Former Pakistan great Wasim Akram has shared a piece of advice for Pakistani bowlers in action in the Test series between Pakistan and Australia. He shared that the sub-continent pacers are wooed by the pace and bounce offered in Australia and bowl short, a plan that backfired as well.
The legendary speedster also said that the bowlers should focus on their line and length to pick up wickets as well. He stated that after Australia scored 487 in 113.2 overs against Pakistan in the first innings of the opening Test in Perth.
He told Fox Sports: “Australia is a different ballgame. The Kookaburra ball after 15 overs, it doesn’t do anything. They want you to bowl short. They get the hang of the bounce. They can pull well. They can hook well. I think my advice to all the Pakistani bowlers is that length is the key. The minute you get the length right, that’s where you trouble the batters, not with the short balls. Don’t get excited by the bounce here at the Optus Cricket Ground.”
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Meanwhile, Australia opener David Warner, who smashed 164 off 211 in the first innings, said similar things as Wasim Akram. He said that, unlike the visitors, the Aussies stick to their line and length to achieve success as well.
“Sometimes opposition teams come to Australia and they pitch one or two up and get driven back down the ground, then they get off that length. Whereas if you look at our bowlers, they try and consistently hit that length, and they want you to (it) straight past them. I don’t think I scored one run down the ground today, and that’s when you know you’ve got them off their length. I just don’t think they bowled enough balls in the right area to make us play,”
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Meanwhile, Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon shared his delight to potentially join Australian legends Glenn McGrath and Shane Warner on the list of players to claim 500 Test wickets as well.
He told Fox Sports: “I was not a very good person to be around. I wasn’t very good at watching at home (during injury at Ashes) at all. It is always the next wicket (that is my motivation). That will always be the case. But you look at the greats of Australian cricket, and Warne and McGrath are the only two blokes to have taken over 500 wickets. For me to be within four (now three) of that, and to be edging my way closer to those guys, it is pretty amazing.”
