World Cup 2003 was the worst phase in my career, but that is now behind me, and I am doing all-out efforts to get my place in the team back and further my career.
I remember, before the 2003 World Cup, I worked extremely hard on my fitness. A great deal of training and dietary discipline. I believe I lost 19 kg. And 19 is the number of runs I scored in the entire tournament.
In the single group format, where each team plays against the other, it gives a chance to the established outfits to make a comeback if they falter in the early games.
It is never easy for a professional cricketer, who has represented his country for 17 years, to forget the past and adopt a new lifestyle.
As a player, you have to assess how fit you are and look at your performance graph - how long you are delivering. Take Imran Khan's case: he played till 39.
When the key players in your team perform well, the team does well, too.
I don't have a magic wand, and there is a lot we need to do right in Pakistan cricket to build a strong team.
I am not a big supporter of sledging or insults that are hurled at you. But I don't mind if a bowler glares or stares at the batsmen. During my career, I have faced these situations numerous times.
Cricket is a team game. No individual can just say he can win it on his own.
