But it’s tough. You are yet to be 22. And 100 crore people are chasing you with a speed gun.

I don’t think about all this. I know that my main goal is to take wickets (laughs). The way people are telling me that my speed has reduced, that my bowling is not fast enough. Tell me what all can Irfan Pathan do? Irfan Pathan must swing the ball, Irfan Pathan must deliver a breakthrough in the first two overs, Irfan Pathan must bat, Irfan Pathan must field well, Irfan Pathan will also be a fast bowler.

We need a team of Irfan Pathans. But that is the curse of an all-rounder.

That’s what I keep saying all the time, that right now I’m not an all-rounder. It takes time to become an all-rounder. Right now I’ve played only about two years of international cricket. I can only be an all-rounder once I’ve played about four-five years of international cricket. And about speed, when I played my first match at Adelaide, my speed was around 128-130 kmph. The maximum that it went up to when Australia was in India was 140 kmph. People don’t understand that pace comes with rhythm. And pace is not always the most important. You have to use both pace and swing correctly.

But what is more important? Is it important to have pace, or swing or swing and line and length, or to have the ability to vary?

You know that’s the great thing about cricket. I wish I could have everything. Pace, swing, line, length, everything. But everyone can’t have everything.

... contd.