Anwar calls it quits

The first thing that struck me about Saeed was the fact that he was very open and polite. Since we shared the goal of playing for Pakistan, we worked very hard together.

When he moved from Karachi to Lahore and we became thick as thieves. We went to the same gym and also trained and practiced together. All this helped us build a strong rapport.

During those initial years of struggle, little did we realise that one day we would open the innings for Pakistan. The fact that we knew each so well helped us immensely during our partnerships.

Whether it was discussing the strategy against difficult bowlers, running between the wickets or planning the following day’s tactics, life became fun and we enjoyed it. We were compared to the great Windies openers Haynes and Greenidge but we just laughed it off.

The best part of our partnership was that we were quite open to each other. We could discuss anything and everything. If one sighted a flaw in the other’s style, we made a point to discuss it.

This resulted in some of the most memorable partnerships between us. I know everyone would want me to pin point one particular knock or match but it is really difficult for me.

Saeed’s sense of humour is another thing that made him a remarkable person. Off-the-field we shared a lot of things most importantly our passion for three things — music, food and books.

We loved listening to music of different kinds. Be it soul or rock. A similar passion for food exists between us. Both of us had a passion for reading biographies. I remember we used to have fights over books.

But sadly fate took an ugly turn for Saeed when his young daughter expired. His whole philosophy of life changed. He became very religious but I did not see any real change in his behaviour towards me.

After the recent World Cup I became the chairman of selectors and soon had to take the most difficult decision — to drop Saeed.

I spoke to him and made it clear that it was all with an eye on the future of Pakistan cricket. And to his credit he took the news most sportingly. Now that he is gone from the field forever I will miss watching him most. What an elegant left-hander — even today I wish he plays those classic off-side strokes. It is really sad that one of the most talented players to come out of Pakistan will no longer regale us. (As told to Chandresh Narayanan)