Wasim Akram's
comments are as pithy as his deliveries were
incisive. He says he discovered, with ball in
hand, how to maximize his strengths. It's a
quality which has served him well even after
retirement. Former Pakistan skipper gave an
interview to the Indian media on Monday. Excerpts:
Q. Allan
Donald has talked about legalizing ball-tampering.
And he says pacers have been 'preparing' the ball
for ages...
Akram:
I don't agree.
'Preparing' the ball is an art that involves the
old ball and requires the whole team's efforts.
It's not tampering. You can't legalise tampering
and expect bowlers to scruff up the new ball from
the first delivery with whatever material is
available. That will ruin cricket.
Q. But what about the imbalance between bat
and ball affecting Tests...
Akram: Yes, it's complicated. You can't bring back
the old bouncer ruling. Steps have to be taken to
improve pitches. There are other factors. In 1985
and '86, when West Indies toured Pakistan, Imran
(Khan) made sure that only the
short-of-good-length area on the middle of the
pitch would be heavily rolled, because that was
the length the Windies quicks opted for. It
slightly negated their strengths. That's crucial
home advantage.
Q. You bowled on dead tracks too...
Akram: Kapil Dev, Imran, Waqar (Younis), me and
Srinath picked up a lot of our wickets on dead
tracks but never complained. We hardly bowled
bouncers in ODIs in Sharjah or the subcontinent.
Now, people cry foul... priorities have changed.
But Tests are hard work, so more should definitely
be done towards pitch inspection.
Q. The crowds aren't coming in for Tests...
Akram: Yes, and that is a huge concern. I think
the ICC has been talking too much about Test
cricket's decline. Too much is being made of it.
The real fan knows what real cricket is.
Q. Should more be done to
popularise Tests?
Akram: I agree it has been a failure of marketing,
just as T20 has been a marketing success. T20 has
a novelty factor. People will soon realise it is
more about entertainment. The real landmarks will
always be in Tests, and I mean five-day Tests.
Q. Has the ODI game lost its zing?
Akram:
Definitely, yes, it's an issue of immediate concern.
ICC has to do something about the predictable middle
overs, where no one takes chances. The new Powerplay
rule is a step forward. But there is hardly any
reverse swing in ODIs anymore, because the ball is
changed in the 34th over.
Q. Gary Kirsten says teams have to prioritise,
or more people like Flintoff will retire from Tests to
opt for ODIs and IPL...
Akram: Money is important but not at the cost of
cricketing accomplishment, most players know that. The
only option is to create a window recognizing the
IPL's appeal, or there will be more Flintoffs.
Q. Where would you rate Flintoff?
Akram: Yes, he was a good bowler. He has, what, like
three five-wicket hauls...
Q. You think he underachieved?
Akram: Definitely. He could have done more. Maybe he
was hampered by injuries. Maybe he feels it will be
easier to play ODIs and T20s now.
Q. What about Shoaib Akhtar?
Akram: His career looks over, he has got a lot of
chances and young pacers like Mohammed Aamir (an Akram
find) have come in. Even Mohd Asif will struggle on
his comeback. I just hope he doesn't repeat his
mistakes.
Q. Has Irfan Pathan's decline surprised you?
Akram: Yes. Irfan must realise his strength is swing.
He can never be express. He has a speedy run-up and
his arm position is too high. In fact, barring Zaheer
(Khan), none of the Indian bowlers can consistently
move the ball both ways. Without Zaheer, the Indian
attack lacks edge and will struggle. RP Singh, Munaf,
Nehra... they must hit the nets and find out how to
improve. No coach can help unless they help
themselves.
Q. What about Ishant?
Akram: He's still young, has a good wrist position and
is on the right track. He is also a quick learner, he
adjusts his length well depending on the pitch. Don't
read much into his current bad patch. Even more
seasoned bowlers have tough times...look at Mitchell
Johnson.
Q. Is there a danger of over-bowling youngsters
like Ishant and Aamir?
Akram: No, I don't buy that theory. We used to bowl
more at their age. A pacer needs to bowl and run as
much as he can, it's more beneficial than hitting the
gym.
Q. Are you in favour of retaining unorthodox
bowling actions?
Akram: It depends on the impact. Why is Lasith Malinga
so good? Because of the angle and the pace he
generates from the side-on slinging action. Coaches
should start accepting the unorthodox. Just look at
the Dilshan scoop, it's very difficult to set a field
to. Do you know it was first started by Mohammad Zahid,
who played for Pakistan and PIA?
Q. Will you go into the mechanics of reverse
swing with the youngsters as coach (bowling variation
and strategy) at the Gatorade Pace Academy here?
Akram: Yes, but it's also very important to learn
conventional swing with the new ball. I always felt
that is more difficult. It's not necessary to learn
every variation. I never bowled an incutter or
indipper in my life.
Q. The BCCI is in favour of phasing out the SG
ball in favour of the Kookaburra. Is this a wise move?
Akram: Absolutely not. The SG starts reversing early,
the seam aids swing and spin. I don't understand this
fuss about the Kookaburra just because it's cheaper.
It has flaws: the seam absolutely disappears, it stops
swinging. Your grip slips. Are there laws stating
Kookaburra must be used? If not, why negate home
advantage? Let every country use its own unique
variety.
Q. There is a lull in Indo-Pak cricket right
now. Ironically, there was talk of the series being
devalued because of an overkill of games...
Akram: Yes, there was too much Indo-Pak cricket
earlier. Maybe this forced break will help generate
more interest when play resumes. It's one of the big
match-ups.
