“We have to identify those bowlers who are best suited to Test cricket” : Waqar Younis

[Abdullah719]

Blog by Waqar Younis

Fast bowling is the trademark of Pakistan cricket. There have been so many great ones over the years and I am confident that the future will be bright again, with a number of bowlers able to register 150 clicks on the speed gun.

We are fortunate to have some really talented young fast bowlers but unfortunately that we don’t have so many experienced ones to lead them out in the middle. It will take some time before we are back on the right track.

Every country has a little dip at times in terms of player development and you have to go through those periods before someone emerges to become a great of the game.

Because of Covid, the preparation for the tour of England was not ideal. For three months or so, these guys were stuck indoors and not really able to train. The weather was also a frustration at various points on the tour but the young bowlers have made excellent progress and we’re happy with their performances.

You can see that they have the talent, now they just need to play more cricket, particularly first-class cricket. We have to identify those bowlers who are best suited to Test cricket and willing to play the longer version of the game.

We have seen already that Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are wonderful bowlers. Mohammad Musa, who was part of the squad in England, is another, and there are a couple in the under-19s also. Of course, Mohammad Abbas is very seasoned and experienced. We will keep trying to give them the opportunities.

I want Test cricket to be a real focus for these guys and that means also placing an emphasis on four-day cricket. If you want to succeed in Test cricket it’s important to play more first-class cricket to get your body used to bowling long spells. The upcoming domestic season in Pakistan, with our new six-team structure, will be important for the development of our pace bowlers. But I would also like to see them playing around the world, whether in Australia or on the English county circuit.

I know from personal experience how much you can learn from playing in England, getting used to different weather and ground conditions, the pitches, and life off the field also. Both Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Abbas have been really successful for English counties and it has benefitted their careers so much as well.

If you look at the careers of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, England’s two senior bowlers who are now legends of the game, they started out as talented bowlers for sure but they were in and out of the team. It took them time to find their feet and establish themselves in that environment.

One of the challenges that both teams faced in the recent Test series was the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball. I don’t think it was actually a major issue given the weather. The pitches themselves were very dry but there was always moisture in the air and the outfields were lush so keeping the ball in good condition was not a problem. In other parts of the world, it is always more challenging to keep the ball in good condition.

Also, the Dukes ball that is used in England stays harder for longer than most other balls, which made the saliva issue less of a problem. I have been a big advocate of the Dukes ball for many years but I feel that only one brand of ball should be used around the world for Test cricket. It doesn’t matter which brand but the ICC should make that decision. It’s hard for bowlers to adjust to using different types of ball when they play around the world.

It is not just the skills of fast bowling that our young guys need to work on. Fitness is also crucial for them. As a squad, our fitness has been improving all the time but I think we are still a touch behind many other teams in the world. Fast bowlers in Test cricket have to be super fit to survive those long spells when the team needs you, even at the times you may not want to.

Fast bowling is hard work and it cannot be learned overnight. We all need to be patient with these guys. They have the hunger, attitude and desire and I have got full confidence that they are the future of Pakistan cricket if they carry on the hard work. Continue getting fitter and the skills will blossom.

https://www.pcb.com.pk/blog-detail/...ising-one-brand-of-cricket-ball-in-tests.html

 

[sweep_shot]

Waqar hasn't had great success as a coach but he is right.

Young pacers need time to develop.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

And, yet another philosophical statement.
O” Khuda ka wasta Yar - jaan chorr dow ab hamari.

This your what? 3rd unsuccessful coaching stunt with us?
Seriously, I have begun to wonder when I look back. In the days when India n Pakistan used to play regular, India had batting as their might, and Pakistan had bowling as our tump card.

Fast fwd to the last decade, India retained its heritage of producing world class batsmen while our pace bowling worth took a nose dive.

How much of a role Waqar, the coach, played in our pace bowling decline?
Yes, a great bowler of his era, but imo, a horrible captain and an even worse of a coach.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

He is so dumb that he can’t select Ehsan adil , Sameen Gul and Mir Hamza who have had good enough FC experience than Naseem shah and musa. Ok at least Naseem now has played a few intl tests but Musa on the other hand is really really new.

They have taken Sohail Khan , Kashif bhatti and Imran Khan for a jolly tour to England.

At least the expenses of these three can be saved

 

[Usman Chadda]

He is so dumb that he can’t select Ehsan adil , Sameen Gul and Mir Hamza who have had good enough FC experience than Naseem shah and musa. Ok at least Naseem now has played a few intl tests but Musa on the other hand is really really new.

They have taken Sohail Khan , Kashif bhatti and Imran Khan for a jolly tour to England.

At least the expenses of these three can be saved

He is right in not selecting Mir Hamza, who is an average trundler.

Sameen Gul is the only one that might be a good addition, while Ehsan Adil failed to do much of note in the few chances he got.

 

[The_KING]

You will ruin all the bowlers Waqar as you are a pathetic coach.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Mir Hamza is not worth pursuing with.Sameen Gul should have been selected for England tour.Interestingly Waqar didn't mention Hasnain.

 

[shamaan]

He is right in not selecting Mir Hamza, who is an average trundler.

Sameen Gul is the only one that might be a good addition, while Ehsan Adil failed to do much of note in the few chances he got.

Ehsan adil only had a few chances
Naseem shah has had a few chances does that mean he deserves to be dropped

 

[shamaan]

He is so dumb that he can’t select Ehsan adil , Sameen Gul and Mir Hamza who have had good enough FC experience than Naseem shah and musa. Ok at least Naseem now has played a few intl tests but Musa on the other hand is really really new.

They have taken Sohail Khan , Kashif bhatti and Imran Khan for a jolly tour to England.

At least the expenses of these three can be saved

Defo ehsan adil and sameen gull

 

[Zaz]

Why do they seem to think musa has a future at this level? What has he done to potray this image?

 

[shamaan]

Why do they seem to think musa has a future at this level? What has he done to potray this image?

He needs alot of hardwork maybe in 2 years but not right now

 

[Markhor]

We are fortunate to have some really talented young fast bowlers but unfortunately that we don’t have so many experienced ones to lead them out in the middle.

Were you held at gunpoint not to pick more experienced bowlers ?

Because of Covid, the preparation for the tour of England was not ideal. For three months or so, these guys were stuck indoors and not really able to train.

So our problem was too much preparation ? Again, England and West Indies had the same issue of being stuck in a biosecure bubble so you can't use COVID as an excuse.

We have seen already that Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are wonderful bowlers. Mohammad Musa, who was part of the squad in England, is another, and there are a couple in the under-19s also. Of course, Mohammad Abbas is very seasoned and experienced. We will keep trying to give them the opportunities.

Musa Khan is a wonderful bowler - on what planet ? He averaged over 60 in last season's QEA Trophy. Yes he has pace but no control and his height means he'll struggle at international level.

Also, the Dukes ball that is used in England stays harder for longer than most other balls, which made the saliva issue less of a problem. I have been a big advocate of the Dukes ball for many years but I feel that only one brand of ball should be used around the world for Test cricket. It doesn’t matter which brand but the ICC should make that decision. It’s hard for bowlers to adjust to using different types of ball when they play around the world.

Wait which is it ? First Waqar says they had three months to prepare for the England tour, yet here adjusting to the Dukes ball was an issue. Also our bowlers have used the Dukes in domestic cricket before the 2019-20 season so this is another excuse.

Waqar is hiding behind the excuse of a young team just like Misbah when in reality, the selections from these two have been shocking. Either they pick raw teenagers or over-the-hill hasbeens with very few guys between 21-30 as [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] keeps mentioning.

This is the 5th time you're cashing a PCB paycheck Waqar and still you're winging it like your previous stints. The lack of planning particularly against Chris Woakes in the 1st Test was exposed, just like it was against David Warner in Australia. Neither have you offered any technical analysis. [MENTION=152972]Pacy with wisdom[/MENTION] wrote a detailed critique about why Shaheen and Naseem struggled on this tour. You're being paid to identify these issues, don't hide behind the usual explanations like lack of fitness and inexperience.

Look, I have every respect for Waqar the bowler (ball tampering aside). However in leadership positions either as captain or coach he's been exposed repeatedly for not having a good eye for talent, lack of opposition planning and not reading the game well. He himself admits data and analytics has never been his strength, but this is how elite sport operates nowadays. Both Misbah and Waqar are from a bygone era and need replacing.

 

[Savak]

Waqar identified and picked our top 4-5 pace bowlers based on a 2 day fast bowling camp at Qadhaffi stadium in the middle of the QAE tournament.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Were you held at gunpoint not to pick more experienced bowlers ?


So our problem was too much preparation ? Again, England and West Indies had the same issue of being stuck in a biosecure bubble so you can't use COVID as an excuse.


Musa Khan is a wonderful bowler - on what planet ? He averaged over 60 in last season's QEA Trophy. Yes he has pace but no control and his height means he'll struggle at international level.


Wait which is it ? First Waqar says they had three months to prepare for the England tour, yet here adjusting to the Dukes ball was an issue. Also our bowlers have used the Dukes in domestic cricket before the 2019-20 season so this is another excuse.

Waqar is hiding behind the excuse of a young team just like Misbah when in reality, the selections from these two have been shocking. Either they pick raw teenagers or over-the-hill hasbeens with very few guys between 21-30 as [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] keeps mentioning.

This is the 5th time you're cashing a PCB paycheck Waqar and still you're winging it like your previous stints. The lack of planning particularly against Chris Woakes in the 1st Test was exposed, just like it was against David Warner in Australia. Neither have you offered any technical analysis. [MENTION=152972]Pacy with wisdom[/MENTION] wrote a detailed critique about why Shaheen and Naseem struggled on this tour. You're being paid to identify these issues, don't hide behind the usual explanations like lack of fitness and inexperience.

Look, I have every respect for Waqar the bowler (ball tampering aside). However in leadership positions either as captain or coach he's been exposed repeatedly for not having a good eye for talent, lack of opposition planning and not reading the game well. He himself admits data and analytics has never been his strength, but this is how elite sport operates nowadays. Both Misbah and Waqar are from a bygone era and need replacing.

In the last decade or so, we had an extremely poor talent pool. There were no fast bowlers; we were basically a trundler factory, the batsmen were clowns, with the saner ones being thakka kings, and the quality of cricket we played was just outright boring and negative.
However, now there are a number of prospects in both disciplines who have potential to be very good.

But unless and until Misbah and Waqar are not sent packing, we wont see all the newfound talent translate itself into performances.
These guys are a nuisance to our cricket.

 

[Shaka81]

Mir Hamza is not worth pursuing with.Sameen Gul should have been selected for England tour.Interestingly Waqar didn't mention Hasnain.

Yeah I thought it was curious that he mentioned all the other young bowlers other than Hasnain. He even bigged up Musa who must surely be behind Hasnain based on performances so far in their careers. Maybe he doesn't rate Hasnain, which would be a shame as he looks to have all the raw materials to be a very good bowler especially in the shorter formats.

 

[The Viper]

Waqar backs young generation to uphold Pakistan fast bowling tradition

Waqar Younis is confident that the future of Pakistan's "trademark" fast bowling is in safe hands after overseeing the latest generation of quicks during their recent tour of England.

Teenage paceman Naseem Shah and 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi both impressed as Pakistan lost the three-match Test series 1-0 but drew the Twenty20 campaign 1-1.

"Fast bowling is the trademark of Pakistan cricket," said the 48-year-old Waqar, an outstanding fast bowler, in a Pakistan Cricket Board website column published on Thursday.

"There have been so many great ones over the years and I am confident that the future will be bright again," added Waqar, who formed a celebrated partnership with left-arm quick Wasim Akram and is now Pakistan's bowling coach.

"We have seen already that Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are wonderful bowlers. Muhammad Musa, who was part of the squad in England, is another, and there are a couple in the under-19s also. Of course, Mohammad Abbas is very seasoned and experienced."

Abbas, like Waqar and Wasim before him, has played in English county cricket and the coach would like to see the emerging quicks do the same.

"I know from personal experience how much you can learn from playing in England, getting used to different weather and ground conditions, the pitches, and life off the field also," Waqar said.

"Both Mohammad Amir (Essex) and Mohammad Abbas (Leicestershire) have been really successful for English counties and it has benefited their careers so much as well."

One consequence of the coronavirus is that players have been banned from using saliva to shine the ball.

But Waqar said the Dukes ball used in England stayed harder for longer than other brands and "made the saliva issue less of a problem".

Waqar, however, called on the International Cricket Council to designate just one brand of ball for all Test cricket.

"It doesn't matter which brand but the ICC should make that decision," he said. "It's hard for bowlers to adjust to using different types of ball when they play around the world."

https://www.france24.com/en/2020090...ion-to-uphold-pakistan-fast-bowling-tradition

 

[Saj]

I'm glad the issue of fitness has been brought up by Waqar.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that plenty of the squad who were in England are nowhere near the fitness levels of their English counterparts.

In fact I was watching one of the matches with a fitness trainer who doesn't watch cricket and he said that the difference in the fitness levels of the 2 teams was alarming and very visible.

 

[Cricketrenew]

LOL Waqar how many times have you failed as coach.
Everytime the Pak team come to the UK we are told they building for the future....
This 3-4 tour like this.... Truth is there is something more fundamental wrong
in the hierarchy of PAK Cricket it is nothing new, it has existed a long time.
There is a slight improvement in Mickey Arthur and Misbah error but Wasim Khan
needs to pick the best people for the jobs not those just relying on past achievements.

 

[Hasan123]

We also need to ensure these bowlers have a proper coach who can help them develop not a proven and consistent failure like you.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Ehsan adil only had a few chances
Naseem shah has had a few chances does that mean he deserves to be dropped

Naseem has raw pace, while Ehsan showed nothing. However, if he has improved, then no reason he should not be looked at.

 

[topspin]

He is right in not selecting Mir Hamza, who is an average trundler.

Sameen Gul is the only one that might be a good addition, while Ehsan Adil failed to do much of note in the few chances he got.

You used the same argument for Rizwan and look how that has backfired.

It's unfair to write off someone who was raw and inexperienced like that at face value.

 

[topspin]

Were you held at gunpoint not to pick more experienced bowlers ?


So our problem was too much preparation ? Again, England and West Indies had the same issue of being stuck in a biosecure bubble so you can't use COVID as an excuse.


Musa Khan is a wonderful bowler - on what planet ? He averaged over 60 in last season's QEA Trophy. Yes he has pace but no control and his height means he'll struggle at international level.


Wait which is it ? First Waqar says they had three months to prepare for the England tour, yet here adjusting to the Dukes ball was an issue. Also our bowlers have used the Dukes in domestic cricket before the 2019-20 season so this is another excuse.

Waqar is hiding behind the excuse of a young team just like Misbah when in reality, the selections from these two have been shocking. Either they pick raw teenagers or over-the-hill hasbeens with very few guys between 21-30 as [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] keeps mentioning.

This is the 5th time you're cashing a PCB paycheck Waqar and still you're winging it like your previous stints. The lack of planning particularly against Chris Woakes in the 1st Test was exposed, just like it was against David Warner in Australia. Neither have you offered any technical analysis. [MENTION=152972]Pacy with wisdom[/MENTION] wrote a detailed critique about why Shaheen and Naseem struggled on this tour. You're being paid to identify these issues, don't hide behind the usual explanations like lack of fitness and inexperience.

Look, I have every respect for Waqar the bowler (ball tampering aside). However in leadership positions either as captain or coach he's been exposed repeatedly for not having a good eye for talent, lack of opposition planning and not reading the game well. He himself admits data and analytics has never been his strength, but this is how elite sport operates nowadays. Both Misbah and Waqar are from a bygone era and need replacing.

Bang on the money here. You summed up one of the main reasons why Pakistan cricket lags behind other teams.

The gulf will only get better, the longer this duo are present to wreck our cricket.

 

[Usman Chadda]

You used the same argument for Rizwan and look how that has backfired.

It's unfair to write off someone who was raw and inexperienced like that at face value.

What has Rizwan achieved yet?

 

[topspin]

What has Rizwan achieved yet?

He's proven himself to be far superior Sarfraz with both the gloves and bat. I remember how you kept banging on about how Rizwan was inferior to him with the bat to justify his exclusion from the XI.

But more importantly, he has shown that not only does he belong to international level but has serious potential to become a world-class wicket-keeper batsman.

Just like how the Faheem v Pandya debate turned out and the Pakistan v India Asia Cup prediction, this has also blowed up in your face.

If Ehsan Adil, I'm sure it will be a 4th time humiliation for you. Actually, 5th time because I still remember "Ian Healey wasn't the main test wicket keeper for Australia in the 90s", where you were clearly implying Gilchrist was even though he'd only made his debut at the end of 1999.

 

[shamaan]

Naseem has raw pace, while Ehsan showed nothing. However, if he has improved, then no reason he should not be looked at.

So does husnain rauf musa my point is u cant drop someone after 2 games they should be given more games before before dropped

 

[shamaan]

What has Rizwan achieved yet?

Rizwan was man of the series in the test series I belive first time he kept in england azwsll big achievement

 

[shamaan]

He's proven himself to be far superior Sarfraz with both the gloves and bat. I remember how you kept banging on about how Rizwan was inferior to him with the bat to justify his exclusion from the XI.

But more importantly, he has shown that not only does he belong to international level but has serious potential to become a world-class wicket-keeper batsman.

Just like how the Faheem v Pandya debate turned out and the Pakistan v India Asia Cup prediction, this has also blowed up in your face.

If Ehsan Adil, I'm sure it will be a 4th time humiliation for you. Actually, 5th time because I still remember "Ian Healey wasn't the main test wicket keeper for Australia in the 90s", where you were clearly implying Gilchrist was even though he'd only made his debut at the end of 1999.

Rizwan has already shown in tests hes very very good keeper but in t20s am not to sure hes suited to this format

 

[topspin]

Rizwan was man of the series in the test series I belive first time he kept in england azwsll big achievement

Lol oh yes how could I forget he was MoS. Bet Mr Chadda regrets asking the question now

 

[topspin]

Rizwan has already shown in tests hes very very good keeper but in t20s am not to sure hes suited to this format

Give Rizwan a solid 6-12 months run in T20Is he'll prove his superiority in the shortest format as well.

 

[shamaan]

Give Rizwan a solid 6-12 months run in T20Is he'll prove his superiority in the shortest format as well.

He hasnt got the power game for t20s maybe in a year or 2 but right now nope we need a hitter who can keep decently

 

[shamaan]

Lol oh yes how could I forget he was MoS. Bet Mr Chadda regrets asking the question now

Lol even some of the commentators states hes the best keeper we have had come over to England in tests

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I'm glad the issue of fitness has been brought up by Waqar.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that plenty of the squad who were in England are nowhere near the fitness levels of their English counterparts.

In fact I was watching one of the matches with a fitness trainer who doesn't watch cricket and he said that the difference in the fitness levels of the 2 teams was alarming and very visible.

Then what is the fitness trainer getting paid for?
If it's not easy, it won't happen. The phrase that describes our cricket for better part of last few years.

 

[Ellipsism]

Ehsan Adil’s front leg still collapses so I highly doubt he can maintain a 135 kph speed through the course of a test match, and he doesn’t have the accuracy to be trundling at the same speed as Abbas. In addition, he wastes so much of his height to the extent that his release points are what you’d expect from someone who’s 3-4 inches shorter than what he is; so he ain’t gonna get the bounce people expect.


From the match against the MCC earlier in the year.

 

[Saj]

Identify?

Why take Sohail Khan to England when everyone knows he's incapable of being fit enough for a Test match.

 

[Saj]

Then what is the fitness trainer getting paid for?
If it's not easy, it won't happen. The phrase that describes our cricket for better part of last few years.

Exactly.

But then one also has to question the fitness trainers of these guys domestic teams.

 

[Savak]

Identify?

Why take Sohail Khan to England when everyone knows he's incapable of being fit enough for a Test match.

Hmm, Misbah is the Chief Selector and Head Coach so he has to answer for the selection debacles we have seen in Australia and now in England.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Exactly.

But then one also has to question the fitness trainers of these guys domestic teams.

I doubt domestic teams have trained fitness trainers in the first place especially when every year domestic teams are changed or chopped by the very competent PCB.