Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul Haq is convinced that Sachin Tendulkar would take the risk of playing in the upcoming series even if he is half-fit considering the stakes involved in an India-Pakistan cricket encounter.
"He is a great player and would hate to miss the mother of all series. I think even if he is half-fit, he will take the risk of playing in the series because he knows his influence over his team and the confidence his presence gives to his players," Inzamam said on Friday.
Tendulkar is recovering from an elbow injury but is expected to be fully fit before the first Test begins early next month.
Inzamam was all praise for the Indian batting genius saying one could always learn something new from Tendulkar.
"We have been under Sachin's hammer quite often but I have always enjoyed watching him bat. Each time he bats out there, he teaches you something new. He is a thorough entertainer, a great cricket teacher and a true model for the youngsters," Inzamam said.
The Pakistani skipper was also effusive in his praise of Sourav Ganguly and had no hesitation in declaring that he is the best captain around, given the way he had transformed the Indian team.
"The present Indian team has started believing in itself. They now know that they can win matches abroad. A few years ago, there was only one match-winner in the Indian team and now every player is capable of single-handedly guiding India to victory," Inzamam said.
"The Indian team is no more dependent on just one player anymore. This is a great turnaround and the credit for this massive transformation has to given to Sourav Ganguly. In my book, he is the best captain today," he said.
On the kind of wickets he expected his team to face in India, Inzamam said it is the prerogative of the home team to prepare tracks although personally he would like to play on faster tracks.
"It is the prerogative of the home team what type of pitches they want to prepare. I would let Sourav decide on that but if he [Indian captain] asks me, I will opt for fast tracks."
