Brian Lara was the cleverest batsman I faced: Mushtaq Ahmed.

ISLAMABAD -- Former Pakistani spinner Mushtaq Ahmed believes West Indies legend Brian Lara was the cleverest batsman he had came across.

'He knew the strategy of how to talk to the bowler when he was unsettled and used to say 'I didn't mean that' after hitting boundaries,' a private news channel quoted him as saying.

Mushtaq, who was also Pakistan's spin bowling coach, said Lara used to infuriate him. 'He used to hit (Australian legend) Shane Warne and (Sri Lanka great) Muttiah Muralitharan as well,' he said.

Mushtaq, who in his career that spanned from 1990 until 2003, claimed 185 wickets in Test cricket and 161 in One Day Internationals, said it was very difficult to play against Shane Warne, adding that only former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar managed to do it easily.

Moreover, he said that Pakistan players of the past used to get into the heads of their Indian rivals even before matches had began.

Speaking about Pakistan-England series...

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