"It’s too soon to write me off as a bowler" : Mohammad Abbas

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
217,760
After a meteoric rise in International cricket which has seen Mohammad Abbas take 84 Test wickets, including four 5fers and best figures of 5/33 against Australia in 2018, the pace bowler finds himself dropped for Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe. However, he has kept himself in contention for a national comeback by putting in solid performances for Hampshire in the 2021 edition of the County Championship.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Abbas spoke about the importance of playing in the County season for his chances of making an international comeback, the reasons behind his lacklustre performance in Tests during series against England and New Zealand, steps being taken by the PCB to reduce injuries amongst bowlers, Pakistan’s current pace-bowling resources and what fans can expect of him when he eventually makes a return to the Pakistan side.



307287.jpg


PakPassion.net: How did the opportunity to play for Hampshire in this year’s County Championship come about for you?

Mohammad Abbas:
There is no domestic cricket being played in Pakistan at the moment as our season has come to an end and whilst I was in the NCA camp, I was offered a chance to play for Hampshire this season which I readily accepted. For me, it’s a great opportunity to play in a quality domestic cricket competition and as we saw in my performance against Middlesex where I had match figures of 9/39, it has allowed me to re-discover my rhythm and will also help me restore my form as well, which in turn will hopefully lead to a comeback in the national side.


PakPassion.net: To take so many wickets, so early in the County season, will have given you a much-needed confidence boost?

Mohammad Abbas:
This is absolutely true as starting the season of any major domestic tournament or league with such a good performance gives you a huge boost in confidence. I am very grateful to the Almighty that I have been able to achieve this and it is my hope to continue with this form to help Hampshire win more games, and also to repeat these performances at the international level whenever I am asked to make a comeback for Pakistan.


PakPassion.net: Having played for Leicestershire and Hampshire in County Cricket, what can Pakistan domestic cricket learn from the County circuit?

Mohammad Abbas:
I feel that there has been a significant improvement in domestic cricket in Pakistan in the last 2 seasons due to the reduction in the number of domestic teams, and that has somewhat matched what I have seen in England in terms of the quality of competition. However, where we obviously lag behind England is in the area of facilities such as grounds and pitches. But I am happy that things are steadily improving in Pakistan and that can be seen by the fact that more matches are being televised and the quality of broadcasts has also improved. So, whereas 2 years ago there were just 2 TV cameras in place at grounds, the recent season saw up to 6 cameras being used for coverage of the games. Also, it was pleasing to see international venues being utilized for domestic games which is a great improvement in terms of playing surfaces that are available for matches.


PakPassion.net: You must be disappointed that in the last 4 Tests, you have only managed to take 6 wickets?

Mohammad Abbas:
Yes, it is true that I have struggled in the recent past but in cricket you always have ups and downs. Sometimes you perform well taking 5fers and 10fers as a bowler and at other times you can remain wicketless due to no fault of yours. Likewise, if you are a batsman, you can be out for a duck on one day but next day, score a big hundred without any real change to your technique.

But then, it wasn’t just me who didn’t do too well in terms of performance as when we look at the recent performances of the team as a whole, we can see that we didn’t do that well either. Whilst overall we played good cricket on the tour of England, it was due to just one bad session at Old Trafford that we lost the match and consequently the series as well. In the same way we started off well during the New Zealand series, but we lost the 1st Test after it appeared that we had done the hard work needed to draw the game. Then in the 2nd Test on that tour, we batted well, bowled well in the first 2 sessions then collapsed in the 3rd session. I suppose as a team when you don’t do well, then its logical that players are affected, and mistakes start to happen too.

Personally speaking, I don’t think I have bowled that badly although I didn’t take as many wickets as I had expected. As a fast-bowler I know that once you have bowled 10-12 good overs, and then when you get wickets it injects new energy into you. But when that doesn’t happen, you feel let down and your body language as a sportsman also suffers. My performance was therefore affected by lack of wickets although I do feel that I didn’t bowl that badly in the past few months.


PakPassion.net: What were the exact reasons for not picking up wickets in the recent past?

Mohammad Abbas:
A lack of wickets can happen when your luck abandons you or when catches are dropped, and if sometimes you do take a wicket, it turns out to be a no-ball. All these things are part and parcel of cricket because when it’s your day, you can even get a wicket off a full toss.


PakPassion.net: You must have been disappointed after not being chosen for the tour of Zimbabwe?

Mohammad Abbas:
Of course, anyone would be disappointed when such a thing happens, but there are positives in such situations as I can now use this time to fix some of the issues I have in my bowling. In fact, the Chief Selector has told me clearly that I am not being side-lined and that a plan will be chalked out between all of us to see how I can improve myself so I can serve Pakistan better in the future.


PakPassion.net: What is the reason for reduction in your bowling speed in in recent games for Pakistan?

Mohammad Abbas:
I will go back to what I said earlier which is the fact that when you after bowling 12-15 overs, you haven’t got any wickets, then it’s natural for your spirits to be down and that obviously effects your bowling quality and speed as well.


PakPassion.net: Is there extra pressure on you due to your style of bowling, especially given that Pakistan has a history of producing quicker bowlers like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar?

Mohammad Abbas:
The legends that you mentioned are all those bowlers who inspired me to become a fast-bowler. But it really comes down to recognizing your strengths as a pace bowler, and to know whether you have speed or seam and swing as your primary weapon. Once you have a good understanding of your strong points, you can utilize those qualities and then cricket does become easy for you. So, when wickets are coming my way, I continue concentrating on getting more wickets. But when wickets dry up, I look to attack by denying the opposition runs and forcing them to make mistakes which leads to their downfall. To me, this style of bowling and attack is best suited to my game and it has brought success in the past.


PakPassion.net: What were the discussions with Mohammad Rizwan about standing up to the stumps during the tour of New Zealand?

Mohammad Abbas:
To be honest, there was no such discussion or disagreement between Rizwan and myself about standing up to the stumps when I was bowling. Everything was planned out to perfection. Also, the fact is that the same ball that will just about rise up to the pads of a batsman in Pakistan conditions, bounces above the stumps on New Zealand pitches which makes it tough for a wicket-keeper to stand up to the stumps.


PakPassion.net: It seemed that Covid-19 positive cases also affected Pakistan’s performance in the series against New Zealand?

Mohammad Abbas:
Getting used to conditions in New Zealand takes some time as it is, but to make things worse, we had the added problem of positive Covid-19 cases in our squad. So instead of starting our training within 3 days of arrival, we had to wait 14 days before we could step out for practice. And to be confined to a room for such a long time also has an effect on the mind of any sportsman and his body.


PakPassion.net: Has Misbah-ul-Haq spoken to you about what you need to do to make a comeback to the Pakistan side?

Mohammad Abbas:
I had a chat with Misbah at the NHPC before he departed for the tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe and he recommended a few things for me to look at. I had a similar chat with Babar Azam and the messages from both the Head Coach and Captain were positive ones which was very encouraging. It’s up to me now to work on those things that are under my control which is to bring my form back to earlier levels which gave me so much success and to perform well.


PakPassion.net: What impresses you the most about Shaheen Shah Afridi?

Mohammad Abbas:
He is a wonderful human being and a player who respects his seniors as well. Pakistan is lucky that they have a bowler like Shaheen who is putting in some excellent performances in all three formats. In my view, he has all the makings of a bowler who will serve Pakistan for a long time. I just hope and pray that he remains healthy and fit.


PakPassion.net: Why is it that a lot of Pakistani fast-bowlers suffer from fitness problems?

Mohammad Abbas:
It’s simply a case of the fact that when you play all three formats and put in 100% in every match, then it’s logical that fitness issues will occur. But we are fortunate that the Pakistan team physio, Cliffe Deacon, who has been with us for the past 2 years has worked with our trainer Yasir Malik to change things for the better in this regard. So, we have been given apps on our mobile devices as well as special training watches to monitor our training and bowling loads. These are all very useful aides for us especially when we are over-exerting or workloads are heavier than usual, in which case we get spoken to by the staff.


PakPassion.net: The competition for fast-bowling slots in the Pakistan team seems pretty tough at the moment?

Mohammad Abbas:
This sort of competition is great news for Pakistan cricket. We all know that Pakistan has been a breeding ground for fast-bowlers throughout our history and in that sense, apart from the guys currently playing for Pakistan, we also have the likes of Musa Khan, Ali Shafiq and Mohammad Ilyas. All in all, there is a group of 40 such bowlers who are being monitored by the PCB for their fitness and workloads. This is good news for Pakistan as there are decent backups for each bowler which means that if one bowler does not perform, then there is another one ready to take his place in the side.

For me the most important aspect of being in this group of bowlers is that we are like one family, so when I performed well for Hampshire recently, I got messages of appreciation from Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Hassan Ali. To be honest, instead of worrying about competition, I am much happier with the fact that Pakistan has such good quality fast-bowlers available at this time.


PakPassion.net: What is your assessment of Jasprit Bumrah who is performing so well in all formats of the game?

Mohammad Abbas:
I haven’t played against Bumrah yet, but I do know that he has done wonders with the ball. His bowling action has been discussed a lot but, in my view, that is his natural action, and such actions should not be tinkered with by any coach. When you bowl a certain way, it can take a long time to change an action which is natural to the bowler and also increases the chances of injury as well. I have a lot of respect for him and think he’s a fantastic bowler.


PakPassion.net: On the topic of bowling actions, what in your view is the best age changes to be made?

Mohammad Abbas:
To me, bowling actions should only be changed at a very young age at the Under-13, Under-15 or even at the Under-16 stage. Trying to make changes to a bowler’s action after this age will be counterproductive as by that time muscles and muscle memory has already taken shape and developed in a certain way. So, the chances of injury become greater when changes are made at a later stage in life as it puts extra stress on the body because it needs to adjust to a different action.


PakPassion.net: What can we expect from you when or if you make a comeback to international cricket?

Mohammad Abbas:
Well some people have already written me off which is disappointing. It’s too soon to write me off as a bowler. Rest assured that on my return to international cricket, it will be the same Mohammad Abbas who served his country with dedication before as well. I will make sure that I put into practice whatever I learn from the current County season and what has made me successful so far for Hampshire. Most importantly, I would comeback after working hard on parts of my game where I was lacking before and the idea will be to put in performances that will be pleasing to the fans and ones that will help Pakistan win in the future.
 
Last edited:
PakPassion.net: What is the reason for reduction in your bowling speed in in recent games for Pakistan?

Mohammad Abbas:
I will go back to what I said earlier which is the fact that when you after bowling 12-15 overs, you haven’t got any wickets, then it’s natural for your spirits to be down and that obviously effects your bowling quality and speed as well.

Sorry, but I don't buy it, that's just a lame excuse. His speed has been consistently down since ball 1 for a while now. He's been averaging in the 120s, often bowling in the low 120s. So every decent international batsman knows that he is so slow now that all you have to do is stand outside the crease to mess up his length and eliminate the lbw and you can easily survive against him.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh god I really hope this david masters type bowler doesnt come back to the intl setup, he simply doesn't have the speed, nouse or variations to succeed at test level he's been found out and if you look at his stats at intl test level they were on a rapid downward line.

Plz back likes of dhani , arshad , hasnain , rauf as a third option to complent shaheen and hasan ali.
 
Abbas, if he were an all-rounder who contributed with the bat, would be a perfect fit in the team. However, we have Faheem keeping things tight nowadays, so that's a good sign.

Our third pacer spot is quite vacant to say the least. Hasan and Shaheen are confirmed starters, but the third pacer can be anyone.

If Dhani impresses against Zimbabwe, he will get a run ahead of Abbas. He has some good height and decent pace, but we need to see consistency in his bowling.
 
“A lack of wickets can happen when your luck abandons you or when catches are dropped, and if sometimes you do take a wicket, it turns out to be a no-ball. All these things are part and parcel of cricket because when it’s your day, you can even get a wicket off a full toss.”

“I will go back to what I said earlier which is the fact that when you after bowling 12-15 overs, you haven’t got any wickets, then it’s natural for your spirits to be down and that obviously effects your bowling quality and speed as well.”


Couldn’t have come up with worse excuses and justifications. The lack of wickets have nothing to do with bad luck or dropped at catches; he has simply not bowled well enough and is easily negated when the batsmen steps out of the crease.

As far as his pace is concerned, it has nothing to do with long spells. He is extremely slow even in his first spell.

I think he is done. His limited bowling has been worked out and he has been poor since 2018-19, when New Zealand worked him out in UAE only weeks after he dominated Australia in the same conditions.

He also seems like a massive age-fudger. There is no way he is 31. He is probably 37-38 at least, and that explains the sudden drop in pace over the last couple of years. He has physically declined.
 
Adding 3 to 5 km of pace should be a piece of cake especially when you are already bowling at the lower speeds. Our players don't understand muscle science and refuse to work out in a way that can add muscle. His problems are pace and fitness related, otherwise Abbas is a fantastic bowler.
 
Abbas had been in poor form but he didn't deserve to be dropped altogether. Based on what he had achieved in his first two years he deserved some patience and persistence. Maybe a home-series before he was discarded completely eventhough he wasn't any worse than all the other fast-bowlers on that New Zealand tour.

And the genius decision of replacing him with 36 year old Tabish Khan who has been averaging upwards of 30+ in the last few years is just another one of Mohammad Wasim's many masterstrokes.
 
He’s finished.

His true age is around 36, and in the last two and a half years his Test record is:

13 Tests
25 wickets
Average 39.72
Strike Rate 99.7

Faheem Ashraf can do that, but he will also score 75 runs per Test.
 
Sorry, but I don't buy it, that's just a lame excuse. His speed has been consistently down since ball 1 for a while now. He's been averaging in the 120s, often bowling in the low 120s. So every decent international batsman knows that he is so slow now that all you have to do is stand outside the crease to mess up his length and eliminate the lbw and you can easily survive against him.

Speed is not the issue here, Philander bowled at same pace, Philander was successful in Australia as well with fivers but only in first innings mostly and with new ball, with old ball Philander used to keep it tight and keep batsmen in check, gives you control.
 
Adding 3 to 5 km of pace should be a piece of cake especially when you are already bowling at the lower speeds. Our players don't understand muscle science and refuse to work out in a way that can add muscle. His problems are pace and fitness related, otherwise Abbas is a fantastic bowler.

Problem is not the pace, Vernon Philander most successful bowler of previous decade bowled at same pace, it's about defining a clear role for Abbas, you should see him like Philander who was excellent with new ball in bowling friendly conditions not your dead UAE or Pakistani pitches. On Bowling friendly conditions, Bowlers like Abbas and Philander can run through batting lineup in starting 20 overs winning you matches in first innings itself, with old ball they keep batsmen in check and give you control from other end, now its the job of second or third bowler like Rabada/Steyn/Morkel in case of Philander to bowl opposition out. In Australia Philander was greatly successful but once again only in first innings in initial 20-30 overs, but he cashed those 20-30 overs and got Australia 5 down, as ball gets old or on day 3 or 4 in Australia, pitches flatten out, that's where you want your other bowlers to step up, You cant have Abbas do the job of all three bowlers. Still when ball is not moving, Philander or Abbas keeps one end tight, keeping batsman in check, if they make mistakes, go for rash shot they give wickets, but to have them get wickets on day 3 or 4 with old ball, I am sorry but this is the role of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah, not of Abbas, He's not Glenn Mcgrath or Wasim Akram, He's more like Philander.
 
Blessing in disguise for Pakistan and Muhammad Abbas, it's better to gain form, improve and get experience in county, rather than play Zimbabwe that too on dead pitches. Unfortunate that management does not sends Shaheen for season or two of county, instead of grinding them him out in useless matches of t20s and Odis against south africa b team and zimbabwe when you clearly have bowlers like Arshad Iqbal Wasim JR who can do the job, Test cricket is real cricket esp. for bowlers like Shaheen and Abbas who are natural utilizers of swinging and seaming conditions, with county experience they can win you series in England South Africa New zealand and have their names alongside one of the greats.
 
He is what two games into this county season and making such big claims?

I mean do people not know these games that he has played in were played in the middle of April at the start of the county season? He bowled to the batsman at the start of the English season, The best man who have been coming off from full season? Any more than decent seam bowlere like him have always been successful at this time of the county season, pretty much always.
 
Consistently dodged the question about his recent loss of pace.
If he isn't going to accept there is a problem there, he can't really fix it.

He bowled like how Sohail Khan does after his first spell throughout the NZ tour. Even if you can swing a few yards consistently, you can't really take wickets with 120kph deliveries.
 
Problem is not the pace, Vernon Philander most successful bowler of previous decade bowled at same pace, it's about defining a clear role for Abbas, you should see him like Philander who was excellent with new ball in bowling friendly conditions not your dead UAE or Pakistani pitches. On Bowling friendly conditions, Bowlers like Abbas and Philander can run through batting lineup in starting 20 overs winning you matches in first innings itself, with old ball they keep batsmen in check and give you control from other end, now its the job of second or third bowler like Rabada/Steyn/Morkel in case of Philander to bowl opposition out. In Australia Philander was greatly successful but once again only in first innings in initial 20-30 overs, but he cashed those 20-30 overs and got Australia 5 down, as ball gets old or on day 3 or 4 in Australia, pitches flatten out, that's where you want your other bowlers to step up, You cant have Abbas do the job of all three bowlers. Still when ball is not moving, Philander or Abbas keeps one end tight, keeping batsman in check, if they make mistakes, go for rash shot they give wickets, but to have them get wickets on day 3 or 4 with old ball, I am sorry but this is the role of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah, not of Abbas, He's not Glenn Mcgrath or Wasim Akram, He's more like Philander.

Philander had a special ability to seam the ball both ways consistently and he didn't lose any pace throughout 2011-2020. Abbas utilizes swing, and one way seam and has lost the effective pace to be threatening. Philander was bowling in 130s till his last test. Abbas manages to break 130 barrier once or twice an over at best now. Plus SA had a relentless bowling attack with Steyn, Morkel, Rabada and Maharaj/Peterson, Kallis and Duminy in the lineup. That makes it a 6 man bowling attack. Out of them, Steyn is one of the ATGs and Morkel and Vernon himself are South African greats. Rabada has the potential to become an ATG as well. Pakistan's bowling attack is all inexperienced currently.
 
Philander had a special ability to seam the ball both ways consistently and he didn't lose any pace throughout 2011-2020. Abbas utilizes swing, and one way seam and has lost the effective pace to be threatening. Philander was bowling in 130s till his last test. Abbas manages to break 130 barrier once or twice an over at best now. Plus SA had a relentless bowling attack with Steyn, Morkel, Rabada and Maharaj/Peterson, Kallis and Duminy in the lineup. That makes it a 6 man bowling attack. Out of them, Steyn is one of the ATGs and Morkel and Vernon himself are South African greats. Rabada has the potential to become an ATG as well. Pakistan's bowling attack is all inexperienced currently.

Philander's pace is Abbas's recent pace, Abbas bowls 125-130, occasionally some 132 133 deliveries, same and by same I mean not similar but exactly same way Philander used to bowl, To get his length correct and get that zip back Abbas has gone to county, with Abbas bowling almost same as Philander hopefully since he's improving in county b/c I'm following his spells, he's getting consistent with his lengths neither too full neither too short, and when ball is moving in favorable conditions esp. with new ball or old(Abbas can reverse well) whether you stand upto him or not it does not makes difference, with old Ball or in lack of favorable conditions you can stand upto him but same was case with Philander, batsmen stood outside crease with him after 30 overs, with old ball and day 4 5 pitches esp. in Australia, they're not as effective but still keep one end tight keeping batsmen in check, one rash shot or loss of concentration and its a wicket, while other bowlers have to step up, unfortunately we were playing with Naseem Shah, its not the fault of Abbas, with Hassan and Shaheen, Abbas will be good.
Abbas easily walks in as third bowler or even second in green conditions.
 
Philander had a special ability to seam the ball both ways consistently and he didn't lose any pace throughout 2011-2020. Abbas utilizes swing, and one way seam and has lost the effective pace to be threatening. Philander was bowling in 130s till his last test. Abbas manages to break 130 barrier once or twice an over at best now. Plus SA had a relentless bowling attack with Steyn, Morkel, Rabada and Maharaj/Peterson, Kallis and Duminy in the lineup. That makes it a 6 man bowling attack. Out of them, Steyn is one of the ATGs and Morkel and Vernon himself are South African greats. Rabada has the potential to become an ATG as well. Pakistan's bowling attack is all inexperienced currently.

There was no kallis after 2013, Philander peaked after 2013, He had Steyn Morkel and/or Abbot/Rabada, Rabada and Steyn only one of them played together with Philander due to Steyn injuries.
 
It actually took the selectors a long time to discard this guy. It was too late.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh god I really hope this david masters type bowler doesnt come back to the intl setup, he simply doesn't have the speed, nouse or variations to succeed at test level he's been found out and if you look at his stats at intl test level they were on a rapid downward line.

Plz back likes of dhani , arshad , hasnain , rauf as a third option to complent shaheen and hasan ali.


Hasan ali as second seamer lol. what is his record in test cricket , how many 5fers did he get. What is his experience in test cricket. Can he swing the ball both ways, or be consistent in line and length as Abbas.

Bowlers job is to take wickets and not bat a bit.
 
Same old story with 99% of Pakistan players. Its never their fault/they are good enough despite performing bad for long periods of time.

Pathetic attitude.
 
He would have a chance if only he had worked hard on his batting to become a number 8.

Besides the lack of wickets, being a number 11 also works against Abbass.

He is still one of the better new ball bowler though in our circuit.
 
Hasan ali as second seamer lol. what is his record in test cricket , how many 5fers did he get. What is his experience in test cricket. Can he swing the ball both ways, or be consistent in line and length as Abbas.

Bowlers job is to take wickets and not bat a bit.

Seems the thread has been infiltrated by abbas mates to big up and lobby their guy back into national setup


Hasan ali hasn't played much due to injuries, but he made his comeback after being the best bowler in qea and getting a 10 wicket haul , 2 5fers in rawalpindi test just recently.

Has a 5fer against new Zealand in Abu Dhabi

And averages 26 with 43 wickets , his average is better than shaheen


Abbas came flying on the scene and has been in terminal decline when batsmen realised he can only bowl the same.delivery over and over again and is so slow we might fall asleep before the ball reaches us let's just stand out of the crease and negate his length.

If you think abbas is a better bowler than hasan ali then your judgement definently comes into question.

Shaheen and hasan ali are the 2 best bowlers in pakistan and the first pick in any team selection
 
Abbas is one of the premier bowlers in test cricket who has limited experience at the highest level but already accomplished so much. He should never have been dropped from the squad at all...yes a break maybe, some time reevaluating his skill set but most of you talking about his career being over is crazy.

He should have played in the home tests against SA, especially considering Pakistan lack serious selection options in the pace/swing department for test cricket. The PCB and its fans require a serious cricket check up :mw
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Listed as age 31, he's probably closer to 35.

But he's right, don't write him off yet. Maybe the confidence was down, maybe he wasn't fully fit, who knows.

The drop in pace was a big concern though, but there again some of the other bowlers said that NZ speed guns show a lesser pace than others.
 
Listed as age 31, he's probably closer to 35.

But he's right, don't write him off yet. Maybe the confidence was down, maybe he wasn't fully fit, who knows.

The drop in pace was a big concern though, but there again some of the other bowlers said that NZ speed guns show a lesser pace than others.

He posed zero threat to Williamson he knew how to deal with him. Opposition batsmen just see him off. His lack of penetration with the new ball and threat, the fact he just remains economical without taking wickets puts pressure on the other bowlers midway to over attack to take wickets. I would rather have bowlers who give away runs but keep striking at frequent intervals in the middle and later as well like Hasan Ali. Ultimately you win test matches by getting 20 wickets, not by having figures of 90/0 in 40 overs where the opposition has scored 600 plus runs
 
It's a good interview but think Abbas is in denial about his loss of pace. He was never express to begin with, but since that shoulder injury in late 2018 he's bowling 75-79mph which just won't cut it. He doesn't have the pace to force batsmen back standing outside of their crease.

I'm glad he said the quality of FC cricket has improved.

PakPassion.net: Having played for Leicestershire and Hampshire in County Cricket, what can Pakistan domestic cricket learn from the County circuit?

Mohammad Abbas: I feel that there has been a significant improvement in domestic cricket in Pakistan in the last 2 seasons due to the reduction in the number of domestic teams, and that has somewhat matched what I have seen in England in terms of the quality of competition. However, where we obviously lag behind England is in the area of facilities such as grounds and pitches. But I am happy that things are steadily improving in Pakistan and that can be seen by the fact that more matches are being televised and the quality of broadcasts has also improved. So, whereas 2 years ago there were just 2 TV cameras in place at grounds, the recent season saw up to 6 cameras being used for coverage of the games. Also, it was pleasing to see international venues being utilized for domestic games which is a great improvement in terms of playing surfaces that are available for matches.
 
Philander had a special ability to seam the ball both ways consistently and he didn't lose any pace throughout 2011-2020. Abbas utilizes swing, and one way seam and has lost the effective pace to be threatening. Philander was bowling in 130s till his last test. Abbas manages to break 130 barrier once or twice an over at best now. Plus SA had a relentless bowling attack with Steyn, Morkel, Rabada and Maharaj/Peterson, Kallis and Duminy in the lineup. That makes it a 6 man bowling attack. Out of them, Steyn is one of the ATGs and Morkel and Vernon himself are South African greats. Rabada has the potential to become an ATG as well. Pakistan's bowling attack is all inexperienced currently.

Abbas is getting the ball to seam both ways in county for now, though I am not sure seaming both ways mean to seam ball both ways with same seam position or does he changes seam position so batsman knows which way it'll go, or is it new skill he has learned.
 
Well Abbas and his team-mates are being taken to the cleaners by Hashim Amla and the rest of the Surrey batsmen.
 
With the re-emergence of Hassan Ali back in the team, that is basically Abbas' spot gone. In conditions where we play 2 spinners, Faheem will play as the 3rd seamer. He'll only get a chance to play in more seam-friendly conditions, like a swinging new ball in England.

Other than that, he has not shown any improvement or attitude to reinvent himself since his massive drop off in form and batsmen figuring him out, and in this interview the clear lack of accountability he feels is clear to see. I don't think we'll be seeing the Abbas of his first 10-12 Tests again.
 
Some great memories for Abbas


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> in 2018. Mohammad Abbas at his best with 8 wickets in the match, 5 for Mohammad Amir and 4 for Hassan Ali as Pakistan comfortably beat England by 9 wickets in a Test match at Lord's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/UaazyZwVz3">pic.twitter.com/UaazyZwVz3</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1397814349645877250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
The way his form fell off a cliff so violently after his shoulder injury really is alarming. Perhaps he's not actually as good as he showed in his first 10 or so Tests, but he's not as bad as his form recently. It must be something external, it's hard to believe batsmen standing outside the crease can transform him overnight into a club bowler.
 
I think with Sameen Gul being around as a medium-fast bowler I think Abbas's time has gone.
 
I think with Sameen Gul being around as a medium-fast bowler I think Abbas's time has gone.

Impressive first-class average of 18.61 but fell away a bit last season in the QeA Trophy, taking only 4 wickets for 246 runs in the last 3 matches.
 
Abbas will be back better than ever. I just know it. Form is temporary, class is permanent.
 
Abbas is an honest workhorse but must find a way of dealing with batsmen standing outside their crease to him.

Without re-discovering that yard of pace he's lost post-shoulder injury, that'll be difficult to do. And whether he can do in his 30s is another matter.
 
Must inclusion in tests in place of Tabish

People should not forget that he bowled not very bad in NZ. He was most economical and batsmen took no chances on him. He was also mostly dropped by pakistani fielders.
 
Impressive first-class average of 18.61 but fell away a bit last season in the QeA Trophy, taking only 4 wickets for 246 runs in the last 3 matches.

He definitely had a rough patch last season, but the worry is that we never see him playing in the QeA again. He's good enough, just needs a another season.
 
He definitely had a rough patch last season, but the worry is that we never see him playing in the QeA again. He's good enough, just needs a another season.

He's only 22, so time is on his side.

I'm not sure though that he's the ready-made replacement yet for Mohammad Abbas.
 
He's only 22, so time is on his side.

I'm not sure though that he's the ready-made replacement yet for Mohammad Abbas.

He has all the makings of being his replacement but he must get more game time in QeA.
 
Seems to be warming up well for the Tests. Took 5 wickets in total in the scenario based game in Guyana.
 
Abbas returns to the side for the West Indies tour, and claims 2 in 2 in just his 2nd over!

Back with a bang.
 
Lets not get carried away with this. Abbas would always have been more than handy against teams in the bottom half of the ICC rankings. Unless he becomes really consistent against the top half -- who by the way have just employed a simple technique of batting outside the crease to negate him -- for me he would just not be good enough.
 
Bowled a few deliveries at 130 kph and around today which is a bit up from his last international game.
 
Looks like he has a point to prove

Let’s hope he can help bowl windies out for less than 130 here
 
Lets not get carried away with this. Abbas would always have been more than handy against teams in the bottom half of the ICC rankings. Unless he becomes really consistent against the top half -- who by the way have just employed a simple technique of batting outside the crease to negate him -- for me he would just not be good enough.

Abbas has struggled on bouncy pitches such as Australia and South Africa other than that he's been good.
 
If Abbas is fit enough he stil makes the team as a automatic selection and someone who can keep it tight.
 
Lets not get carried away with this. Abbas would always have been more than handy against teams in the bottom half of the ICC rankings. Unless he becomes really consistent against the top half -- who by the way have just employed a simple technique of batting outside the crease to negate him -- for me he would just not be good enough.

There is a solution to this in bringing rizwan closer to stumps. Don’t know why they don’t try it anymore.
 
He took two wickets on a surface that is assisting the bowlers. But I fear, when he gets to play on unfriendly wickets against better teams, he will still struggle.
The scary part is he is no longer a medium fast bowler now, just a medium bowler. Majority of his deliveries were in mid 120s today.
But then there's hardly anyone else knocking on the door.
 
There is a solution to this in bringing rizwan closer to stumps. Don’t know why they don’t try it anymore.

Most of the wickets he gets are caught behind and in the slips. Bringing the keeper in would reduce those chances.
 
So much for the pace brigade. He was bowling in the 120s but still stuck upfront with two big wickets. Just goes to show again that pace does not matter as much as so many posters here seem to think it does, provided you can make the ball talk.

Lack of pace was never a problem for Abbas. You could argue that he was slightly faster but that doesn't change the fact that he was still a medium-pacer. His problem was that he just wasn't bowling well. Maybe the injury he suffered before the South Africa tour played a role in that, and his confidence took a dent from that and those succeeding performances. But seeing him bowl those two overs last night reminded me of the bowler he was when he burst onto the scene and vaulted to the near top of the Test rankings.
 
So much for the pace brigade. He was bowling in the 120s but still stuck upfront with two big wickets. Just goes to show again that pace does not matter as much as so many posters here seem to think it does, provided you can make the ball talk.

Lack of pace was never a problem for Abbas. You could argue that he was slightly faster but that doesn't change the fact that he was still a medium-pacer. His problem was that he just wasn't bowling well. Maybe the injury he suffered before the South Africa tour played a role in that, and his confidence took a dent from that and those succeeding performances. But seeing him bowl those two overs last night reminded me of the bowler he was when he burst onto the scene and vaulted to the near top of the Test rankings.

It depends on the conditions. Abbas, at his pace, can only do so much in flat conditions.

Part of the reason he remains unsuccessful in flat conditions is also due to poor captaincy, where the keeper and slips stand too deep.

He'd do well to get a 5fer here, but I think he needs to learn how to swing the ball as well, as opposed to always trying to seam it.

His action is great for seam movement but terrible for swinging the ball.
 
Those arguing that Abbas can be negated by standing out of the crease need to go back and see his early performances. Standing out of the crease to him is not some revolutionary, eureka moment that batsmen suddenly manifested. If you've really watched Pakistan's test matches in the last 4 years, you would know that batsmen have been doing that for a very long time against him. It's common sense to, against any bowler who is not particularly fast. But that didn't stop him from taking wickets during the early part of his career. Go watch his 10 wicket haul against Australia and Abu Dhabi and tell me the batsmen weren't standing out of the crease.

What made Abbas great was his discipline and his accuracy. He went through a tough phase like any cricketer does in this sport. And there's no reason to think that he won't get his old form back. Because as that cliched statement goes: form is temporary, class is permanent.
 
Last edited:
It depends on the conditions. Abbas, at his pace, can only do so much in flat conditions.

Part of the reason he remains unsuccessful in flat conditions is also due to poor captaincy, where the keeper and slips stand too deep.

He'd do well to get a 5fer here, but I think he needs to learn how to swing the ball as well, as opposed to always trying to seam it.

His action is great for seam movement but terrible for swinging the ball.

I disagree. And I think his performances on the flat wickets of UAE that offer virtually nothing to fast-bowlers are the biggest evidence of that. If you are referring to dead-flat wickets that are similar to say the one Australia dished out against England at the MCG in the last Ashes, than I doubt most bowlers in the world would succeed on such wickets.

Granted, Abbas is more of a bowler who seams the ball than swings it. You could even argue that he barely swings it. But again, that doesn't mean he isn't a skillful bowler. Because at his best he is incredibly accurate and always testing the technique of batsmen by making them play. That's skill and I don't see how he can't succeed by being the bowler he is, as he has in the past. Being able to swing the ball is not something unique or profound...almost everyone can do it. But what Abbas brings is something unique and different. And at his best he has shown that he can make in work, in a variety of different conditions.

I also feel that an integral element of what makes a great test bowler are the bowlers around him. And unfortunately Abbas has rarely ever got the support he needed from other fast-bowlers. Now, with Hasan Ali slowly becoming the fully-formed all-format bowler that he seems to be becoming and Shaheen improving with every passing day, things might be different. And the presence of Faheem in the line-up somewhat ensures that he and Yasir are not overbowled, which has been the case before.

I completely agree with you on the poor captaincy part though. I have noticed the keeper and slips standing too deep on numerous occasions when he is bowling. And it does end up making a big difference.
 
It depends on the conditions. Abbas, at his pace, can only do so much in flat conditions.

Part of the reason he remains unsuccessful in flat conditions is also due to poor captaincy, where the keeper and slips stand too deep.

He'd do well to get a 5fer here, but I think he needs to learn how to swing the ball as well, as opposed to always trying to seam it.

His action is great for seam movement but terrible for swinging the ball.

He’s 32 years old that has probably had this same consistent bowling action for over a decade that’s been highly successful for him.

He’s not going to change it now to try to swing the ball at this stage of his career.

I wish he was 5 to 10mph quickly and 3 inches taller but he doesn’t have those attributes. You take with what he does offer.

For me he’s a very good bowler but a horses for courses bowler. This surface is perfect for him.
 
I am not a fan. He has uses but as soon he was dropped from the team, we started to win. Against decent teams he offers something against the openers with the new ball and nothing with the old ball. That isn't international quality
 
I disagree. And I think his performances on the flat wickets of UAE that offer virtually nothing to fast-bowlers are the biggest evidence of that. If you are referring to dead-flat wickets that are similar to say the one Australia dished out against England at the MCG in the last Ashes, than I doubt most bowlers in the world would succeed on such wickets.

Granted, Abbas is more of a bowler who seams the ball than swings it. You could even argue that he barely swings it. But again, that doesn't mean he isn't a skillful bowler. Because at his best he is incredibly accurate and always testing the technique of batsmen by making them play. That's skill and I don't see how he can't succeed by being the bowler he is, as he has in the past. Being able to swing the ball is not something unique or profound...almost everyone can do it. But what Abbas brings is something unique and different. And at his best he has shown that he can make in work, in a variety of different conditions.

I also feel that an integral element of what makes a great test bowler are the bowlers around him. And unfortunately Abbas has rarely ever got the support he needed from other fast-bowlers. Now, with Hasan Ali slowly becoming the fully-formed all-format bowler that he seems to be becoming and Shaheen improving with every passing day, things might be different. And the presence of Faheem in the line-up somewhat ensures that he and Yasir are not overbowled, which has been the case before.

I completely agree with you on the poor captaincy part though. I have noticed the keeper and slips standing too deep on numerous occasions when he is bowling. And it does end up making a big difference.

Seaming the ball is by far a harder task than swinging the ball, so credit to Abbas for nearly mastering the art.

The issue is that whilst he keeps things tight, nobody else around him makes the breakthroughs like we saw in New Zealand.

For players with sound techniques, once the ball goes old, Abbas isn't a threat and they can afford to just defend and camp at the crease without harm.

Abbas is successful when there's a new guy on the crease, if someone has already played a few overs of Abbas, he's unlikely to make a breakthrough.

The captain and fielders should support him more by coming closer, and bringing the keeper up when the ball is getting old.

If we don't want Rizwan to get injured, by all means, give Abid Ali the gloves because he's unlikely to score runs anyways.
 
He’s 32 years old that has probably had this same consistent bowling action for over a decade that’s been highly successful for him.

He’s not going to change it now to try to swing the ball at this stage of his career.

I wish he was 5 to 10mph quickly and 3 inches taller but he doesn’t have those attributes. You take with what he does offer.

For me he’s a very good bowler but a horses for courses bowler. This surface is perfect for him.

I agree, this surface is very sporting.

It's a great job by the curators, I can see this being a very entertaining game.
 
He has a big role to play during this test match considering the nature of pitch and outcast weather conditions.
 
He’s 32 years old that has probably had this same consistent bowling action for over a decade that’s been highly successful for him.

He’s not going to change it now to try to swing the ball at this stage of his career.

I wish he was 5 to 10mph quickly and 3 inches taller but he doesn’t have those attributes. You take with what he does offer.

For me he’s a very good bowler but a horses for courses bowler. This surface is perfect for him.

He was a bit quicker a few years ago and had a surprise bouncer that added to it when he first burst on the scene. That’s why he was so successful - that series against Australia in the UAE he was hitting 128-131 and then had that surprise bouncer at 135 to push the batsman back in the crease.

Now he’s 123-126 and doesn’t have the bouncer.

I’m all for horses for courses but bringing back abbas was a regressive defensive step. Wish we had Dhani playing instead
 
If people calling a bowler great based upon performance against WI, then I guess the expectations of Pakistani fans from their bowlers reached at its lowest point.
 
If people calling a bowler great based upon performance against WI, then I guess the expectations of Pakistani fans from their bowlers reached at its lowest point.

Actually bother looking up a player before you say something so utterly ignorant.
 
Seaming the ball is by far a harder task than swinging the ball, so credit to Abbas for nearly mastering the art.

The issue is that whilst he keeps things tight, nobody else around him makes the breakthroughs like we saw in New Zealand.

For players with sound techniques, once the ball goes old, Abbas isn't a threat and they can afford to just defend and camp at the crease without harm.

Abbas is successful when there's a new guy on the crease, if someone has already played a few overs of Abbas, he's unlikely to make a breakthrough.

The captain and fielders should support him more by coming closer, and bringing the keeper up when the ball is getting old.

If we don't want Rizwan to get injured, by all means, give Abid Ali the gloves because he's unlikely to score runs anyways.

I don't disagree with you. He definitely needs to work on certain aspects of his bowling because when you lack pace you really have to make the ball talk. But then as we both agree, the other bowlers have to pick up their weight too. But I still feel he is one of the best and few international-quality fast bowlers we have. I also feel its somewhat unfair to hold him to such high standards and scrutiny (as certain of our fans do) just because he has such outstanding numbers and has created lofty expectations in the minds of certain fans. I think he should be given time to grow...he has still only played 24 test matches and just 3 in Pakistan, the country he should supposedly be most comfortable bowling in.

I disagree on the keeper part. The importance of having a good wicket-keeper in test cricket cannot be overstated enough. It makes such a massive difference on the way a team performs. And Rizwan being such a supremely fit athlete should play every test match in my opinion.
 
Last edited:
I don't disagree with you. He definitely needs to work on certain aspects of his bowling because when you lack pace you really have to make the ball talk. But then as we both agree, the other bowlers have to pick up their weight too. But I still feel he is one of the best and few international-quality fast bowlers we have. I also feel its somewhat unfair to hold him to such high standards and scrutiny (as certain of our fans do) just because he has such outstanding numbers and has created lofty expectations in the minds of certain fans. I think he should be given time to grow...he has still only played 24 test matches and just 3 in Pakistan, the country he should supposedly be most comfortable bowling in.

I disagree on the keeper part. The importance of having a good wicket-keeper in test cricket cannot be overstated enough. It makes such a massive difference on the way a team performs. And Rizwan being such a supremely fit athlete should play every test match in my opinion.

I meant make Abid stand up to the stumps. If he gets injured that way, it's unlikely to impact the scope of the game.

:)
 
I meant make Abid stand up to the stumps. If he gets injured that way, it's unlikely to impact the scope of the game.

:)

Hahaha. That might actually end up impacting the scope of the game in a positive way for us. Because that would allow a concussion substitution.
 
I think waqar and wasim were once in a generation bowlers so let’s leave that aside. But abbas is more aqib javed only not half as good. I think the problem is that we don’t have any ready replacements for abbas but he gets into the team because of lack of alternatives. Generally medium pacers or rather slow pacers like him need to have another string to their bow otherwise it makes the tail long. Yes he’s accurate and yes his early record was amazing but he’s obviously been found out. Teams now know
A) you can negate his seam be stepping out. You can only step out to someone knowing that his speed is so slow that you can finish your cup of tea before the ball arrives.
B) all balls come in or as a variation will straighten but if you can judge the length and not poke he’s nullified
C) he will only be a threat for the first 5-7 overs after that with the seam flat he’s just a containing option. You can pick off 1’s 2’s quite easily.
D) he will never get awkward bounce so the surprise short one is never there.
E) he will never seam it away enough to trouble good batsmen.
F) unlike aqib javed he bowls with the most mediocre attack in world cricket and this nullifies his containing option.

Abbas has so many limitations but I love watching him as is is such a genuine Pakistani success story. The welder that rose to be one of the top ranked bowlers in the world but on pure cricketing terms I genuinely feel for him. I see no progress on the five or so years he’s been playing while the rest of the attack has only regressed. But great that he picked up 3 wickets. He’s the typical L&L seamer that will chip in here and there when batsmen underestimate him.
 
I think waqar and wasim were once in a generation bowlers so let’s leave that aside. But abbas is more aqib javed only not half as good. I think the problem is that we don’t have any ready replacements for abbas but he gets into the team because of lack of alternatives. Generally medium pacers or rather slow pacers like him need to have another string to their bow otherwise it makes the tail long. Yes he’s accurate and yes his early record was amazing but he’s obviously been found out. Teams now know
A) you can negate his seam be stepping out. You can only step out to someone knowing that his speed is so slow that you can finish your cup of tea before the ball arrives.
B) all balls come in or as a variation will straighten but if you can judge the length and not poke he’s nullified
C) he will only be a threat for the first 5-7 overs after that with the seam flat he’s just a containing option. You can pick off 1’s 2’s quite easily.
D) he will never get awkward bounce so the surprise short one is never there.
E) he will never seam it away enough to trouble good batsmen.
F) unlike aqib javed he bowls with the most mediocre attack in world cricket and this nullifies his containing option.

Abbas has so many limitations but I love watching him as is is such a genuine Pakistani success story. The welder that rose to be one of the top ranked bowlers in the world but on pure cricketing terms I genuinely feel for him. I see no progress on the five or so years he’s been playing while the rest of the attack has only regressed. But great that he picked up 3 wickets. He’s the typical L&L seamer that will chip in here and there when batsmen underestimate him.

You do realize that this guy averages 22 and you are comparing him to Aqib Javed who averaged 35 in tests. Some days ago someone was comparing Azhar Ali with his close to 7K @ 43 to Ijaz Ahmed who averaged 37.

... Our fans will say anything based on perception then actual reality. Abbas was dropped after NZ series despite his created edges being dropped for fun by slip fielders all through out the series. It literally became comedy. He should have given the SA and Zim series instead of pity selection of Tabish. These were easy series to win, before which he would have worked on batsmen standing outside the crease and would have easily crossed 100 wickets mark in tests. We need some test bowler in Pakistan to touch 200 test wickets at 21-24 like average and Abbas is the perfect candidate for that. Our test cricket is destroyed because we keep dropping players who a) have actual talent b) play domestic cricket and perform in it. Instead we get Naseem Shahs and Haris Rauf like jokes in the test squad team based on how fast they bowl in PSL circus.

No one can deny the fact that this man averages 22 and has won us series. He is literally the closest we have to what Asif was yet people here are comparing him to glorified test trundle kings from past who averaged in mid 30s. Our nostalgia of 90s cricket is very delusional. That team had star players but not the entire team was made of stars.
 
Last edited:
He should be in as part of a 5 man attack.
Always

Of course he should be but I was just making the point that he struggles in bouncy conditions but that doesn't mean he should not be part of the squas/xi
 
You do realize that this guy averages 22 and you are comparing him to Aqib Javed who averaged 35 in tests. Some days ago someone was comparing Azhar Ali with his close to 7K @ 43 to Ijaz Ahmed who averaged 37.

... Our fans will say anything based on perception then actual reality. Abbas was dropped after NZ series despite his created edges being dropped for fun by slip fielders all through out the series. It literally became comedy. He should have given the SA and Zim series instead of pity selection of Tabish. These were easy series to win, before which he would have worked on batsmen standing outside the crease and would have easily crossed 100 wickets mark in tests. We need some test bowler in Pakistan to touch 200 test wickets at 21-24 like average and Abbas is the perfect candidate for that. Our test cricket is destroyed because we keep dropping players who a) have actual talent b) play domestic cricket and perform in it. Instead we get Naseem Shahs and Haris Rauf like jokes in the test squad team based on how fast they bowl in PSL circus.

No one can deny the fact that this man averages 22 and has won us series. He is literally the closest we have to what Asif was yet people here are comparing him to glorified test trundle kings from past who averaged in mid 30s. Our nostalgia of 90s cricket is very delusional. That team had star players but not the entire team was made of stars.

Mate did you just go on cricinfo to look up stats to make a trivial point. Comparing averages is meaningless in this context. We are discussing line and length bowlers. Abbas is a line and length bowler. Aqib is a line and length bowler. I doubt you ever saw aqib bowl. We are comparing like for like.

Asif is not like for like. He’s a few inches taller and was one of the best in the world
 
Mate did you just go on cricinfo to look up stats to make a trivial point. Comparing averages is meaningless in this context. We are discussing line and length bowlers. Abbas is a line and length bowler. Aqib is a line and length bowler. I doubt you ever saw aqib bowl. We are comparing like for like.

Asif is not like for like. He’s a few inches taller and was one of the best in the world

I saw Aqib in 1992 WC the first time lol. I am not that young. He was never a good test bowler. averaged in 34-35 in test. ODIs was a different story and he was used by the planners as a "opener remover" with his outswing with new bowl. Aqib did not have the wicket attacking capability that is required for tests.

Nothing can change the fact that Aqib failed in tests just like nothing can change the fact that Abbas is bit downgraded version of Asif, averages 22 and if was given chances at right age instead of relying upon Imran Khan Jnr, Rahat Ali, Irfan, he could easily be the fourth Pakistani pacer to reach 200 test wickets at 21-23 like average. But we decided to rely upon any circus performer in PSL and Naseem, Musa, Dhani happened.
 
Has been really good with the new ball in this test vs WI which was expected of him and that went missing in Aus and NZ. He has taken 3 wickets in around 5-6 initial overs with new ball (Including the 2nd new ball).

While not at pace but, he can reverse the older ball as well which one can see in his 10fer in UAE vs Aus. However in the conditions and outfield (long grass) like we are seeing in Jamaica the reverse swing is non existent/negligible.

In such scenario when the ball gets old and not reversing, Abbas becomes more of a holding bowler (Which he is good at with his accuracy). However, with Yasir struggling with form for a long time now and Faheem who can chip in with a wicket or so but mainly is also doing that holding kind of job than taking wickets with older ball is completely dependent upon Hassan and Shaheen more often than not as we saw vs SA as well in Pindi test.
 
and nobody called Abbas a great bowler either.

What was this then?

RedwoodOriginal said:
What made Abbas great was his discipline and his accuracy. He went through a tough phase like any cricketer does in this sport. And there's no reason to think that he won't get his old form back. Because as that cliched statement goes: form is temporary, class is permanent.
 
Is he a great bowler like Waqar, wasim?

?

I said what made him great, when he burst onto the scene---where he was averaging under 15 with the ball for quite some---was his discipline and accuracy. I didn't say he was one of Pakistan's greatest ever.

Even now his numbers are great by any measure. Since 2015, only three bowlers (Anderson, Cummins, Aswhin) have a better bowling average than him.
 
Back
Top