Aisam promotes his book at Lahore Fair today

Pakistan’s tennis ace Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi has written a book on his experiences spanning about a decade and a half on the tour and representing Pakistan in the Davis Cup. The official launch of the book, titled ‘Lessons learnt from the tennis tour’, is expected sometime later this month. But it will be on display in the 26thInternational Book Fair that commences today in the city at the Expo Centre. The exhibition will run till February 7.
Aisam, who leads Pakistan’s away Davis Cup campaign against Lebanon from Saturday, has squeezed out some time to introduce and promote the book at the Fair and he will be present at the venue from 04.00 pm onwards today.
Written with his coach Robert Davis, the book shares a diverse range of life lessons Aisam has learnt from an eventful career on the road. Well written and tastefully designed and printed in coffee table format, the book is a visual delight as well.
The book is of far larger consequence because it is in a way the only though partial source material on the goings-on in Pakistan tennis as well, though that by no means was the purpose of the book.
Outside cricket Pakistan’s best-known international sportsman since Jansher Khan called it a day, Aisam has been a superb ambassador of the sport and country, presenting a clean-cut image of Pakistan through his persona. Containing 12 chapters other than an epilogue, the book amply illustrates how and why. This is a must-read for aspiring and even established sporting personalities who would care to know why learning from your defeats and triumphs, and keeping it in perspective and all the while staying fiercely mindful of one’s image is so hugely important.