CHENNAI, May 22: Saeed Anwar, the world's highest individual scorer in one-day internationals, loves to be called the `Desert Fox' for his exploits in Sharjah, where he scored three consecutive centuries once. A day after his mind-boggling feat on the hallowed pitch of Chepauk and a little catnap in his hotel in the morning, he was reminded of the epithet attached to the great German, Field Marshall Rommell, who during the World War II took on the Allies with great vigour. ``I like this nickname. I don't mind it. It's fine,'' he says with a hearty smile.

Anwar said 194 runs scored was like a dream becoming a reality. ``Breaking Vivian Richards' record is something unbelievable. For he was the greatest cricketer of modern times. No batsmen has demolished bowlers like the way he did and nobody batted like him before. I was his biggest fan.''

How did he feel when he was on the verge of making history?

``I didn't think of surpassing 189. I had only the 150 in my mind. The Kumble over changed the entire thing and I went on to break the record. But I should have scored a double hundred. I played a poor shot. Kumble, indeed, is a good bowler. A mean leg-spinner. We always had a good match against each other. He got me out twice in Toronto.''

Did any particular Pakistan batsman have an influence over his career?

``Zaheer Abbas, Majid Khan and Javed Miandad had tremendous influence on my career. I always had the wish to play along with the great Imran Khan. That was again a dream come true.''

But now that Imran is out of favour in politics and with the BCCP how is his relationship now?

``Pretty good''.

Anwar seemed to have had physical problems with cramps hampering his mobility. ``This is the first time I have used a runner on the field. That was because I was playing after four months. Give me a couple of matches, I will get back to top gear. There was a lot of humidity and it was sapping my energy,'' he said.

Like all left-handers, Anwar is graceful and unlike others, wristy. When he is on a song, he makes batting look very simple. ``Batting comes natural to me. You got to be a natural stroke-maker. I think almost everyone is a natural and you only have to polish the talent,'' he said. Anwar says he should not be viewed as a hit only on Asian pitches. ``I think it is unfair to say that I bat well on Asian pitches alone. I have toured all over the world. I scored heavily in New Zealand, was the highest scorer in Benson and Hedges Cup in Australia, made 2000 runs in England. If you look at my record, you can see that I have scored everywhere in the world.''

How is the morale of the team, after beating India in India?

``We are definitely in good spirits as we won the match very convincingly.

We will try to win the finals,'' he said as he picked up the man of the match trophy from the table and walked into the team's coach for the afternoon flight to Delhi and thereon to Chandigarh.

Anwar's knock, which is the highest by a Pakistani against India (previous best being 119 by Javed Miandad at Lahore in 1985-86), also helped his team to record the highest total of 327 for five as against the previous highest of 286 for four (44 overs) at Sharjah in 1986-87.

Anwar has become the 11th Pakistan player to score a century against India.

Another record too fell by the wayside as this is the highest match aggregate between the two countries. Yesterday's aggregate of 619 runs for 15 wickets in 99.2 overs was the best as against 582 for 15 in 96.1 overs at Sharjah in 1995-96.

For the Paksitan speedster Aaqib Javed, yesterday's haul of five wickets for 61 runs was his third against India. Only Imran Khan (six for 14 at Sharjah in 1984-85) and Mushtaq Ahmed (five for 36 at Canada in 1996) had achieved this feat. Aaqib Javed's previous two five-wicket haul against the same opposition was at Sharjah (seven for 37, in 1991-92 and five for 19 in 1994-95).

List of highest run getters

194 runs: Saeed Anwar, Pakistan vs India at Chennai (Ind)

189 not out: Vivian Richards, West Indies vs England at Old Trafford, Manchester, (Eng) in 1984.

188 not out: Gary Kirsten, South Africa vs United Arab Emirates at Rawalpindi (Pak) in 1996.

181 runs: Vivian Richards, West Indies vs Sri Lanka at Karachi (Pak) in 1987.

175 not out: Kapil Dev, India vs Zimbabwe at Turnbridge Wells (Eng) in 1983.

171 not out: Glenn Turner, New Zealand vs East Africa in 1975.

169 not out: Dave Callaghan, South Africa vs New Zealand at Pretoria (SA) in 1994.

167 not out: Robin Smith, England vs Australia at Birmingham (Eng) in 1993.

161 runs: Andrew Hudson, South Africa vs Holland at Rawalpindi (Pak) in 1996

158: David Gower, England vs New Zealand at Brisbane (Aus) in 1983

153 not out: Vivian Richards, West Indies vs Australia at Melbourne (Aus) in 1980

153: Brian Lara, West Indies vs Pakistan at Sharjah, 1993

152 not out: Desmond Haynes, West Indies vs India at Georgetown (WI) in 1989

151 not out: Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka vs India at Mumbai (Ind) in 1997

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.