'Wasim Akram bhi yehi karte thhe': Ex-Pakistan bowler's bold Arshdeep comparison
There was a time when the Indian cricket team was filled with left-arm pacers – Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan and RP Singh were spearheading the Indian pace attack from 2002 to 2012. But post their retirements, the number of left-arm quicks declined as the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar emerging to the fore. However, after a long gap, India have found a threatening left-arm seamer in Arshdeep Singh. The 23-year-old pacer, who has been in stunning form since the Asia Cup, has continued his brilliance in the T20 World Cup, picking up seven wickets from three matches.
Arshdeep began the tournament picking up 3/32 against Pakistan which included the prized wickets of Babar Azam for a golden duck. Against Netherlands, Arshdeep grabbed 2/37 and vs South Africa, the opening bowler removed South Africa's dangerous duo of Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw in a span of three deliveries of the same over. Impressed by Arshdeep's stunning string of performances, former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal paid a huge compliment to the young pacer, likening his bowling to the legendary Wasim Akram.
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"Arshdeep Singh... what a bowler. By his wrists, you can't figure out what he is going to bowl - which ball he'll move away or which one he'll bring back in. I think after Zaheer Khan, he is the first Indian bowler whose swing and pace is not predictable, as a batsman you can't predetermine. He gets two to move away, and then gets one to jag back in. That is the ball which is very difficult to face. Agar aap Wasim Akram to dekhein, toh woh bilkul yehi karte thhe (If you remember, Wasim Akram used to do the exact same thing). Arshdeep bowled brilliantly," Ajmal said on his YouTube channel.
The former Pakistan spinner, who was an expert exponent of the 'Doosra', lavished equally impressive praise on Suryakumar Yadav for his counter-attacking innings of 60 off 40 balls. On a pitch where the South African pace quartet of Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell were having the ball fly around and where India's top order was shredded to 49/5, Suryakumar kept playing the way he knows – to attack – and took India to somewhat respectable total of 133/9. Ajmal feels that SKY doesn't get bogged down is one of the most remarkable traits of India's No. 4 batter.
"There is one thing that stands out about Suryakumar Yadav. He has gotten a role and he is defining it. Every other India batter struggled on that bouncy surface but Suryakumar Yadav... the way he middled the ball, it was fearless. Excellent batting. He deserved to be where he is in the ICC rankings," he added.
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