Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Cricket, food and family
Urging his young team on to greater heights, Pakistan's cool cricket captain cum star wicket keeper Rashid Latif is a motivated young man. Here he gives us an insight into his life's passions.

By Ishani Ranasinghe
Cricket: Undoubtedly one of his main passions. It takes up his time so much so he admits that he hardly has any time left for other interests. "What I love about cricket is the sportsmanship," says Rashid. This is very important when playing for your country, he feels. "We are the ambassadors of Pakistan when we are wearing the colours of our country. We have to portray a good image."

Having played cricket professionally for the past 15 years, his favourite cricketers whom he looks up to are former team mates Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. "They are such great players, almost legends," he adds. Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Sachin Tendulkar, our very own Murali and Kumar Sangakkara are also on his list of current favourites.

Friends: Making new friends and hanging out with them is something he loves to do. "I just love to get together with a few of my teammates and have lunch together, basically interact with them," he says.

Chatting: Considering that he loves making new friends, it comes as no surprise that he loves to chat online when there is free time at hand. "This is the only way I can keep in touch with everyone," he smiles.

Travel: More than the sightseeing, which he also enjoys, what he loves most about travelling, is meeting new people and making friends. Asked the best place to visit, there are too many to mention, he replies. But after a bit of persuasion, he narrows it down to Cape Town, Wellington, Bermuda, Melbourne and Derbyshire (he played league cricket for three years there).

Spending time with family: Given a cricketer's busy schedule, he hardly gets time to be with them but seizes the chance whenever possible. "I have three kids, two girls and a boy whom I love very much," he says. He's delighted when his family travels with him on short tours. "But that only happens when the kids are having holidays."

Food: "After practice, I am so hungry that I can eat just about anything." Indian and Pakistan food are top of his list, but oily foods are a no-no.

Soccer: Leeds United is his favourite team. "I try to watch all their matches even when I am on tour," he says. Roberto Carlos is his favourite player. "I like the way he maintains good relations with all the other players and also his true sportsmanship."

Movies: Whenever he has free time, he loves watching movies, a great form of relaxation for him. His favourite? "Company". And his favourite Bollywood stars? They are all equally good, he says, but Vivek Oberoi and Preity Zinta are his personal favourites.

University life: Something he loved. It was a really good time he adds and thanks to cricket, he has been able to meet most of his old friends while on tour. "A few days ago, I met a good friend of mine here in Colombo and it was really great," he says.

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