While Pakistan’s disappointing performance against India and Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is indeed a concern, the legendary former Pakistani pacer, Wasim Akram, shared some insightful observations, particularly regarding the performance of fast bowler Haris Rauf.
In the 12th match of the ICC World Cup, India secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over Pakistan. This marked Pakistan’s eighth loss to India in the history of the World Cup, intensifying the scrutiny of key players’ subpar performances. Fans around the world were left disappointed by the team’s inability to secure a win against their arch-rivals.
Wasim Akram, a name synonymous with fast bowling excellence, took center stage with his observations on the match. He particularly focused on the performance of Haris Rauf, a promising fast bowler who has raised expectations with his sheer pace.
Akram emphasized that while sheer pace is undoubtedly an asset, it alone may not be enough to take wickets consistently, especially against top-class batters. In a match as crucial as this, bowlers need to employ different strategies to dismiss well-set batsmen. It’s not just about speed; it’s about skill and finesse.
Wasim Akram Provides Advice To Haris Rauf To Change His Fortunes In ODI’s
One of the key takeaways from Akram’s analysis is the importance of creating pressure on the batsmen. This is achieved by delivering dot balls, especially when the field is spread wide. The pressure forces batsmen into making mistakes, leading to wickets. It’s a tactic employed by many successful bowlers in the international circuit.
Akram identified an inconsistency in Haris Rauf’s game – his struggle to maintain a steady length. This inconsistency has often resulted in him leaking runs, which can be detrimental to the team’s performance. In contrast, Akram compared Rauf to India’s fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who consistently hits a reliable length, making it difficult for batsmen to capitalize on any inconsistencies. Moreover, Akram said that till Haris plays in first-class cricket, he won’t improve in ODI cricket. In T20 cricket, he knows that only 4 overs are needed to be bowled and the batsman will go for shots. So, he needs yorkers, bouncers or a slow ball. Wasim wants Haris to bowl six balls back of a length on the same spot on the wicket.
“There’s an attitude about a bowler. Talking about Haris Rauf, and nothing against him as he’s been Pakistan’s main bowler. I think that he will only pick wickets when batters go after him. I’ve never seen him swing the ball and pick wickets like Bumrah did today. He has pace but he has to improve his length for one-day cricket,” Akram said.
“Jasprit Bumrah is a clever bowler, one of the best in the world. When he was not getting any swing initially, he was hit for a couple of fours but restricted the flow of runs after that. Everything was finishing within the stumps and that was a slow ball to dismiss Rizwan. Any batter would have got out on the delivery that got Shadab Khan,” added Akram.
🚨 Advice of Wasim Akram for Haris Rauf to hit good lime, lengths.#PAKvsAUS | #AUSvsPAK | Captaincy | Babar | Abdullah Shafique| Usama Mirpic.twitter.com/C0TJELDQAb
— Haroon 🏏🌠 (@HaroonM33120350) October 20, 2023
