The Hindu : Reverse swing is Pakistan's lethal weapon: Aaqib

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Reverse swing is Pakistan's lethal weapon: Aaqib

By Our Sports Reporter

DHAKA, FEB. 24. Aaqib Javed may have mellowed with time but is still tough at heart. No, not the kind of hardness that saw him bowl a bouncer at England's No. 11 batsman Devon Malcolm or get involved in the sweater-tugging incident with umpire Roy Palmer on the 1992 tour of England. His hard nature has a refined touch these days.

"As a coach you need to be tough on the boys. Cricket at the highest level is a test of the mind and one's nerves. Body language and confidence play a huge part out there," said Aaqib, now the coach of the Pakistan junior team contesting the under-19 World Cup here.

Aaqib, who played in 22 Tests and 163 one-day internationals, was a master of reverse swing. He, however, did not want to elaborate on the science of it.

"It is only now that people have realised that it is an art. It is Pakistan's lethal weapon and we don't talk about it. All I can say is that there comes a point during the course of the ball growing old when it will swing the other way. But you need to take care of the ball. And reverse swing involves the proper use of the wrist."

So, what was it like bowling along with Wasim and Waqar? "It was difficult for a third speedster like me to make an impact with those two great bowlers around. It was probably the wrong time for me, or anyone else, to get in. I did better in the one-dayers because I got to bowl my quota of 10 overs. In the Test matches, I never got a long spell. There were times when I got to bowl just a couple of overs in a match," said Aaqib, who quit in 1999 and served in the National selection committee for a while.

Aaqib says he, nevertheless, enjoyed his stint at the top. "I have some good memories, especially the 1992 World Cup triumph and the hat-trick against India at Sharjah. More importantly, I retired from the game clean. There were no match-fixing allegations against me."

Aaqib feels Pakistan cricket is missing someone of the stature of Imran Khan. "There cannot be another Imran. He was a great leader — inspiring and tough. I began my career under him. Things deteriorated after he retired. Javed Miandad was all right as skipper, but he had his problems. Wasim Akram and Salim Malik. you cannot have leaders tainted with allegations of match-fixing."

A Murali in the making

Aaqib predicts a bright future for four boys from the current Pakistan junior squad. "Riaz Afridi and Imran Ali Pasha are very good quickies. Mansoor Amjad is in the mould of Abdul Qadir and off-spinner Tariq Mohammed turns the ball like Sri Lanka's Muralitharan; he is a good bat too. In fact, we call him Murali."

If Tariq spins the ball like Murali, does he have the Sri Lankan's bowling action too? "He copies Murali. The ICC's bowling panel video-filmed him the other day. So what? If Murali's and Shoaib Akhtar's actions are passed as legitimate, then no one can have a problem. The ICC has to address this problem from the Test level downwards."

Describing the forthcoming India-Pakistan Test series as a tough one for both, Aaqib said, "it will be a battle between Akhtar and the Indian batsmen. A lot depends on Akhtar's fitness."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport

News Update

Stories in this Section

Cricket

Reverse swing is Pakistan's lethal weapon: Aaqib

Venugopala guides South to sensational win

Rayudu, Raina take India to victory

India-Pakistan cricket: its real significance

Simon Jones back in England squad

Six players warned

North gains four points

Tennis

Nitin finds his touch, downs Maamoun

Football

East Bengal may score an encore

Chess

ICF, S. Railway in the lead

Sasikiran scores third straight win

Anand to take part in simultaneous chess

A day of peace treaties

Golf

Ashok Kumar back on top