David Ivon Gower, a former captain of England, spoke to The Telegraph on his just-ended visit to the city.
Gower had come to deliver the 2019 Tiger Pataudi Memorial Lecture, instituted by this newspaper, on Wednesday.
Excerpts....
Q On-field rival Imran Khan has been Pakistan’s Prime Minister for over 7 months. Your thoughts?
A I don’t know enough of what Imran has actually done so far to comment on specifics. However, I do have enormous admiration for the transition he has made. Of course, it took Imran 22 years after forming his political party (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), but to get enough votes and seats to become Prime Minister is in itself an extraordinary achievement. As a cricketer, Imran was talented and charismatic... His leadership played a definite role in the manner Pakistan bounced back in the 1992 World Cup and, eventually, won it. We know Imran possesses a competitive spirit and has resilience. Now, he has the challenging task of changing Pakistan. I hope Imran survives long enough to do a very good job and I certainly wish him well... It would be out of my comfort zone to attempt an Imran.
Q Have you met Imran recently?
A Not in the recent past.
Q What stood out about Imran, the captain?
A (Admiringly) Well, as captain, Imran had the great ability to bring players together. The 1992 World Cup is a wonderful example and Imran thrived in such situations. From cornered tigers, Pakistan went on to take home the trophy. Imran, indeed, has the ability to inspire faith.
Q Surely, the same cannot be said of Britain’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, given the way she has handled Brexit...
A May’s captaincy has been questioned ferociously. I have some sympathy for her, but mistakes have been made. At the same time, anybody in the Prime Minister’s position could have made them.
Imran Khan arrives at the military parade to mark Pakistan National Day, in Islamabad, on Saturday. (AP)
Q May doesn’t have the support of all even in her own Conservative Party...
A I’m a Conservative and the party is deeply split.
Q The highly-ambitious Boris Johnson quit as Foreign Secretary in July 2018, slamming May for “suffocating” the Brexit deal... He keeps coming back in the headlines...
A Boris popped up recently and mentioned the Bible, saying the Prime Minister needed to tell Brussels, where the European Union (EU) is headquartered, what Moses had said... ‘Let my people go’... Boris forgot that had actually been followed by 40 years of famine!
Q I’d asked you about Brexit last August too, during Virat Kohli and his team’s tour of England. If anything, it has become an even bigger issue since. Your take?
A (Bemused) Brexit has redefined the definition of unbelievable, for I have never known of such chaos. As I probably told you last year, the one question of Leave or Stay in the EU has raised 10,000 questions! The June 2016 referendum had one question. After that, 10,000 questions have needed to be answered. Today, May could be frustrated... It’s an intolerable, completely intolerable situation. No one knows what’s going on.
Q That’s an extraordinary state of affairs...
A They (in Parliament) all think they are right, so nothing happens. The other day, a Labour Party MP was quoted as saying: ‘I don’t know what is going on, my party doesn’t know what is going on. The other party also doesn’t know what is going on’. I needn’t add.
Q So, there’s no solution to the Brexit issue?
A It’s insoluble. There’s just no solution that will allow the nation to say we are happy with that... The referendum result had been in the region of 52-48, in no way unanimous.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London on March 27, 2019. (AP)
Q In the referendum, you’d voted to remain in the EU...
A I did, yes. That was my opinion, but the majority wanted to leave. Alternatives could have been proposed and, on a personal note, I may have accepted them.
Q The last one... Would a fresh referendum bring about a Stay result?
A Most people expect the result of another vote to be exactly the same. Frankly, the last thing we need is one more referendum.
