs suddenly seem too long, a little too boring, and what T20 did was get non-cricket followers also into the game. They will definitely not watch any other form of the game. The guys who were die-hard fans of ODI cricket, for them, T20 is even better. They are not going to be sitting in front of the television watching it.

Indian viewership was the main reason why one-day cricket was sustainable at the international level. India now is not as 'unemployed' as it used to be. It's not going to sit in front of the TV for seven hours a day. India is now busy, a growing economy. So I have my doubts about how much ODI cricket is going to sustain itself.

CNN-IBN: But you're confident about Test cricket?

Wasim Akram: Yes. If you have to judge the greatness of a player it has to be from Test cricket.

Sanjay Manjrekar: That's where Test cricket has its unique position, where it is not getting too affected by T20. But 50-over cricket will.

CNN-IBN: Make a prediction. Final of the T20 World Cup - what will happen, who will win?

Wasim Akram: I would like to see India play Pakistan like you mentioned, but I think its highly unlikely. It could be India against Australia.

Sanjay Manjrekar: I won't pick anyone. There's no value to it in T20 cricket. But the strongest team in the fray is India.