Wasim Akram feels that fast bowling is becoming a part of Indian cricket

April 16, 2015

New Delhi, Apr 16: Having mentored many pacers in India, Sultan of Swing Wasim Akram feels fast bowling is becoming an integral part of Indian cricket with youngsters finding their heroes in the likes of Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav.

wasim akramAppointed as the bowling consultant of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010, Akram coached many Indian pacers like Ashoke Dinda, Ishant Sharma and more recently Yadav to help them find their footing in international cricket.

The former Pakistan captain said fast bowling is gaining ground in India but cautioned that youngsters need to be told that pace bowling is not about just one spell.

"It (fast bowling gaining ground) is because of the popularity of the game. The passion that the people of this country have for this game is amazing. Nearly 70,000 people turning up for an IPL game is just incredible. And also these young players have got heroes of their own in Shami, Umesh and Varun Aaron," Akram told PTI in an interview.

"So fast bowling is coming into Indian cricket but these youngsters have to be told that pace bowling is not about just one spell. You have to think about how you can bowl fast for the next 10 years," the former left-armer said.

Asked about his useful tips to bowlers like Yadav that have transformed them, Akram said these bowlers do not need coaching but need to be told when to execute the right kind of swing.

"At the level that Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami are, they need not be coached. You don't need to tell them the action or the basics. You have to tell them when to execute the right kind of swing and how to read a particular batsman," the 48-year-old said.

"How you bowl according to a situation? I tell them to ask me a question. I work with them in the nets. I had told Umesh that you have to eventually learn to take the new ball away from the left-hander in flat wickets. And you all would have seen in the World Cup that he really got the new ball going away from the left-hander, the one that always came in," Akram said.

Akram, who was a brilliant exponent of swing bowling and terrorised many batsmen in his time, explained the nitty grittys of the art saying, "When you bring the ball in on flat decks, it sometimes comes in the batsman's arc and there you have to go across as a right hand bowler to a left-hand batsman."

Akram said it is important to tell youngsters when to bowl a yorker, how to set the field, how to asses a situation and that is what he tries to do.

"I try and make them think," he added.

Lavishing praise on Yadav, Akram said, "He is a very talented bowler. He has pace, swing and he is really on the right path. And what I like about him is that he is a hard-working lad."

Talking about another Indian left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan eyeing a comeback, Akram said it is possible but the veteran needs to play regular cricket.

"Look 36 is not an age where you get old as a bowler. If you have been playing first-class cricket then a comeback is easy, but if you are playing IPL to IPL then it becomes difficult for a pacer. And after 35 you have to play regular cricket," Akram said.

"When I was 35, if I took a month off then it took me a couple more to make a comeback. So if he is playing first-class cricket there should not be a problem in making a comeback with his experience," he said.

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News Network
June 9,2020

Jun 9: Former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy has released a video, alleging racism within the SunRisers Hyderabad camp. Last week, Sammy had lost his cool after learning the meaning of the word "Kalu", which he alleged was directed at him during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with the SunRisers Hyderabad. The T20 World Cup-winning Windies skipper had said that he along with Sri Lanka player Thisara Perera were sometimes called that word when they played for SunRisers Hyderabad. However, Sammy did not specify as to who directed these slurs at him, but now the player has released a video, saying he will message all those who called him that word.

"I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people, I have embraced all dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people," Sammy said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for SunRisers Hyderabad, I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people," he added.

Sammy said that at the time when he was being called with the word, he didn''t know the meaning, and his team-mates used to laugh every time after calling him by that name.

"I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny," Sammy said.

"Now, I realise it was degrading, I will be texting you guys and I will ask you as to when you called me with that name, did you all mean it in any bad way or form? I have had great memories in all my dressing rooms, so all those who used to you call me with that word, think about it, let's have a conversation, if it was in a bad way then I would be really disappointed," he added.

The former Windies skipper has been a vocal supporter of the protests that are currently going on in the United States over the death of an African-American man named George Floyd.

Sammy had also made an appeal to the ICC and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and racism.

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News Network
February 13,2020

Feb 13: Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were buried in a private funeral service in Southern California last week, multiple outlets reported late Tuesday.

Citing Kobe Bryant's death certificate, Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV reported the remains of the former Lakers star and his daughter were transferred to Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Corona del Mar. Kobe and Brianna were laid to rest in a private ceremony there last Friday.

According to KTTV, the death certificate cited Kobe's cause of death as "blunt trauma" sustained in a "commercial helicopter crash." It also said his death was "rapid."

Corona del Mar is a community within Newport Beach, where the Bryant family lives.

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were among nine people killed when the helicopter they were in crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif., northwest of Los Angeles, on Jan. 26. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56; his wife, Keri; and their daughter Alyssa, 14 -- who played on the same club basketball team as Gianna Bryant -- also were killed. Christina Mauser, a 38-year-old who was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls basketball team, was also killed in the accident, as were Sarah Chester, 45; her daughter Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

A public memorial service for the Bryants will be held Feb. 24 at Staples Center, beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

While the date -- 2/24 -- conveniently falls between two Lakers' home games, it still could have been chosen symbolically. Gianna -- one Kobe and Vanessa' four daughters -- wore No. 2 on her basketball jersey while Kobe was No. 24 for part of his 20-year-tenure with the Lakers, and his retired jerseys -- he also wore No. 8 -- hang at Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Times reported that "entry is expected to be severely restricted" at the venue despite Staples Center's capacity of about 20,000.

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May 29,2020

Kolkata, May 29: Former skipper Kumar Sangakkara believes missing Angelo Mathews due to an injury hurt Sri Lanka badly in the summit clash of the 2011 World Cup, which hosts India won after a gap of 28 years.

Having played a key role in their thrilling semifinal win against New Zealand, Mathews was forced out of the final against India at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium by a quadriceps muscle injury.

Reflecting on the six-wicket loss to India, the former Sri Lankan captain said Mathews' injury forced him to opt for a 6-5 combination and was also the reason behind his decision to bat first after winning the toss.

"In that WC final, that's the biggest thing I look back and think...You can talk about drop catches and all of that happens. But the composition of the side and the fact that we were forced to make the change was to me the turning point," Sangakkara said in the latest episode of Instagram series 'Reminisce with Ash' hosted by India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Mahela Jayawardene's unbeaten 103 went in vain as India hunted down 275 with Gautam Gambhir setting up the chase with a 97-run knock before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished off in style, smashing Nuwan Kulasekara for the winning six in his unbeaten 91.

"But for 100 per cent, if Angelo (Mathews) had been fit, I know for sure we would have gone for chase... I'm not sure whether the result would have changed. That balance of team that Mathews would give at seven really was a bonus," the former wicketkeeper batsman said

"If you take our entire campaign, whatever we did Mathews' overs and his ability to bat with the tail and read situations was an incredible bonus to us. He was a young chap who came into the side and from day one he could read situations. It's just instinct, how to up the rate, how to control the bowler, when to accelerate."

During the conversation, Ashwin also asked him about the controversial toss when the coin was flipped twice amid the cacophony of the Wankhede and eventually Sangakkara elected to bat.

"The was crowd was huge. It never happens in Sri Lanka. Once I had this at Eden Gardens when I could not talk to the first slip and then of course at the Wankhede. I remember calling on the toss then Mahi wasn't sure and said did you call tail and I said no I called head.

"The match referee actually said I won the toss, Mahi said he did not. There was a little bit of confusion there and Mahi said let's have another toss of the coin and heads went up again," he said.

"I am not sure whether it was luck that I won. I believe probably India might have batted if I had lost."

The loss prolonged Sri Lanka's wait for another world title as yet again the 1996 champions failed in the final hurdle.

"Whether we win or lose, we have this equilibrium on how to take a win or loss. The smile hides a huge amount of sadness, of disappointment, of thinking of 20 million people back in Sri Lanka who had been waiting for this for so long, since 1996.

"We had an opportunity in 2011, opportunity in 2007, then T20 opportunities in 2009 and 2012," Sangakkara said.

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