Former cricketer Wasim Akram believes Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must invest in the Under-19 players saying cricket greats Ramiz Raja, Shoaib Mohammad, Basit Ali, Amir Sohail, Inzamam, Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis are product of U19 cricket.
Wasim, who was training the players in the two-week fast-bowling camp at National Stadium of Karachi, said all the players in the camp are very talented and ready to play good cricket.
“It is up to selectors and PCB now to arrange U19 and A-Team tours for these players and play them there to judge their improvement,” he said while talking to media here.
“I am very happy with the progress of these young bowlers. They are working very hard and are hungry to learn and do whatever I advised them,” he said.
He said I also advised the players to set their own field. “Field setting is bowler’s job not that of a captain, captain can help a young bowler but ultimately it’s a bowler’s job,” he said.
He said he is just adjusting players’ run-ups and making few changes with their action so that they can bowl better and fast. “Bowling fast is not that easy as you have to be super fit to bowl fast for 20 years,” he said.
He said talent alone cannot make you a great bowler, you will have to work hard day in and day out to become a great bowler. “I told the players to bowl slower ones which move away from the batsmen, so when batsmen try to hit you ball will get a leading edge,” he said.
He said he is not going to change actions of Zia ul Haq and Ahmed Jamal, because they have pace and they have been playing domestic cricket for so long.
“I am just letting them know how to read wicket, how to use crease, which length you should ball at a certain wicket and when to bowl bouncers,” he said adding as a bowler, one can judge the behavior of the wicket after just three balls. (APP)