BANGALORE, March 27: Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq has found a novel method of avoiding pressure during his team’s high-profile tour of India — keep away from newspapers.
“I’m not reading newspapers at all on this tour. This is the best way to avoid pressure on a tough tour like that of India,” Inzamam said on Sunday.
“You need to avoid all off-field pressure and I do it by keeping myself away from newspapers.”
Inzamam said he had been following the advice of his former team-mate Saeed Anwar, a left-handed opening batsman who told the current Pakistani cricketers not to read newspapers on the India tour.
“I succeeded in avoiding extra pressure by not reading newspapers on Pakistan’s tour of India in 1999. I’d advise this team to do the same,” Saeed told the players before their departure for India last month.
Inzamam said Saeed’s tip had been very useful.
“I followed that advice. The only time I asked for newspapers was when my son’s pictures appeared last week,” said Inzamam.
Inzamam’s son Ibtisamul Haq appeared in newspapers here practising with the Pakistani team ahead of the third and final Test, which was the Pakistani captain’s 100th match.
“You wake up and read all sorts of news, columns by former players which add to the existing pressure,” said Inzamam.—AFP
