Former Pakistani cricket player Waqar Younis has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the team’s performance in the current Test series against Australia, citing in particular the seeming lack of true speed in their bowling attack.
According to Waqar Younis, the lack of fast bowlers in the lineup—only medium-pacers and all-rounders—deviates from the enthusiasm that is often associated with playing against express speed in Australia.
“I’m also concerned because, usually when we travel to Australia, quick bowling is one of the things that gets me excited, and this time, I’m not seeing it. There’s no actual pace to what I observe; they’re all-arounders, medium-pacers, or slow-medium-pacers. He stated, “I’m not seeing what I used to see there. People used to come and watch Pakistani pace bowlers really running in hard and bowling 150 clicks [kph].”
In Perth, Pakistan’s pace bowlers found it difficult to top 140 km/h during the opening Test match. The absence of true pace was apparent, even though it gave the Australian hitters some nervous moments in the second inning. Pakistan was thoroughly defeated, losing by 360 runs, and they also lost Khurram Shahzad, their rookie, to a rib injury that ended the series.
“I am concerned about it because I haven’t noticed it on a home level either. Although I can appreciate that there are a few injured, there used to be a steady supply of fast bowlers that they could call upon. Sadly, that is no longer the case, and I’m rather concerned about that,” he continued.
The Pakistani bowling assault is suffering due to the absence of important players like Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, as well as worries over Shaheen Shah Afridi‘s decline in pace. “I’m not really sure what’s wrong with him,” Waqar remarked, highlighting the necessity for Afridi to address any fitness concerns.
“He has to take a break from the game and address any health concerns he may have since continuing on that path would only make him a medium-pacer. He used to swing the ball and bowl at 145–150 kph. What I’m witnessing right now is that while there is some swing, his tempo is rather slow. and he won’t win any points for that.”
Pakistan must ensure that their fielding is impeccable. Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis emphasised the need for strong fielding for Pakistan in the lead-up to the upcoming Test match at the MCG, highlighting the necessity of seizing opportunities to maintain competitiveness against the great Australian team.
“It hurt to see the first Test match. We had chances and occasions where we could have turned the tide of the game, but we passed them up. Pakistan must ensure that their fielding is impeccable when they visit Australia because, given the right opportunity, Australian batters would seize the chance to succeed, as we saw in Perth”.
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