[VIDEO] "Mohammad Asif was the best bowler I had faced" : Hashim Amla

[MenInG]

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hashim Amla "I know Mohammad Asif got banned for spot-fixing but at that stage he was the best fast-bowler I had faced" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1090239199725395969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hashim Amla "Mohammad Asif wasnt quick, 135 kph maybe, but his accuracy was phenomenal. He tested your defence really to the maximum" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1090239864279306240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hashim Amla "I played against Asif in South Africa and played against him in Pakistan in 2007 and if he landed the ball in the first stump, I didn't know if it was nipping away or nipping back in" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1090240380551991296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hashim Amla "As the years have gone by, meeting other cricketers and when chatting with them, so many of the guys have said the same thing, Mohammad Asif was a magician with the ball" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1090240940609032192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[MenInG]

Big compliments from a top batsman!

 

[BreadPakoda]

With a smooth action, suited to medium pace, that didn’t take a toll on his body, Asif could have played for another 7-8 years and taken heaps of wickets. Alas

 

[Solid Snake]

It's funny how when the whole spot fixing saga broke out and the ensuing bans were handed out, everyone thought we'd lost the greatest talent ever in Amir.

Asif had I think at that point annoyed enough people with his antics that people wanted to see the back of him. Not getting into the particulars of whether they deserved the different punishments that they did (de-facto being banned from selection), but Amir's legacy might have been something entirely different if he never played again

 

[tinkud]

Asif was a genius. What a shame that his travails elsewhere has led to fans/viewers seeing so little of him as a bowler. These kind of subtle wizardry bowlers are very rare - well Mcgrath was one and Philander is the only one in the current stock. But Asif was the special-est in little movements off trajectory.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Cook, Pietersen, Abd, Amla all saying the same.

Whatta loss this guy's been!

 

[JaDed]

PCT couldn't replace Asif, felt Amir was already replaceable by Junaid or Shaheen now.
I have seen Asif be a dud too at times ,which never made sense coz he was so good other times

 

[tinkud]

I remember Srinath in the 1996 England tour - the tour which introduced Ganguly and Dravid.

Srinath used to beat the bat now and then with his movements - but often the batsman's miss would by a foot or so. Looked good on the tv, but pointless by and large - no batsman would get out with such large beats.

And then came Asif - how to play the batsman all the time; of course Mcgrath already was there.

 

[xricket]

Hassan Ali can be as lethal as Asif if he just corrects his line and length

 

[Bilal7]

This is big coming from arguably the the best player of seam and swing bowling this decade.

Like someone else mentioned (and Amla testified), lots of other top batsmen have the same opinion. Anderson and Amir were pretty much Asif's students as well. However, he was an idiot and extremely greedy to throw it all away for a little bit of cash.

 

[xricket]

This is big coming from arguably the the best player of seam and swing bowling this decade.

Like someone else mentioned (and Amla testified), lots of other top batsmen have the same opinion. Anderson and Amir were pretty much Asif's students as well. However, he was an idiot and extremely greedy to throw it all away for a little bit of cash.

Can he be given another chance. I know it would be a taboo, but come on, i think everybody deserves a second chance

 

[Bilal7]

I remember Srinath in the 1996 England tour - the tour which introduced Ganguly and Dravid.

Srinath used to beat the bat now and then with his movements - but often the batsman's miss would by a foot or so. Looked good on the tv, but pointless by and large - no batsman would get out with such large beats.

And then came Asif - how to play the batsman all the time; of course Mcgrath already was there.

Wasim also had the same problem at times. Beating the bat because the ball was doing too much.

 

[tinkud]

To xicricket's last post. I often wish that the punishments for transgressions ought to be less severe - because we lose special players (despite all his monetary greed) for ever - the viewers get undernourished for ever. A genius goes missing.

These kind of talents are so rare.

 

[Greenstorm]

Another one joins the club.

 

[Pete Rose]

it is what it is. can only lament.
but i would like to point out that before this incident the pcb allowed without consequence:
- he and akhtar got in to a brawl in the dressing room (which afridi promptly leaked to the press)
- he was found guilty of doping and given a one year ban by by PCB, which keeping in mind their short term thinking about the upcoming world cup, instituted a second committee in order to engineer the removal of the ban
- it tuned out to be useless because he was subsequently found to be doping in the IPL
- the PCB/foreing ministry spoke on his behalf in order get his ban in to UAE removed as he was caught carrying recreation drugs while entering the UAE.

Despite ALL of the above PCB stuck with him through thick and thin and actively sought to facilitate his disastrous choices.

So we should all fault Asif for everything, but know that the PCB could have fixed it all if they had stuck to their guns when they banned him the first time.

Of course, that's why the forum is full of fans clamoring for Sharjeel comeback, using the usual litany of rubbish excuse, to gloss over his behavior.

 

[Hyperion66]

Asif is the most skillful bowler I have seen since Wasim, probably even better than Wasim in some ways, if he wasn't a career criminal would have surely gone on to become the greatest of this generation.

 

[JaDed]

Asif is the most skillful bowler I have seen since Wasim, probably even better than Wasim in some ways, if he wasn't a career criminal would have surely gone on to become the greatest of this generation.

True but do you think as Indians we always think highly of Pak bowlers compared to someone like Donald ,Ambrose,Marshall or McGrath?

I always immitated Wasim's action as a kid,most did coz he was the fav, but I feel we watched less of other bowlers, could be the timing too, many Pak matches were IST..

 

[Savak]

Asif was a beast but on green top wickets, he struggled for impact on flat pitches. He would have gotten exposed in the UAE.

 

[barah_admi]

To xicricket's last post. I often wish that the punishments for transgressions ought to be less severe - because we lose special players (despite all his monetary greed) for ever - the viewers get undernourished for ever. A genius goes missing.

These kind of talents are so rare.

It is always important for viewers to have the best available sport stars to view BUT it is also important to maintain the integrity of the sport. As good, or even as great, as Asif was, and according to just about everyone he bowled to, he was the very best...his importance does not override the integrity of cricket as a sport.

 

[xricket]

Asif was a beast but on green top wickets, he struggled for impact on flat pitches. He would have gotten exposed in the UAE.

lol. Have you seen his performance in sirilanka?

 

[Hitman]

While I have no sympathy for him, he got what he deserved. But it's such a shame that world cricket was deprived of such a marvelous bowler in the long run. It's honestly a shame. All I can say is he is the biggest idiot in the history of the game. For a talentless hack to commit career suicide, that's different. But for such a wonderful talent to do that same, it's a tragedy.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Asif is the best bowler I have seen in my lifetime. Better than Wasim etc.

You don't associate class with bowling but Asif's bowling was pure class. Poetry in motion.

 

[topspin]

Asif is the best bowler I have seen in my lifetime. Better than Wasim etc.

You don't associate class with bowling but Asif's bowling was pure class. Poetry in motion.

Couldn't agree more.

In the unpopular opinions thread I mentioned if he had played 70-80 tests he would have gone on to become Pakistan's greatest ever test bowler. Bowling intelligence, skills and height made him a menacing proposition for batsmen.

So sad to see a truly ATG calibre player have such a short lived career.

 

[ILcricket]

Avg of under 25 & strike of around 49 . Impressive numbers but a shady character to say the least .

 

[ILcricket]

Couldn't agree more.

In the unpopular opinions thread I mentioned if he had played 70-80 tests he would have gone on to become Pakistan's greatest ever test bowler. Bowling intelligence, skills and height made him a menacing proposition for batsmen.

So sad to see a truly ATG calibre player have such a short lived career.

He got around 4.5 wickets per Test . I wonder if 360 wickets in 80 would have made him the greatest . Remember , this guy claimed to be 29 when he played his last Test & was doping . Would he last for another 6-7 years fitness wise ?

 

[moghul]

View attachment 87485

Hassan Ali can be as lethal as Asif if he just corrects his line and length

But Hasan is shorter by couple of feet, Asif's height was another plus.

 

[Markhor]

Don't see the point of pining over Asif every few weeks as we do on here.

The guy was gifted on the field but a dunce outside it. He was lucky not to be given a lengthy ban before the spot fixing episode.

Time to get over him and look to the future.

 

[Hyperion66]

True but do you think as Indians we always think highly of Pak bowlers compared to someone like Donald ,Ambrose,Marshall or McGrath?

I always immitated Wasim's action as a kid,most did coz he was the fav, but I feel we watched less of other bowlers, could be the timing too, many Pak matches were IST..

You are absolutely on point sirji, not sure about others but that was definitely the case with me, have been always been awestruck by their bowlers, what boggled my mind was despite shared history, culture and similar racial stock our inability to produce decent bowlers back then. I was young and I was envious and in the process probably couldn't pay similar attention to other greats of the era. Also it is almost a given that this admiration and occasional salivation run both ways, I am sure Kohli has his second biggest fanbase in Pakistan, and our other legends too are very well liked and followed across the border.

 

[topspin]

He got around 4.5 wickets per Test . I wonder if 360 wickets in 80 would have made him the greatest . Remember , this guy claimed to be 29 when he played his last Test & was doping . Would he last for another 6-7 years fitness wise ?

No doubt because if we assume his career was to end in a linear fashion, his strike rate is 10% lower than Imran Khan. Reason why I'm specifically discussing strike rate rather than wickets per match in this comparison is because IK didn't bowl for a lengthy period due to injury.

As for Asif v Wasim Akram. If we take your figures with Asif ending his career with 360 wickets from 80 tests he's well ahead of the left armer who took 414 in just over 100 tests.

His doping was prior to the 2007 WC, there is no evidence to suggest he was still doping in the following years, so it is unfair to bring this to the equation.

He was 28 at the time of his last test and because his action looked effortless, simply because it was less physically less strenuous compared to the faster bowlers so perhaps he could carry on playing, but you make a valid concern in regards to his fitness since the biggest problem with him was his chain smoking.

Nonetheless if he was good and fit enough to play a minimum of 70 tests with 300 test wickets, I have no doubts he would have been the greatest test bowler in Pakistan's history. As mentioned this may come across as an unpopular and somewhat controversial but this guy was exceptional in my eyes.

 

[coy0607]

But Hasan is shorter by couple of feet, Asif's height was another plus.

a couple of feet?! is Hasan Ali a midget?

Asif is listed at 6'4, Hasan at 5'10 - so that's 6 inches

 

[WengerOut]

No doubt because if we assume his career was to end in a linear fashion, his strike rate is 10% lower than Imran Khan. Reason why I'm specifically discussing strike rate rather than wickets per match in this comparison is because IK didn't bowl for a lengthy period due to injury.

As for Asif v Wasim Akram. If we take your figures with Asif ending his career with 360 wickets from 80 tests he's well ahead of the left armer who took 414 in just over 100 tests.

His doping was prior to the 2007 WC, there is no evidence to suggest he was still doping in the following years, so it is unfair to bring this to the equation.

He was 28 at the time of his last test and because his action looked effortless, simply because it was less physically less strenuous compared to the faster bowlers so perhaps he could carry on playing, but you make a valid concern in regards to his fitness since the biggest problem with him was his chain smoking.

Nonetheless if he was good and fit enough to play a minimum of 70 tests with 300 test wickets, I have no doubts he would have been the greatest test bowler in Pakistan's history. As mentioned this may come across as an unpopular and somewhat controversial but this guy was exceptional in my eyes.

You are assuming Asif would perform at the same level till he call it a day without considering Wasims slow down in his twilight period.

 

[topspin]

You are assuming Asif would perform at the same level till he call it a day without considering Wasims slow down in his twilight period.

No it was ILcricket who proposed those numbers, I used his example. Even if I was to assume his numbers increase from 2010 to the end of his career "in linear fashion" as I stated in my last, that doesn't mean I'm assuming he will perform at the same level year in year out. Consider this a crazy peak followed by a steady decline can more or less maintain the final rate of wickets per game.

 

[Abdullah]

Ah man can we just stop this!!
It hurts everytime thinking what could have been!

 

[typicryptic]

In sports and in life, you get to a point where very little surprises you or gives you that childlike wonder of yore. You've seen a lot and are often more jaded and cynical, and not as open to being amazed by sporting feats.

But if you're lucky, once in a while, there are still those small moments which catch you off guard, which exhilarate you and remind you of why you are a fan of sports, and which make you marvel at the magic of a supremely talented individual at the peak of his powers.

That was what happened to me when I watched Asif dismantling the Australian batsmen in 2010. I will always cherish this.

 

[Suleiman]

More than Pakistan’s loss it is cricket’s loss and the biggest loss of his life.

 

[Haroon786]

Where can you see the full interview?

 

[yasir]

Cook, Pietersen, Abd, Amla all saying the same.

Whatta loss this guy's been!

SRT, David, VVX did not play much against him, otherwise they might have said something on the same line...

Asif got out top 15-20 Batsmen (quite a few of them are considered ATGs, even GOAT), out first time and in 5 different (in total) conditions...He got out all top players of the opposition (Kallis, ABD, Amla, Gibbs, Ponting, Clark, Hassey, Cook, Strauss, KP, MJ, Sanja, SRT, Dravid, VVX), most of the time out foxing them with skill...

Asif was by far the best new ball bowler I have seen in Green shirt, And I been watching test cricket for 30+ years.

 

[moghul]

a couple of feet?! is Hasan Ali a midget?

Asif is listed at 6'4, Hasan at 5'10 - so that's 6 inches

Officially , Hasan Ali is 170 cm, that makes him 5'6.9 or 5'7, he is the shortest man in the team. Pacers that short don;t stay at top level too long. Remember a guy called Bilawal Bhatti. He had everything for a fast bowler , was even pacier than Hasan, but height.

 

[Green Patriot]

Sometimes i wonder how different Pakistan Cricket would have been if Butt,Asif and Amir had not been so stupid.

Wasted talents.

 

[kingusama92]

"...and if he landed the ball in the first stump, I didn't know if it was nipping away or nipping back in."

That perfectly describes his bowling. Truly one of the best seam bowlers of all time.

 

[topspin]

a couple of feet?! is Hasan Ali a midget?

Asif is listed at 6'4, Hasan at 5'10 - so that's 6 inches

In fast bowling terms yes he is. Outside of cricket he is average height for a Pakistani.

Asif is 9 inches taller which is why he can afford to operate at 125 - 130 kph whereas as for Hasan Ali it is imperative he does not bowl less than 137-138 kph otherwise he isn't going to trouble many batsmen. In the CT he was operating between 140 - 145.

 

[Sadozai]

The best ever Pakistani bowler

 

[Syed1]

Asif can still repay the nation by sticking his hand up and volunteering to teach the next breed of Muhammad Asifs. Imagine Asif as the u19 bowling coach. Dafnay bich jani hain

 

[Saj]

And some would say that Mohammad Asif was the biggest loss out of the banned trio.

 

[Slog]

Asif was truly a magician with the ball.

Watching him was poetry in motion. The way he set up batsmen was mesmerizing. He was like a snake charmer in that regard the way he toyed with batsmen. And not just any batsmen. He made batsmen with pedigrees such as AB De Villiers, Tendulkar, Michael Clarke and Kevin Pietersen look like total mugs.

I have missed him a lot and every few months have a Youtube session watching his best spells and wondering what could have been...

 

[iRfaN_LA]

Really tragic story this. It will be a story we will tell the future generation, a lesson for all future cricketers. "once upon a time there was this bower"

 

[SensiblePakFan]

so naive of them at that age, especially just before all the t20 tournaments, as money isnt a problem nowadays.

 

[xricket]

In sports and in life, you get to a point where very little surprises you or gives you that childlike wonder of yore. You've seen a lot and are often more jaded and cynical, and not as open to being amazed by sporting feats.

But if you're lucky, once in a while, there are still those small moments which catch you off guard, which exhilarate you and remind you of why you are a fan of sports, and which make you marvel at the magic of a supremely talented individual at the peak of his powers.

That was what happened to me when I watched Asif dismantling the Australian batsmen in 2010. I will always cherish this.

Magnificent seam bowling. If you care enough to look at the seam, it's wobbly, but just the right amount, giving it maximum chance to land on seam on the ground, kind of making the seam wide than it is due to its high probability of landing on seam now.

 

[PerfectionPersonified]

PCT couldn't replace Asif, felt Amir was already replaceable by Junaid or Shaheen now.
I have seen Asif be a dud too at times ,which never made sense coz he was so good other times

agree- amir is way over rated

 

[PerfectionPersonified]

And some would say that Mohammad Asif was the biggest loss out of the banned trio.

no doubt about that, Amir is very very easily replaceable , Asif was a big loss.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Mohammed Zahid was an even bigger loss considering he never performed
And mansoor amjad whose career was cut short by injury

Mohammed Sami was a waste but only because he was coached and should have been left alone

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Was just watching some Asif video.

Amla is dead right.

Huge compliment for Asif as its coming from one of the best players of swing and seam bowling of last 15 years.

 

[Suleiman]

Best Asian pacer of the 2000s for sure. Bumrah a close second. Good to see Asian dominance.

 

[gazza619]

This just depresses me... what a loss..

 

[ShahidDar08]

PCB should not waste his skill set and must be drafted into the national team as a bowling coach.

Either Asif or Shoaib Akhtar needs to coach Pak pacers.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Cook, Pietersen, Abd, Amla all saying the same.

Whatta loss this guy's been!

Abd said it again just for good measure

 

[silent ischemia]

Muhammad Asif was the most difficult bowler I 've ever faced. Amla

In an exclusive interview with The Dawn Hashim Amla has pointed out the ex Pakistan bowler Muhammad Asif as the best he has ever faced

 

[ethan hunt]

Kevin pietersen
AB devilliers and now Hashim Amila.
Asif is on another level compared to his contemporaries when it comes to peer appreciation. Don't see other subcontinent bowlers like Srinath or Vass get similar recognition from opposition batters.
Should have taken 350 test wickets. Criminal waste of skill.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Kevin pietersen
AB devilliers and now Hashim Amila.
Asif is on another level compared to his contemporaries when it comes to peer appreciation. Don't see other subcontinent bowlers like Srinath or Vass get similar recognition from opposition batters.
Should have taken 350 test wickets. Criminal waste of skill.

Criminal is right

 

[FreePalestine]

lol. Have you seen his performance in sirilanka?

Not that I agree with the person you replied to here, but did you watch those series’ in SL? Prob not because they were Among the greenest pitches I have ever seen anywhere in the world. Definitely not flat.

 

[tyron_woodley]

I have never seen a more skilful bowler ever in my lifetime. Not sure if he ever had the fitness levels to be consistently recognized as the best bowler but he was unstoppable st his best. Better than shoaib, waqar and dare I say even wasim.

 

[tyron_woodley]

when asif played, it was difficult to beat pakistan at their home.

 

[Itachi]

Asif was one of the best. There's no denying it. Even after a decade, I still watch his bowling. You can't but admire how talented he was. Not only loss of Pakistan but loss for international cricket as a whole.

 

[sweep_shot]

Asif could've been the best Pakistani bowler of all time. It is a shame he couldn't do that.

 

[Ab Fan]

How many times in the past one year, the thread for Asif could have been the best bowler has visited?

 

[Hawkeye]

Have to move on.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Have to move on.

Hashim Amla could end up batting against umaid asif in one of the qfs
Would really strengthen the batting for peshawar

 

[MenInG]

"Best bowler I've ever faced is Mohammad Asif. His accuracy was amazing. With the new ball, he moved it both ways and every ball felt like a question that could get you out so I found him an amazing bowler.

Hashim Amla in a recent interview.

 

[Majid Khan]

He was no doubt a top class bowler, it’s a shame Asif and Amir didn’t go on and become the deadly fast bowling duo they had the potential to become. No team can produce such fine bowlers every year, they come once a decade , and after Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib , it was all there for Asif and Amir to continue the legacy of Pakistan’s fast bowling but they messed it up. Now after 10 years there’s finally a glimpse of another real talent in Naseem Shah , hopefully he can find another quality pacer to pair up with.. not convinced on Shaheen as yet, hope he proves me wrong.

 

[Savak]

Johnathan Trott had discovered the perfect formula to neutralize Asif and he showed it in the final test innings in which Asif had to bowl in his entire career. Trott positioned himself by ensuring he got hit outside the line whenever Asif bowled an inswinger and he knew precisely where Asif would pitch the ball when he wanted to bowl the outswinger. It was quite brilliant batting and Asif looked clueless on what to do, he didn't have the pace to bowl a troubling bouncer or yorker.

The other teams would have eventually caught on this and tried to negate him the same way.

 

[FreePalestine]

I was hoping Abbas would be able to replace him... maybe he still can. Was so mad at Misbah for dropping him from that first sydney test. Probably the worst of his several really horrible decisions as coach.

It is true, we are now 10 years down the line and still have not found a replacement for Asif. With Amir - JK was pretty hot in the years directly after the ban, then we had a really barren period where we missed them both, and now we have Shaheen and Shinwari. But, apart from Abbas, no replacement for Asif in sight. Of course, Amir was also a very special talent, but so is Shaheen and JK during his peak was lethal for a few years. No right arm seam and swing bowler so far apart from Abbas, since Asif.

 

[King_Kohli]

Without a doubt he would have achieved ATG tag
superb swinger I ever seen. Really missed him

 

[Saj]

I was hoping Abbas would be able to replace him... maybe he still can. Was so mad at Misbah for dropping him from that first sydney test. Probably the worst of his several really horrible decisions as coach.

It is true, we are now 10 years down the line and still have not found a replacement for Asif. With Amir - JK was pretty hot in the years directly after the ban, then we had a really barren period where we missed them both, and now we have Shaheen and Shinwari. But, apart from Abbas, no replacement for Asif in sight. Of course, Amir was also a very special talent, but so is Shaheen and JK during his peak was lethal for a few years. No right arm seam and swing bowler so far apart from Abbas, since Asif.

I think Asif was on a different level to Abbas.

 

[Slog]

I was hoping Abbas would be able to replace him... maybe he still can. Was so mad at Misbah for dropping him from that first sydney test. Probably the worst of his several really horrible decisions as coach.

It is true, we are now 10 years down the line and still have not found a replacement for Asif. With Amir - JK was pretty hot in the years directly after the ban, then we had a really barren period where we missed them both, and now we have Shaheen and Shinwari. But, apart from Abbas, no replacement for Asif in sight. Of course, Amir was also a very special talent, but so is Shaheen and JK during his peak was lethal for a few years. No right arm seam and swing bowler so far apart from Abbas, since Asif.

Abbas was clearly injured on the Australia tour and shouldn’t have even played the first test. He only played due to the pressure on the management because of his record.

Also. Asif was on another entirely different level to Abbas

 

[tyron_woodley]

Abbas was clearly injured on the Australia tour and shouldn’t have even played the first test. He only played due to the pressure on the management because of his record.

Also. Asif was on another entirely different level to Abbas

abbas is pretty bad. I like him. He tries but no just not good enough in bouncy wickets. In u.a.e and swing conditons he has been good. Let's see how he fares vs England.

 

[MMHS]

I think Asif was on a different level to Abbas.

Asif was a pure joy to watch - people go to watch cricket for fours & sixes .... I used to be glued on screen when Asif was bowling with new ball - absolute class, a treat to watch and a very non Pakistani type pacer - slow in pace, but extremely cunning, skillful and brilliant with new ball. He was probably the best pacer to read a batsman and I dare say, Asif was as good as Wasim of MCG 1990, in that SAF Series of 2006-07. I did see him clocking 141.7Km, but he didn't need that - pace was just a surprise element for him, he was damn good within 127-134Km range. Facing a peak Asif on grass with a new ball was probably the toughest job in cricket after facing two Ws with a old one on dry surface. I have to give lots of credit to Woolmer for this one - after Ul Haq quickly got rid of him after the 2005 AUS tour, it was Woolmer who took care of him and I believe in a Tour game, he took 10for, which led a call back for him to that Karachi Test, ironically where Inzi was missing for injury. Absolute genius - could have taken 400 Test wickets for PAK.


[MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION] - your assessment is wrong for Asif - Trott. JT was successful in that tactics because he was in tremendous form that time - everything was working for him. If tactics could have solved every problem, his career average won't have dropped from mid 60s to mid 40s.

Cricket's fundamental skills are still intact, probably the first page of MCC Coaching Manuel, written 200+ years back is still applicable - batting fundamentals are always same - foot-work, balance, judgement, application, alignment ..... Yes, time to time batsmen adjust their game to the condition/opponents, which works for a short period and WHICH ONLY works, if your basics are correct. It's a game of instincts, therefore sometimes inform batsmen get away with doing fancy things, but the key is fundamentals - both bat or ball, that's why Fakhar Zaman or Hasan Ali couldn't last two years while Tendulkar or WAkram would make it count if they make a come back, at this age.

Coming to that shuffling tactics of Trott - that time it worked, because the guy was in great touch, almost everything worked and Asif didn't get the time for a counter measure. That's the way player's improve - I saw a young Faisal Iqbal using feet better than any Englishman since WW2 against Warne and almost took him out of bowling attack with his inside out drives through covers, taking a leaf out of Salim Malik's batting page - next game, Warne came with a slip cordon in front of batsman - 5 men between point to mid-off and he was bowling leg line, forcing Faisal to attempt drives against spin .......

Asif was accurate like an off-spinner darting - six inches out-side off, releasing from very close to wickets, which indeed was countered by shuffling the front pad outside line and leaving anything going away, for a short period. But, with same accuracy and movement, to counter that shuffling tactics, I am sure Asif would have come round the wicket within few games - now releasing close to wickets and within sticks with 4 men on leg side - mid-wicket, mid-on, squire-leg and deep fine-leg, to block leg-side flicks; only two in slips for fine edges, but two in gully/point and keeping entire cover mid-off open to encourage batsmen attempting drives through covers with a cramped feet from shuffling. The way he could bring the leg-cutter in late, and on target - just once or twice in every spell batsman missing to connect with that shuffle (remember, uncanny shuffle means batsman is also sacrificing his balance & alignment, batting is a side-on skill) - a 5for for Asif, almost every completed innings.

Only thing, that could have worked against him was that the guy ate, smoked, drank every thing in every format - he could have lost his stamina and no matter how skilled you are, at least 125Km speed one has to maintain.

 

[khiska]

Asif was a pure joy to watch - people go to watch cricket for fours & sixes .... I used to be glued on screen when Asif was bowling with new ball - absolute class, a treat to watch and a very non Pakistani type pacer - slow in pace, but extremely cunning, skillful and brilliant with new ball. He was probably the best pacer to read a batsman and I dare say, Asif was as good as Wasim of MCG 1990, in that SAF Series of 2006-07. I did see him clocking 141.7Km, but he didn't need that - pace was just a surprise element for him, he was damn good within 127-134Km range. Facing a peak Asif on grass with a new ball was probably the toughest job in cricket after facing two Ws with a old one on dry surface. I have to give lots of credit to Woolmer for this one - after Ul Haq quickly got rid of him after the 2005 AUS tour, it was Woolmer who took care of him and I believe in a Tour game, he took 10for, which led a call back for him to that Karachi Test, ironically where Inzi was missing for injury. Absolute genius - could have taken 400 Test wickets for PAK.


[MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION] - your assessment is wrong for Asif - Trott. JT was successful in that tactics because he was in tremendous form that time - everything was working for him. If tactics could have solved every problem, his career average won't have dropped from mid 60s to mid 40s.

Cricket's fundamental skills are still intact, probably the first page of MCC Coaching Manuel, written 200+ years back is still applicable - batting fundamentals are always same - foot-work, balance, judgement, application, alignment ..... Yes, time to time batsmen adjust their game to the condition/opponents, which works for a short period and WHICH ONLY works, if your basics are correct. It's a game of instincts, therefore sometimes inform batsmen get away with doing fancy things, but the key is fundamentals - both bat or ball, that's why Fakhar Zaman or Hasan Ali couldn't last two years while Tendulkar or WAkram would make it count if they make a come back, at this age.

Coming to that shuffling tactics of Trott - that time it worked, because the guy was in great touch, almost everything worked and Asif didn't get the time for a counter measure. That's the way player's improve - I saw a young Faisal Iqbal using feet better than any Englishman since WW2 against Warne and almost took him out of bowling attack with his inside out drives through covers, taking a leaf out of Salim Malik's batting page - next game, Warne came with a slip cordon in front of batsman - 5 men between point to mid-off and he was bowling leg line, forcing Faisal to attempt drives against spin .......

Asif was accurate like an off-spinner darting - six inches out-side off, releasing from very close to wickets, which indeed was countered by shuffling the front pad outside line and leaving anything going away, for a short period. But, with same accuracy and movement, to counter that shuffling tactics, I am sure Asif would have come round the wicket within few games - now releasing close to wickets and within sticks with 4 men on leg side - mid-wicket, mid-on, squire-leg and deep fine-leg, to block leg-side flicks; only two in slips for fine edges, but two in gully/point and keeping entire cover mid-off open to encourage batsmen attempting drives through covers with a cramped feet from shuffling. The way he could bring the leg-cutter in late, and on target - just once or twice in every spell batsman missing to connect with that shuffle (remember, uncanny shuffle means batsman is also sacrificing his balance & alignment, batting is a side-on skill) - a 5for for Asif, almost every completed innings.

Only thing, that could have worked against him was that the guy ate, smoked, drank every thing in every format - he could have lost his stamina and no matter how skilled you are, at least 125Km speed one has to maintain.

Absolutely nailed it! I dont know what it was about Asif, watching test match was impossible for me however watching Asif live in SENA operating for one end could keep me glued. Just seemed like he had a plan, he wasnt just focusing on line and length but rather was playing chess in his mind

Just absolute joy, o how I wish he could play just one more test in England

 

[Saj]

Asif was a pure joy to watch - people go to watch cricket for fours & sixes .... I used to be glued on screen when Asif was bowling with new ball - absolute class, a treat to watch and a very non Pakistani type pacer - slow in pace, but extremely cunning, skillful and brilliant with new ball. He was probably the best pacer to read a batsman and I dare say, Asif was as good as Wasim of MCG 1990, in that SAF Series of 2006-07. I did see him clocking 141.7Km, but he didn't need that - pace was just a surprise element for him, he was damn good within 127-134Km range. Facing a peak Asif on grass with a new ball was probably the toughest job in cricket after facing two Ws with a old one on dry surface. I have to give lots of credit to Woolmer for this one - after Ul Haq quickly got rid of him after the 2005 AUS tour, it was Woolmer who took care of him and I believe in a Tour game, he took 10for, which led a call back for him to that Karachi Test, ironically where Inzi was missing for injury. Absolute genius - could have taken 400 Test wickets for PAK.


[MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION] - your assessment is wrong for Asif - Trott. JT was successful in that tactics because he was in tremendous form that time - everything was working for him. If tactics could have solved every problem, his career average won't have dropped from mid 60s to mid 40s.

Cricket's fundamental skills are still intact, probably the first page of MCC Coaching Manuel, written 200+ years back is still applicable - batting fundamentals are always same - foot-work, balance, judgement, application, alignment ..... Yes, time to time batsmen adjust their game to the condition/opponents, which works for a short period and WHICH ONLY works, if your basics are correct. It's a game of instincts, therefore sometimes inform batsmen get away with doing fancy things, but the key is fundamentals - both bat or ball, that's why Fakhar Zaman or Hasan Ali couldn't last two years while Tendulkar or WAkram would make it count if they make a come back, at this age.

Coming to that shuffling tactics of Trott - that time it worked, because the guy was in great touch, almost everything worked and Asif didn't get the time for a counter measure. That's the way player's improve - I saw a young Faisal Iqbal using feet better than any Englishman since WW2 against Warne and almost took him out of bowling attack with his inside out drives through covers, taking a leaf out of Salim Malik's batting page - next game, Warne came with a slip cordon in front of batsman - 5 men between point to mid-off and he was bowling leg line, forcing Faisal to attempt drives against spin .......

Asif was accurate like an off-spinner darting - six inches out-side off, releasing from very close to wickets, which indeed was countered by shuffling the front pad outside line and leaving anything going away, for a short period. But, with same accuracy and movement, to counter that shuffling tactics, I am sure Asif would have come round the wicket within few games - now releasing close to wickets and within sticks with 4 men on leg side - mid-wicket, mid-on, squire-leg and deep fine-leg, to block leg-side flicks; only two in slips for fine edges, but two in gully/point and keeping entire cover mid-off open to encourage batsmen attempting drives through covers with a cramped feet from shuffling. The way he could bring the leg-cutter in late, and on target - just once or twice in every spell batsman missing to connect with that shuffle (remember, uncanny shuffle means batsman is also sacrificing his balance & alignment, batting is a side-on skill) - a 5for for Asif, almost every completed innings.

Only thing, that could have worked against him was that the guy ate, smoked, drank every thing in every format - he could have lost his stamina and no matter how skilled you are, at least 125Km speed one has to maintain.

Good stuff MMHS.

I asked Asif once about the art of bowling, what makes a great bowler.

He smiled and said two things:

1. Don't waste the ball, make the batsman play at as many deliveries as possible. What's the point of bowling maiden after maiden if the batsman hasn't had to play at anything.

2. Get inside the batsman's head. Keep him guessing, never show all your tricks too soon.

 

[majiz]

How many great batsmen have said this now?
St. George's park is still the best spell of bowling I have seen; shame he was such a loose cannon but that kind of maverick often is

 

[FreePalestine]

Abbas was clearly injured on the Australia tour and shouldn’t have even played the first test. He only played due to the pressure on the management because of his record.

Also. Asif was on another entirely different level to Abbas

Abbas was not injured. They explicitly said he was not injured. They left him because he was low on confidence, which was a poor decision.