Pacers now fighting for survival than taking wickets

Waqar Younis Maitla is a former Pakistani cricketer and a former Test and ODI captain for Pakistan. A right-arm fast bowler, Waqar is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. He is also the former coach of the Pakistani cricket team. He is the current Fast Bowling Coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League for 2018.

Born in Vehari, Punjab in a Punjabi Jatt Muslim family in Pakistan on November 16 in 1971, Waqar began his cricket career in 1987/88 Pakistan and played for several first-class cricket clubs. However he suffered an injury when he had cut and removed his little finger on his left hand, after he had jumped into a canal. He recovered from this accident and went on to continue his sporting career. He was eventually discovered by former Pakistan captain, Imran Khan and was selected to be part of the national side.

As of 2012, he holds the record for the youngest Pakistani Test captain and the third youngest Test captain in history (22 years 15 days). He played 87 Tests and 262 One Day International (ODI) matches for Pakistan during his international cricket career from 1989 to 2003.

Waqar’s trademark was his ability to reverse swing a cricket ball at high speed. He took 373 Test wickets and 416 One Day International wickets during his career. Together with bowling partner Wasim Akram, he formed one of the world's most feared bowling attacks. Younis has the best strike rate, after Dale Steyn, for any bowler with over 350 Test wickets. He is the youngest bowler to take 400 wickets in ODI cricket.

He worked as a bowling coach with the national side from 2006 to 2007. Waqar was appointed as the coach of the Pakistan cricket team on 3 March 2010. He resigned as Pakistan's cricket coach on 19 August 2011 citing personal reasons. He joined Sunrisers Hyderabad as their bowling coach for the Indian Premier League 2013 season.

This cricketer is currently in Bangladesh for playing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He is playing for Sylhet Sixers. Waqar yesterday faced an interview of Yeasin Hasan, sports correspondent of online news portal risingbd.com. The magical parts of the long time interview are discussed below.

risingbd: You are working first time in BPL? How is the experience?

Waqar Younis: Would have been little bit better if Sylhet Sixers would have won few more matches. But it’s a new experience. It’s a something very different I have seen because I have played international cricket here before. This is the first time I have involved in different things. This tournament is quite good actually to be honest. In the past I have watched this from the TV. I never been involved. But I always thought something might be missing. But this time the standard has been definitely improved.

risingbd: Any suggestion how BPL can be improved ?

Waqar Younis: I think they should keep doing what they are doing now. Probably keep bringing more people and international players, involve more local players. About local player you can clearly seen that they are getting better and better. And all ideas like BPL or any other league around the world is all about giving their younger player to get a chance to play with and against international players and share there experiences and all of that. And I think that is happening. I don’t think they need to do too much more. They need to keep going like this.

risingbd: About Sylhet Sixers

Waqar Younis: Very nice people. Wonderful owners. I am working for the first time for Sylhet. And also its a new experiences for the Sylhet people.  There was a lot of excitement as we won the first three matches. Then we had a tough run. We could have won easily another three. But unfortunately could not able to finish the games. It’s a learning experience for players, owners, selectors, management. I am sure they must have learned a lot from this and I hope definitely things will get better next year. 

risingbd: How your career started?

Waqar Younis: As like any other player in Pakistan. I played a lot of cricket in the streets, in the gollys. I was lucky enough to get picked in the very young age. And I was also very hardworking kid. Always. Not only in cricket, but in other sports as well. It was a bit easy for me as I was a good athlete. So it was easy for me in international cricket.

risingbd: Pakistan always produce fast bowlers in generation to generations. What’s the secret?

Waqar Younis: I don’t know the secret to be honest. But I guess, the actual stars or role models, when we were growing like Imran Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz even Wasim Akram. Youngsters generally look at their role model and like to follow them. Probably most of the stars were fast bowlers. May be that’s one reason why Pak youngsters wanted to become fast bowlers. And also most of the fast bowlers come from Panjab or up north. So people are a bit stronger and talented form there when they come to fast bowling. Probably its like India as India always produces good batsman all the time. So it is something traditional. So we always keep producing fast bowlers. 

risingbd: Why you chose to become fast bowler? You could have been batsman

Waqar Younis: No. I don’t think I had that talent to become a batsman. I guess,  I had decided to become fast bowler due to inspiration from certain players, certain people, certain heroes. Watch them bowl and then wanted to become a bowler like them. And I was lucky that I was very talented and skillful also. So all I was need to put a hard work in to it and then you know I was on my way.

risingbd: You were picked by the great Imran Khan. We heard that he watched one of your game in TV and picked you. Share the memory.

Waqar Younis: Yes I was picked by Imran Khan. Not actually that way. But Yes he watched me playing in TV.  At that time I was selected for 22-member Pakistan national camp.  During that time I was playing for United Bank and United Bank was playing against a first class team form Delhi. In those days we used to play Super Wills Cup. You know there was Wills Cup in Pakistan and then Wills Cup in India also. Then winner of these both first class tournament played each other in one-ff match in  Super Wills Cup. So in that  Super Wills cup match I played for United Bank in Lahore. Imran was not there and later he watched my game in the TV as it was my first game in the TV. He saw me and liked my bowling. And later I was picked for the national team.

risingbd: How influential is Imran Khan in your career?

Waqar Younis: He has been a great ambassador of the game. He was a great leader and great supporter of me. I had been very lucky to be a part of his cricket career.

risingbd: 91-92 season you were playing for Surrey and took 113 wickets with an average of 14,43. Was that your breakthrough season ?

Waqar Younis: No, I broke my back by then. I was bowling quite well before then. I was bowling well in 1990 season. I bowled well in the New Zealand series and I took 29-30 wickets in three Test matches. So that was my turning point in my career as a bowler.

risingbd: Any regret to miss the 92 WC as you were in great form?

Waqar Younis: Not really. That’s what cricket is all about. As a fast bowler, you have to go through injuries in different period of you career. I was on the tour for Pakistan. And then injury came. You cannot fight against such injury. I am glad that I came back in my career and I came back strongly. I broke my back thrice in my career. I broke my back in 97 also.  And then broke my elbow in 98 also. This is part of fast bowling, you know facing injuries. You just need to keep moving. I was lucky that I was strong enough to bounce back.

risingbd: You and Wasim Akram were recognized as one of the most destructive bowling pare. What made you and Wasim different from others?

Waqar Younis: He was a left armer and I was a right armer. We were different because we were competing each other . That’s why it helped the team and it also helped the individuals as well. That’s why we have got so many wickets together. I think we were both quick, different and knew how to swing the balls and also reverse swinging the ball. Everything was perfect for us. Both of us were in very good rhythm. We had a good chunk of 8-10 years together for Pakistan cricket and we did our best in our time.

risingbd: How you expertise on reverse swinging Yorker?

Waqar Younis: I think it came naturally for me. My action was suitable for reverse swing. That’s why probably I was more effective on reverse swing compare to others in that era. There were some fast bowlers in our time who knew how to reverse swing the ball. We had two or three fast bowlers who can bowl reverse swing effectively while if you look other teams around the world then you can see there may be one bowler with that ability. We always had me, Wasim or Aqib Javed or Mohammad Akram o Mohammad Zahid who had the reverse swing ability very effectively. And all of us were quick fast bowlers, like around 150 or even 150 plus km/h speed with reverse swing. And that’s why we got success.

risingbd: How many stumps you have broken in your career?

Waqar Younis: I don’t know (smile).

risingbd: One of your specially was reverse swinging Yorker. You were nicknamed as ‘toe crusher’. Did you practice it?

Waqar Younis: Of course I practiced it a lot in training sessions. And it was probably those days when people did not know how to play reverse swing effectively.  That’s why probably I was more effective. But in these days, in these years of T20 cricket batsman use heavy bats and bowlers are not bowling to 150km/h. Bowlers often bowl to 140 or less. So now that’s the major difference.

risingbd: Many fast bowlers in 90s. You-Wasim, Ambrose-Walsh, Donald-Pollock…not many fast bowlers in these days? Why?

Waqar Younis: I think pitches are being more batting friendly in these. And there is also rise of T20 cricket. So the reason may be both.  In T20 cricket, bowlers are become more worried about getting hit or conceding more runs rather then getting batsman out. May be that’s why you dont see many fast bowlers these days. But there are still good fast bowlers in the world like Mitchel Stark, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn etc. Even Indian pacers can bowl around 140-145. So there are fast bowlers around. But I guess the batsmen are more equipped now, the pitches have gone more flat, cricket bats become more heavier. So a lot of things have gone on to batsmen’s favour. That’s the reason you don’t see not many genuine fast bowlers in world cricket like before.  Players are looking to escape as a fast bowler rather than getting people out . That’s why less fast bowlers.

risingbd: So do you think T20 cricket is killing fast bowlers?

Waqar Younis: I would not say that exactly. But of course, there are some issues. T20 is a new concept of cricket and its taking its toll and its not that much easy. I would say as a fast bowler it is difficult at times on these days. 

risingbd: Boycott once said that Wasim and Waqar can all out English batsmen even with orange. He mean that. What’s your comment on that?

Waqar Younis: I don’t think I can bowl with orange (smile). He used that as a phrase. He did not mean that. He just wanted to give the answer that time. The English media and all the people thought there was some sort of cheating going on during that tour in 1992 regarding reverse swing. So that’s why Geofry said it. The comment was just about the confidence toward me and Wasim.

risingbd: Who is the toughest batsman you have bowled?

Waqar Younis: On a given day, anybody can be dangerous. Brian Lara was a dangerous batsman. Sachin Tendulkar was one of them. Steve Waugh was very tough batsman. Mathew Hayden was good, Ricky Ponting was good. I mean there were so many of them. In era, we have seen a lot of great batsmen beside good bowlers. It was an era when we played good fighting cricket and we really enjoyed it.

risingbd: You have taken five wicket hall 22 time in Tests and 13 times in ODIs. Any particular spell or bowling which can be remembered as special one to you?

Waqar Younis: I have taken wickets all around the world. So its difficult to chose one. I took five wickets against South Africa in South Africa in Durban in 1994. I think that was very special. We were out of the game. Then I just bowled a spell of five overs. I picked up four wickets in that five overs. Altogether I took five, but I took four in that four overs or may be five. But that spell was special. And we won that game.

risingbd: Aqib Javed came in Bangladesh last year and worked for BCB few weeks. If you get same offer will you work?

Waqar Younis: I don’t mind.

risingbd: Thank you.

Waqar Younis: Thank you too.


risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 2, 2017/Yeasin/AI