Obama can cook keema and dal, but is a 'terrible' bat

President Barack Obama can cook keema and dal and read Urdu with absolute ease but his batting in cricket is another story.

The president learnt his culinary skills from the mothers of his Pakistani roommates in college, he revealed in an interview with Pakistan's Dawn group to be published on Sunday.

"I would love to visit" Pakistan, Obama said. "As you know, I had Pakistani roommates in college who were very close friends of mine. I went to visit them when I was still in college; was in Karachi and went to Hyderabad.

"Their mothers taught me to cook," he said. Asked what he could cook, Obama said: "Oh, keema and dal and ... You name it, I can cook it," he added as the interviewer interjected with an "Oh, my god".

"And so I have a great affinity for Pakistani culture and the great Urdu poets. And so my hope is..."

Asked if he could read Urdu poetry, Obama said: "Absolutely. So my hope is, is that I'm going to have an opportunity at some point to visit Pakistan."

But did his Pakistani friends leave a cricket bat with him?

"You know, I have to say that I have tried to get up to bat a couple of times, but I've been terrible," said Obama. "So I'm an admirer of great cricket players, but make no claims in terms of my own skills."