Are Pakistani pacers becoming too soft?

[Saj]

I recall the days of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. These guys would see the badge on the opposition batsmen's helmet as a target that they would aim for.

If they hit the badge or helmet, they would see it as a minor victory and a psychological boost for themselves and their team-mates.

Sometimes there would be a quick apology and they would move on. Sometimes there would be a few choice words and a glare too. Perhaps even a few words for the non-striker to get ready to face the same.

Nowadays we are seeing Shaheen and Haris apologising for hitting players on the head, hugging them, smiling and even doing tweets to apologise.

Are our pacers becoming softies?

 

[Savak]

I think pacers as a whole around the world changed after Phil Hughes accident and death.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Nah, they save their aggression for Zimbabwe.

 

[El Generico]

I think pacers as a whole around the world changed after Phil Hughes accident and death.

Exactly. The blow Imad took today looked serious and not too different then the one Hughes took so it made perfect sense for Rauf to check on him. The Hughes incident as well as more awareness about concussions has really changed people’s attitude towards bouncers.

Also let’s not forget this is domestic cricket and most of this guys are teammates in international cricket so they aren’t going to be all that hostile with each other.

 

[Ab Fan]

It's not just pacers but batsman too.

The last tough Pakistani batsman was the one with 10,000 test runs to his name at average of 50+ and 30+ test hundreds.

 

[Stewie]

i think the overall culture of cricket has changed because of the t20 franchise cricket. Cricketers now play a lot with cricketers from other countries in leagues and have built personal friendships with them and are mostly on cordial terms with them. Like someone said, hitting a batsman is not all that its made out to be either after the Phil Hughes incident.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

It's not Pakistani pacers but bowlers in general who have become more humane after the incident of Phil Hughes. No one wants to hit batsmen on the head which could impact or even kill them.

 

[El Generico]

It's not Pakistani pacers but bowlers in general who have become more humane after the incident of Phil Hughes. No one wants to hit batsmen on the head which could impact or even kill them.

That incident really changed a lot of things, I remember NZ fast bowlers didn’t even bowl bouncers for a couple of matches after Hughes death.

Even video games like Stick cricket, took out the animation of batsman getting hit on the head and falling over.

 

[Savak]

Mitchell Johnson stated that he didn't feel right about fast hostile bouncers anymore and that took the sting out of his bowling which forced his retirement

 

[dildilpak]

I think pacers as a whole around the world changed after Phil Hughes accident and death.

Which is a pity because Phil Hughes’s tragic death was a freakish, one-off incident. Understandable that bowlers dont want to take any chance anymore, but it has killed a good amount of contest between bat & ball.

 

[MenInG]

Lot of what we see in PSL in this regard is based on senior junior business.

But yes the old days of a short apology are gone.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Pacers have slowed down to prolong their careers and avoid injuries for having SO MUCH overload on their bodies.

And on the other hand, not only boundaries have become super small but the batsmen have become monsters.
There is a great imbalance between bat n the ball in modem day LOI games.

Baseball seems more unpredictable and fun now.
Runs are hard to come by, and when they are scored, they are cherished and enjoyed a lot more than cricket.

People yawn at sixes now in T20 games.

 

[Saj]

Nah, they save their aggression for Zimbabwe.

Well fair point.

I appreciate that some of the guys are team-mates in the national team, but the level of concern when the opposition players are clearly ok is ridiculous.

 

[Saj]

I've just watched Dahani bowl a short ball to Rashid Khan which hit him on the gloves.

Dahani apologised to Rashid.

It's nice sportsmanship and looks good for the cameras, but come on, is that really needed.

Next we'll have bowlers apologising for getting players out - oh wait, that's already happened in the PSL.

 

[Saj]

Jamieson to Gill.

Gill walking down the track to him, Jamieson bangs it in hits him on the head - stare from Jamieson, as if to say what are you doing, walks back to his mark.

That's more like it.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Jamieson to Gill.

Gill walking down the track to him, Jamieson bangs it in hits him on the head - stare from Jamieson, as if to say what are you doing, walks back to his mark.

That's more like it.

You are comparing the pinnacle of test cricket to the lowest form of pyjama cricket.

Dahani could be playing with Rashid in Barbados next year on in Dhaka at some point. He isnt going to want to burn bridges.