Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq warned India not tounderestimate his young and inexperienced team, declaring that it had thedetermination and ambition to do well in the upcoming "mother of all"series.
Although his team lacked the superstars of the 1987 and1999 teams, Inzamam said what was common in the present squad and the previousmatch-winning sides was the commitment to do well in India.
"I hope India do not underestimate us on the basisthat we have an inexperienced and young team as compared to it (India) orbecause we don't have same superstars or match-winners as we had on the 1987 and1999 tours," Inzamam said in an interview shortly before leaving for Indiafor a commercial shoot, also featuring his rival Saurav Ganguly.
"The common thing between the 1987 and 1999 teamsand the present team is the spirit, determination, commitment and ambition to dowell in India."
Pakistan, under Imran Khan, won the 1986-87 five-Testseries 1-0 with victory in the Bangalore Test whereas in 1999, Wasim Akramguided Pakistan to victories in Chennai and Kolkata. Anil Kumble's world recordof 10 wickets in the second innings helped India win the Delhi Test.
The survivors from the 1999 tour are likely to be Inzamam himself, Shoaib Akhtar,Yousuf Youhana and Shahid Afridi.
"My team has a lion's heart and that's what yourequire to excel in countries like India. We have also managed to find somepositives in defeats in Australia which will help us," said Inzamam.
The Pakistani skipper, who has played just five Testsagainst India, said he would like to gain from the experience of the members ofthe 1987 team before planning strategies for the tour comprising three Tests andfive one-dayers.
"I was a member of the 1999 touring party so Iknow what it was like. But I would like to gather any information I can frommembers of the 1987 team because it can be useful in chalking out game plans andstrategy," Inzamam, who will complete his century of Tests in the thirdTest, stated.
Last year against India in Pakistan, Inzamam's teamsuffered a 2-1 defeat in Tests and 3-2 defeat in the one-day series. But theskipper insisted his players had matured since.
"The boys now have played half a dozen more Testsand nearly 25 additional one-day games which will certainly help them put up animproved performance. I know these are not sufficient when you compare them withIndia but the statistics are certainly lot better than last year.
"Victories in the last three one-dayers, including the one at Kolkata, issomething that will motivate us further. You have to take inspiration fromvictories and learn lessons from defeat," the affable player said.
"I have not forgotten that defeat. It's stillfresh in my mind. But I am not going there to take revenge. It's just a game ofcricket. India won fair and square last year because they were clearly thebetter side.
"Our only revenge can be if we play as goodcricket as India played in Pakistan. Winning and losing is part of the game.When two teams will meet, there will be just one winner. The bottom line is thespirit in which you play and I promise that we will play the game in the rightspirit, will approach every game positively and take the field convinced that wecan win it."
Inzamam, who has scored 7,052 Test and 10,631 one-dayinternational runs, added, "My request to supporters of both the teams isnot make this series a matter of life and death."
PTI
