'I considered myself average before World Series Cricket'
Asif Iqbal on insomnia before a playing day, meeting Worrell, and losing his cool
The night before the last day of the Edgbaston Test of 1971. England had followed on and Pakistan were in a good position to win a Test against England after 17 years. [They drew it.]
Sir Frank Worrell visited India somewhere in the mid-50s for the silver jubilee of Indian cricket. I was lucky to get his autograph.
In one of the Tests of the 1964-65 home series against New Zealand, their wicketkeeper claimed I was bowled. I was beaten and the ball had ricocheted off the keeper's pads on to the stumps and broken the bails. The whole New Zealand side made a real fuss. The umpire rightly gave me not out.
My uncle Ghulam Ahmed, the Indian Test cricketer, presented me with a brand new pair of gloves he had bought from outside India, predicting I would be an excellent batsman.
When Kerry Packer invited me to join World Series Cricket in 1977. Prior to that, I had considered myself to be only an average Test cricketer.
Ijaz Chaudhry writes on cricket and other sports. For more about him and samples of his published work, visit www.sportscorrespondent.info