Through observation. We would watch others play. Or if we went to a friend’s house where there was a match being shown on TV, we would watch there.

So there wasn’t a TV at home?

Not in the beginning, we got a TV later. TV’s weren’t allowed in the masjid at the time. The only reason we got it later was to allow us to watch the matches.

And fast bowling? In India everyone is afraid of fast bowling.

Honestly, I don’t really know how I became a fast bowler. But whenever I took the ball in my hand I always wanted to be a seam bowler. So that’s how it started.

You look up to Wasim Akram a lot. Did you watch his bowling and think that you wanted to do the same?

Whenever he was bowling, I would be glued to the television. He is a great bowler.

When did you first meet him?

When I was in Australia on my first tour. I met him in Adelaide.

Did he meet you? Or did you go to meet him?

Obviously I went to him, to talk to him. Ashish Nehra was a good friend of his. He knew that Wasim was at the tour to do commentary. So he gave me his room number, and I called and told Wasim bhai that I wanted to meet him. He said he would be going to the ground with Nehra, so I went along and we talked about bowling.

... contd.