ISLAMABAD: Pakistan fast bowling coach Waqar Younis termed the speed as a very important weapon for a pacer, revealing that the quality in line-length and wicket-taking ability comes with experience and time.
Talking to the media through video link from Australia, he defended young pacers’ search for speed and aggression. “Admitted that the wicket-taking ability should be the forte for any pace bowler and that is for what they are there. But I must say that all great players started their careers with pace and venom.
“Be it Imran Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz or Wasim Akram all had express pace during their hey days. It was only at the twilight of their career that they lost a bit of pace. By then they had so much experience that they knew the art of taking wickets.
“We have some express bowlers with us who can easily bowl around 145kph. These including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Musa, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Dilbar Hussain and Haris Rauf are all young and are at learning stage. With the speed they would learn the art of taking wickets and I am sure with experience they would be very affective and result-oriented. Speed is a weapon and no one can deny that. For experience and art of bowling you need time and hard work.”
Waqar boosted battery of fast bowlers emerging from the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “These all which I named above are quality bowlers. Naseem Shah if he stays fit would be amongst the best in the world. Afridi has the ability to bowl yorkers. We are lucky to have battery of fast bowlers and each of them is fighting for a place in the team so when the competition gets tough, I am sure each of them would get better.
“In nineties, if there were no Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram you still had some quality back up. Same is happening here also which is good for Pakistan cricket. We need a bigger pool of fast bowlers due to the growing cricket and requirement for each and every bowler for different leagues.”
Waqar said he was upset at sudden departure of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz from Test cricket. “I would say the two had ditched us just weeks ahead of the important Australia tour. We were depending on them and one fine morning we learnt that they were no more available for Test cricket. So now we should have a broader pool of pacers so that when the need arises we would have options at our disposal to select the best or even to rotate.”
Waqar said Test cricket was of utmost important for him. “I have a contract with the PCB and want it to be result-oriented. In 18 months’ time I would be in a position to know whether I am contributing to my satisfaction and helping youngsters learn the art of bowling. It would only be after that I would be in a position to say anything on my future association with the team.”
Waqar also refused to reveal whether he would stay as bowling coach for rest of his professional career or prefer to take over the head coach job as he was doing earlier. “I have not decided on that as yet. Only the time will guide me.”
He rejected the claim even from former Australia batsman Ricky Ponting that Musa was played a bit earlier. “We know our bowlers better. I think it was right time to expose him when we had no other option.”
Waqar also accepted a general opinion about Pakistan’s batting performance in T20 cricket that sometimes it puts extra pressure on bowlers. “Yes that we realised during the series against Sri Lanka which we lost unexpectedly. Now we have prepared ourselves for that and hopefully you would see a much better performance in matches to come.”