Abdullah719
T20I Captain
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2013
- Runs
- 44,825
By Saj Sadiq
It is said that fast-bowlers always hunt in pairs. The history of cricket is thus replete with examples of fast-bowling duos who have performed wonders for their sides and wreaked havoc among opposition batting line-ups.
Whether it was Ambrose and Walsh, Botham and Willis, Wasim and Waqar or more recently Broad and Anderson, the results for the opposing batsmen were frighteningly similar.
The unique challenge posed by each member of the pairing would not allow the hapless batsmen to settle down to one pace or style of bowling. Bring in the mix a left-handed and a right-handed bowling pair and the odds would get even tougher for the opposing batting line-ups.
While the talent exhibited by the above named bowlers are rare to find in two bowlers, the effect of having one bowler with the ability to bowl with equal devastation using either arm would be the envy of any team in the world.
Consider then the absolute astonishment and amazement of the coaching staff of the Pakistan Super League team, Lahore Qalandars when they were confronted with Yasir Jan, a vegetable vendor by trade who lives in Islamabad, but originally hails from the small town of Charsadda in the north-western part of Pakistan.
Enrolled for the 'talent hunt' trials held recently by the Lahore Qalandars team in Rawalpindi under the supervision of Aaqib Javed, the former Pakistan fast-bowler and current director of cricket for the Qalandars, Yasir shocked all staff and bystanders with a spell of bowling delivered with uncanny precision using both his left and right arms.
Ambidextrous cricketers have been a rarity in the history of cricket with many bowling with their weaker hands more for amusement or during situations where the result was a foregone conclusion.
The late Hanif Mohammad, Pakistan's legendary batsman and an occasional spinner is reported to have been bowling using his weaker left hand when Sir Garfield Sobers scored his record breaking three-hundred and sixty-fifth run, while the former England captain Graham Gooch had the ability to bowl medium-pacers with either arm.
So cricketers have been trying out bowling with their weaker arms more for fun rather than in serious match situations, but what Yasir Jan is bringing to the table is a completely different level of intensity in ambidextrous bowling abilities.
A naturally right-handed medium-fast bowler, Yasir has worked hard to train himself to bowl with both arms although the speed associated with the ball delivered with the left-hand, though still brisk, is slightly less than the right-handed variety.
When bowling right-arm, Yasir is able to bowl with some nip and speed but gets more bounce and swing when bowling with his left-arm which gives him an extra edge.
The athletically-built young fast-bowler hasn't developed this talent overnight and says he has been working on this since his childhood and if the look of amazement on the Lahore coaching staff was any indication, he seems to have done a fantastic job refining this skill.
Many youngsters would have marked any one of the top bowlers as their role models based upon their own natural arm strength, but Yasir has been in a fortunate position to not only have the ability to imitate the style of his favourite left or right-handed fast bowler but can do so with no real loss of pace while bowling using either arm.
Copying one's favourite bowler's action may well be practical, but delivering the ball with pace from each arm using that action presents a complex and physically demanding challenge which Yasir seems to have mastered almost to perfection.
Observers commenting on Yasir's bowling actions have stated that there is a hint of Dale Steyn when he bowls right-arm and a similarity to Mohammad Amir when he bowls left arm.
The video clip of Yasir bowling in the nets in Rawalpindi went viral in a global sense and has caught the imagination of the cricket-mad nation of Pakistan which is yet to see international cricket played on its soil since the tragic events of 2009.
The Pakistan Super League which saw famous international names such as Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Kevin Pietersen and Shane Watson in its inaugural edition earlier this year represents a great opportunity for Pakistan's young cricketers to showcase their skills with players like Yasir looking to impress franchises with their skills.
With the talent available with either arm, Yasir could easily become one of the most talked about bowlers at the PSL in the near future.
However, as Aaqib Javed pointed out during the trials, Yasir has all the ingredients to be a good bowler with either arm but his raw talent needs at least one year's work. Given Aaqib's credentials and international experience, Yasir could be in perfect hands for his career to kick off in the near future.
Bowlers with unconventional actions have been an oddity in cricket over the years but it can be said with some confidence that the ambidextrous ability to bowl at speed displayed by Yasir is truly unique.
While Sohail Tanvir's wrong-footed bowling has been a matter of surprise for many batsmen, it cannot surpass the options available to a fielding captain in terms of a bowler like Yasir Jan who is able to bowl equally well with either arm.
The laws of cricket have historically evolved at a much slower pace and even today, the 'switch hit' pioneered by Kevin Pietersen is considered to be pushing the laws of the game.
It would, therefore, appear inconceivable that a bowler with Yasir's ability could shock the batsman by simply switching the ball from one hand to another from delivery to delivery without telling the umpire. If this rule does change in future, then Yasir will be well placed to make good use of his abilities.
Only time will be the judge of whether Yasir, under the tutelage of Aaqib, will ever mature into an accomplished international bowler, but if he does make it to the top level, there is no doubt that he will be every captains' dream choice and a huge favourite with the fans the world over.
http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...owler-yasir-jan-could-be-every-captains-dream
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