SHAHID AFRIDI

There is an amazing craze for cricket in India.

There is a lot of warmth and fellow-feeling whenever I have spoken to Virat. It's not that we get a chance to speak a lot, but from time to time, he would drop in a message, and I would do the same.

Ajwa and Asmara are the youngest and love to play dress-up. They have my permission to play any sport, as long as they're indoors. Cricket? No, not for my girls.

I am available to play in foreign leagues only when not required on national duty.

I began as a bowler and batting at No. 8 or 9 at Under-14, U-16 and U-19 levels, so to change myself was really difficult.

If the captain stands still and looks clueless, then it spreads to the whole team.

Whether it is Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, or Inzamam ul-Haq, they will also say that they get a lot of respect here because cricket is literally worshiped in India.

I am happy that I am getting a chance to play for Hampshire, because wherever I play, at the end of the day, I am recognized as a Pakistani, and if I do well, it is Pakistan cricket that gets a good name.

My main strength is my bowling, but where I bat, I can also contribute for the team, and that is important.

They have permission to play all the indoor games they want, but my daughters are not going to be competing in public sporting activities.

The reason for my age being messed up in the records is that when I first appeared for the under-14 trials, I myself really did not know my exact age.

When my family moved to Karachi, I just knew the date and month of my birth and not the exact year. That is why my age was erroneously recorded in the under-14 trials.

I have no real desire to play Test cricket, and the reason I lost this desire was because I was not selected consistently for Test matches.

As long as you are winning, everything is fine, and you lose a game, and all hell breaks loose. That is grossly unfair. We should not overlook someone's past achievements just because he is going through a bad patch.

Kashmir belongs to the Kashmiris. Not to Indians. Not to Pakistanis.

I admire Indian cricket because of the way the sport is run there and how the money they earn is invested back into the game and players.

I still say Pakistan and India should have normal bilateral relations in cricket and there should be regular exchanges between the two countries.

The love and support I have got and get from my well-wishers and fans is enough reward for me.

My daughters are very precious to me.

There is no team in the world that doesn't tamper with the ball.

I think, in international cricket, your management is about motivating players.

I have enjoyed my cricket in India, and I love Indian people.

My wife is from India, and I come to India a lot. I have never faced any security issue.

Once I am out of the ground, I forget cricket or keep it away as far as possible, to lighten up.

In very few countries I enjoyed cricket more than I did in India. I would always remember the love my team and I got from the fans here.