Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, who is in excellent form, celebrate the fall of a wicket in an Asia Cup match

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal, one of the select few to have attended the meeting in New Delhi where the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) came into being 25 years ago, spoke to The Telegraph on Friday afternoon.

The following are excerpts

Q The two best teams are in the Asia Cup final…

A Absolutely, no doubt whatsoever.

But what’s wrong with Pakistan?

It’s somewhat of an unfair question because you’re then taking the credit away from India and Sri Lanka… Pakistan did have a good win against India (in the Super Four stage), but the better teams are in the final…

Of course, but the bottomline is that Pakistan have proved to be third-best, isn’t it?

At the moment, yes, that’s the reality… It was only weeks ago that Pakistan beat India in the tri-series final in Dhaka, but that victory didn’t make Pakistan the better team… The nature of limited overs cricket is such that the team which plays better on the day happens to win.

So, how can Pakistan improve?

With more experience… The potential is there, otherwise Pakistan wouldn’t have been able to defeat India twice in a matter of weeks… I accept that consistency is lacking and that it’s critical.

Is removing Shoaib Malik from the captaincy one way forward?

Look, when Malik got appointed (after the 2007 World Cup), it was the result of a conscious decision to invest in youth… Today, he’s just 26… Unless there’s a drastic drop in his form and the team’s fortunes, I feel he should keep the job… People are talking of the vice-captain, Misbah-ul Haq, but he’s 34.

What are your thoughts about India?

The difference being made by the captain, (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni, is immeasurable… He has faith in his boys, gives them confidence… Communicates well on the field and, I’m sure, off it too… Above all, look at the way he bats… We’re seeing a different Dhoni… This Indian team is young, ambitious and hungry.

Asif Iqbal

Should the Sourav Gangulys retire from ODIs?

This young team has been delivering, so why should your selectors make a change? Test cricket is very different and the seniors’ places are secure there.

What’s the biggest difference between this Indian team and the ones of, say, even the recent past?

It won’t be proper to make comparisons… After all, when your seniors were younger, they helped register fantastic victories… It’s becoming increasingly clear, though, that young legs are needed in ODIs… The need is more pronounced in Twenty20 cricket… Dhoni’s leading a team which is in tune with both forms.

For you, then, Dhoni is India’s USP?

He’s very much the central figure and the rest play around him… What’s good is that if one fails, then the other succeeds.

On a scale of 10, how many marks would you give Dhoni as captain?

(Laughs) I wouldn’t mark him, but I’ll definitely say if I had a team, I’d love to have him as its captain.

What, in your opinion, is Sri Lanka’s strength?

A nice blend of youth and experience… The Lankans are honest and hard workers… Like Dhoni, Mahela (Jayawardene) has moulded his team into a strong unit… They enjoy their work… Cricket is no longer a sport, but an industry and, most of the time, one finds that the enjoyment isn’t there… You could have a team which wins more matches, but the enjoyment I only see on the faces of the Indians and the Lankans… Actually, the New Zealanders as well. Entertainment-wise, those three give value for money and that’s because they themselves enjoy what they’re doing.

How will the gap between the top three in Asia and the rest get narrower?

Bangladesh have already done that… Some of their performers are teenagers and, so, the future is bright… As for the others, like the UAE and Hong Kong, well, they need more exposure and the ACC should make it mandatory for the four Test-playing nations to regularly play ODIs against the emerging teams. A couple of matches every few years isn’t going to help. Also, often, the Asia Cup gets postponed… It has to be held every two years and must figure in the ICC’s Future Tours Programme… It has to have a fixed slot.

The last one: Come Sunday, which team will you be putting your money on?

It’s a tricky question… The captains, I suspect, must be utterly confused… What to do after winning the toss? I mean, even 300-plus totals have been overtaken quite comfortably… To get back to your question, I have a feeling that the team which chases will take the Cup.