INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Road ahead of former Pakistani skipper, Imran Khan not a bed of roses, said Mohammed AzharuddinHyderabad: Congress leader and former India
captain Mohammed Azharuddin on Friday said he expected cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, whose party was eyeing to form government in
Pakistan, to take bold decisions like he did while leading the neighbouring country's cricket team.Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) emerged as the single largest party in the polls but was short of the majority mark
He was currently leading the race to be the country's next prime minister.Mohammed Azharuddin who faced Mr Khan's ferocious bowling when the
two were playing international matches for their respective countries some three decades ago, also said the road ahead for the former
Pakistani skipper was not a bed of roses and there were many issues that he had to set right."The decisions he took on the cricket field
were very positive, very bold and individualistic decisions as a captain
He should do that only (once he becomes prime minister of his country)," the former India captain told PTI."But then we will have to wait
and watch what will happen
Leading a country and leading a cricket team are totally two different things
So we need to see what he will do," he added.Asked if there would be any positive impact on Indo-Pak relations once Mr Khan became the prime
minister, Mohammed Azharuddin said he had to ensure that animosity was reduced between the two neighbours."First of all, there are so many
First he has to solve those problems
Then only he can look to solve other problems," he said.He said talks could happen with Pakistan but there were many things to
consider."But, when you have have so much of animosity and so much of infiltration was happening, I think it is very difficult for talks to
First those things have to stop, then only India will (come forward to) talk
They have to set right so many things," Mr Azharuddin, a former MP, said.He said he was yet to congratulate Mr Khan and adding that he was
happy to see a cricketer become the prime minister of a country which was a very rare thing.
