It Was A Challenge Bowling To Rahul Dravid And VVS Laxman: Mohammad Asif
Feb 3, 2019 at 1:11 PM
Tainted Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif has named VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid as the toughest batsmen he had faced in his career.
Regarded as one of the finest new-ball bowlers before he was suspended from playing cricket after being found guilty of match-fixing in 2010, said that bowling to the former batting stalwarts was a challenge for him.
Speaking to the Press Trust of India, the 34-year old said: “Dravid and Laxman were technically very good and could whip the ball from the off-stump to the onside flawlessly. It was a challenge bowling to them.”
When asked about Indian batting star Virat Kohli, Asif said: “Virat is also technically very strong and that always makes it a difficult job for the bowler.”
Recalling the 2006 Test series that Pakistan won by defeating India in Karachi, the fast bowler said that his bowling performance in Karachi played a major role in escalating his career. The right-arm pacer took 7 wickets in that match including the impressive spell in the second innings in which he castled Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman with brilliant inswingers as Pakistan defeated India by a whopping 341 runs.
“Before that, I never knew when I bowled the ball that came in. But in that Test, I gained control over it and mastered both the outgoing and incoming deliveries. I remember I bowled Virender Sehwag with an inswinger and it set my career rocking,” he recalled.
When asked about his gameplan to stop Sehwag, he said:“The secret was to keep him tied up in his crease. Because he was a powerful stroke player once he got a chance to open his arms.”
Meanwhile, the pacer also quashed the suggestions that he and fellow match-fixing convict Salman Butt had persuaded the then 18-year old Mohammad Amir to commit the crime.
“That is totally wrong. It is double standards to me. If three people have committed a crime you say two are guilty one is innocent. How can that be possible,” Asif said.
“Mohammad Aamir had come from the grass root level to the top level and he knew everything about life. It is unfair to say we were responsible for him getting into the spot,” he added.
Asif along with Butt and Amir was banned for five years by the ICC. Butt and Asif are at present playing domestic cricket but have not been considered for national selection. On the other hand, Aamir was allowed to make a comeback in December 2015. And the pacer has rued the fact that the cricket officials have not treated them equally.
He said: “Look I know what we did was wrong and a crime and we regret it and we have apologised for what we did. We have served our time. The ICC has said it has no problems with us playing international cricket so what is the problem?”
“I will be going to the national cricket academy after the domestic season ends next month and I will be working on my fitness with the trainers and coaches there. So there will be no more problems with my fitness,” he added.
Meanwhile, he also criticised the Pakistan fast bowlers’ performance in the ongoing Test series in Australia.
“I always relished the challenge of bowling to the best and my motto was always to make the openers play every ball with the new ball and try to get wickets. That is the job of the new ball bowlers which our bowlers at present are not doing in Australia,” he pointed out.
Commenting on Mohammad Amir’s bowling performance in Australia, he said:“He is bowling too wide from the stumps, whereas previously, he used to bowl close to the stumps. This minor thing changes the angle of the ball significantly. If he overcomes this problem he can be effective once again.”