Mumbai: Indian paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth is regularly in the firing line for his hot-headed approach to cricket but a countryman who is already a world champion has advised him against dousing that fire in his belly.

Viswanathan Anand is the polar opposite to Sreesanth who proved the one weak link in India's opening Cricket World Cup win over Bangladesh on Saturday with some extremely aggressive but wildly erratic bowling.

Whereas Sreesanth's emotions are there for all to see, the cool, calm and collected 41-year-old Anand is a master at keeping his in check. But then world chess champions in general are hardly noted for wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

Anand in his sport is master, literally, of all he surveys, with world championships in all formats and time controls.

"I wouldn't tell him anything," Anand told Reuters in an interview, appropriately enough in a museum where you could hear a pin drop. Just the kind of atmosphere that Anand thrives in.

There was no one formula to success, Anand believes.

"I do what works for me. I guess he does what works for him. I don't think there is one single formula that you follow," Anand explained.

"I think you have to know yourself well and find what works for you.

"If you like kicking a rope then go for it. If it works for you then no one can argue with that."

Anand was referring to the incident when the temperamental pace bowler was fined 10 per cent of his match fee for kicking the boundary rope after he had two lbw appeals turned down in the same over during a test match against South Africa.