Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan lamented that the match-fixing scandal has robbed the country of two match winning bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. “Imagine if they were playing in this Pakistan team. Pakistan would be a formidable attack,” said Imran during a panel discussion on NDTV after Pakistan’s six-wicket triumph in the first one-day international against India. The duo along with then Pakistan captain Salman Butt were found guilty of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in the summer of 2010. When asked whether Pakistan were reliving the glory days despite this scandal after Junaid Khan ripped through India’s top order to have them tottering at 29 for 5, Imran admitted that “match fixing has taken a big toll on Pakistan”.
“Those two bowlers Mohammad Asif and specially Mohammad Aamer are a big loss,” said the former Pakistan captain himself a fast bowler.
“In world cricket today there are not many match winning bowlers. In the past you had (Muttiah) Muralitharan and Shane Warne… two match winning spinners. Then you had (Glenn) McGrath, curtley Ambrose, Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, (Andrew) Flintoff for a brief while. Today if you look at Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel now and then,” said Imran. “On all conditions you don’t have bowlers who can run through a team. In Pakistan you had Mohammad Aamer was certainly a match winner, Mohammad Asif was one of best new ball bowlers,” he added.
He said these two bowlers along with seven-footer Mohammad Irfan and Saeed Ajmal could have made Pakistan an even more formidable attack. Asked what was the secret behind Pakistan producing top quality fast bowlers, Imran said: “I think it where they come from the north of Pakistan or Punjab, they are physically athletic and their bodies are more equipped for fast bowling.”
He warned that Irfan has to be looked after if he is to continue making an impact because “he is going to have fitness problems because he is too tall”.
On India’s new find Bhuvneshwar Kumar who took a wicket with his first delivery in one-day internationals, Imran said he “swings the ball”.
“To get wickets you need air speed. The greatest bowlers are one who can use air speed and move the ball. Or you have to swing the ball which is what Kumar did. Or you should have bounce. Irfan the tall Pakistan bowler at his height gets bounce. You have to have something extraordinary to deceive the batsman with movement or bounce of the wicket,” explained Imran.
We miss bowlers like imran, akram in action:) the new bowlers should certainly get guidence from them for their self improvement:)
we have good fast bowlers in Pakistan, missing imran and wasim is no more required. look forward and appreciate the new talent. they were good, but they did not work to give us their replacement.
Shoaib akter was sidelined due these rivals, wasim and waqar. we have to support the young guns and give them encouragement for doing their best.
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