Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned whether Pakistan have the best pace attack in world cricket considering they have done well on flat surfaces at home. Pakistan bundled out Bangladesh for 193 in their Asia Cup 2023 clash in Lahore on Wednesday, September 6 as well. Pakistan then chased down the below-par target with seven wickets and 63 deliveries in hand.
While talking about Pakistan’s win in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said: “You are getting a voice from within that isn’t this team’s fast bowling different? I won’t say the entire bowling department but fast bowling is amazing. Do they have the best fast bowling department? If we especially see the Lahore pitch, it is absolutely flat, the ball comes nicely onto the bat. There is a saying in English – calm waters don’t make skilled sailors. If you have to make someone a brilliant bowler, play them on flat pitches.”
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However, Aakash Chopra opined that seamers become the best in the world when they perform well under such conditions as they need to put in their utmost effort as well. He also stated that Shaheen Shah Afridi is among the world’s best limited-overs bowlers now.
“Shaheen Shah Afridi is fast gaining a reputation whether he is the world’s best bowler in white-ball cricket or not. There is no doubt that among all bowlers who are playing cricket currently, no one bowls a more dangerous first over than this bowler because he pitches the ball right up, gets it to swing, and has bounce and courage as well. Haris Rauf is equally good. He has deceptive pace and bounce although he bowls from a little further back. His pace might increase by a yard or two if he bowls from slightly further up but his ball travels. You feel it will come slow but it goes and hits near the bat’s handle,” he shared again.
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Aakash Chopra further added that Naseem Shah’s upright seam position makes him a potent threat as well.
“Naseem Shah is brilliant. Naseem’s story is that his hand is so straight, it is absolutely zero seam, which means the seam is absolutely straight. If the seam is slightly left or right, it aids the swing, but if the ball goes with an absolutely straight seam, just like it does for Mohammad Shami, it swings less and there are more cutters, but he also bowls close to 150 kph,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
