Pakistan's 22-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Khalil says he has "studied" Sachin Tendulkar's batting and discovered a weakness against left-arm bowlers which he would try to exploit in the upcoming Test and one-day series.
Being a left-arm bowler himself, Khalil has drawn attention from all quarters. The media, in its usual hype, has even drawn parallels with the legendary Wasim Akram.
Khalil, however, has been humble enough to brush aside such comparisons. But he is keen to get at India's greatest batsman, whom Akram failed to have a measure of in his illustrious career.
"Yes, I have studied him (Tendulkar). More than me, my younger brother Akheel Mohammad," said Khalil.
Akheel runs an internet cafe in Lahore and, Khalil said, the two had spent enough time surfing the websites to gather bits and pieces of information about Tendulkar, for whom the ball delivered from around the wicket at his ribcage or thigh pad had been the bane on more than one occasion.
Left-arm spinners Ashley Giles of England and Ray Price of Zimbabwe, besides Pedro Collins of the West Indies, have successfully used the leg-theory to pin Tendulkar.
"We have studied every aspect carefully and if I get to play, I will use it in the match," Khalil said.
But Khalil was quick to acknowledge Tendulkar's supremacy as batsman.
"Dravid would be the prize scalp in Tests and Sehwag in the one-dayers. Tendulkar is great in both," he said.
Khalil said he admired his counterpart Irfan Pathan very much and the two have exchanged information over the years.
"Irfan has given me some good tips. Both of us are left-arm bowlers, and I don't have problems in learning from a junior.
"I have not talked to Irfan about bowling on Indian tracks. But then Indian and Pakistani tracks are somewhat similar," Khalil said.
The youngster said he was looking forward to the first Test in Mohali where he was keen to experience the atmosphere of Indian and Pakistani people mingling.
"Yes, yes, I want to meet every one. If the heart wants to meet, then why not? 'Khoon to ek hi hai na' (the blood is the same, right)," he said.
Khalil said he had lot of expectations from himself from the coming series and that hopefully he would get a chance to be in the playing eleven.
"If I do well on this tour, I will be the hero."
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