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| Sohail Abbas |
Karachi: The iconic Sohail Abbas, who holds the world record for the most (274) goals in hockey, is a Sachin Tendulkar fan.
“When I was younger, among the Indians, I admired Sunil Gavaskar... In more recent years, Sachin has been a big favourite,” Sohail told The Telegraph at the prettier-than-a-picture postcard Arabian Sea Country Club, some 35 kms from the heart of Pakistan’s commercial capital.
While interacting on Friday afternoon, Sohail was disappointed he’d missed Sachin by no more than minutes. “Frankly, I didn’t know he would be at the Club or, else, I would have come earlier,” the lethal centre-forward said.
Incidentally, Sohail’s father (Iftikhar Hussain) was a decent cricketer in his time. “He used to bat like Shahid Afridi... Loved giving the ball a whack... Perhaps, that’s why I began to hero-worship batsmen... Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad, besides Gavaskar,” he pointed out.
Sohail hasn’t played for Pakistan since the Champions Trophy in Lahore, two years ago, but continues to turn out (as a pro) for a club in Rotterdam. “It’s great fun... There are two seasons of three months each and I’ve been enjoying myself...”
Asked whether he regretted quitting before becoming the first in history to score 300 goals, Sohail laughed: “Well, records are meant to be broken... I got past Paul Litjens and somebody will overtake me... The number doesn’t matter...”
The dominance of India and Pakistan has gone and, in Sohail’s opinion, it’s because the powers-that-be aren’t “investing” enough. “The more you invest, in everything, the better the results... Also, the structure needs to be run professionally... It’s not that the potential isn’t there, though.”
Sohail may watch the third and final Test, beginning Sunday, but doesn’t want the National Stadium to also host a draw. “It’s such a big series... Because of the following alone, there has to be a winner,” he signed off.
Deftly, as usual.