JANSHER KHAN has simplified his ambition of being hailed as the greatest player in squash. By overhauling Jahangir Khan’s record of 16 major titles, ten British Open titles and six world titles.

Jansher has two less, 14, with eight British Opens and six worlds. Jansher recharged his batteries by taking a four month break from the sport, spending time with his four children in Peshawar. No player in the history of game has taken such a layoff. It began to worry the connoisseurs of the game who thought Jansher would not be able to pick up the threads once again. But they had reckoned without his hunger for titles and more titles. This drive saw him train six hours a day.

It’s interesting how he trains. His brother and coach Mohibullah Jr. tells us that he does 45 minutes running on the ground not roads. After an hour’s rest it is two hours training playing the various shots like the drop, boast, drive.

The climax is playing in the evenings against two players. This puts a tremendous burden on his reflexes for it means having to return in double quick time.

This sharpens him, makes him a tougher man to beat than before, But wait, Jansher does not feel the need to be physically so good today. He thinks in events to come he will allow his mental game to dominate and ease the burden on his body. So, when his effort was 80 per cent physical and 20 mental, it will now be 60 per cent mental.

The British Open triumph was more a triumph of mind than anything else for he outthought all his rivals to equal Jahangir’s record.

It is a pity that brother and coach Mohibullah can’t be at the courtside whenever he plays at the British Open. Mohibullah has been barred from entering British ever since that case of drug trafficking and his arrest. It was obvious he was framed by someone who pleaded that he was wanting a job in Britain but was in fact a trafficker and told Mohibullah to carry his bags.

His honesty prevented him from owning up. The other man did and his sentence was reduced. Mohibullah served his full sentence but the stigma remains and also the ban on coming to Britain. This must be another motivation for Jansher to win the British Open. Mohibullah believes he will win it for six years more. But will he outshine Jahangir as the greatest? Mohibullah believes that he will have to play the drop shot as well as Jahangir for that. There’s also one more thing. Like being a diplomat for the sport. The sport reached its zenith during the years of Jahangir’s supremacy, he took it round the world. Jansher must now also be the ambassador for the sport. He could begin by playing in the Mahindra World Open this winter.

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