If there is one person who is qualified to talk about The Akhtar phenomena, it has to be Mohammad Zahid. In his latest blog entry for PakPassion.net, Zahid, talks about Akhtars decision to retire and the role of Dr. Tauseef in his [Akhtar's] rehabilitation as a bowler. The blog entry ends with a quick take on the Pakistan's chances of winning the World Cup - believe me you will like what hes

28 March 2011

Shoaib Akhtar has decided to walk away from cricket at a good time; ‘The Rawalpindi Express’ announced his retirement during this tournament and after such a long career he deserves to go out on a good note. This was always going to be the final World Cup for Shoaib and I’m happy that he is leaving us in an official ICC event and that too the biggest of them all.

I remember taking the new ball with Shoaib Akhtar back in his early days where we both represented the PIA side in Pakistani domestic cricket. Even then, he had injury problems and it was something we identified as a potential problem early on. It is not a surprise to me that he has always carried several niggles and severe injuries throughout his time playing for his country. I believe that despite his body being so hyper-mobile and fragile, he has still managed to maximise his career and got the best out of himself. The joints of his can twist and turn in all directions; he was created by God that way. Even with his freakish flexibility, Shoaib still played through a lot of pain and managed to win Pakistan several matches, he deserves respect for continuing with such pride. 

The unusual illusion his bowling action gave meant Shoaib was subjected to chucking accusations early on in his career. The way he managed to get through these controversies and extend his career as long as he has is testament to his sheer determination and hard work.

However, while it took a lot of mental toughness on Akhtar’s part to shake off such accusations, we must not forget those who helped him along the way. Dr. Tauseef Ahmed (Akhtar’s trainer) was a massive, and perhaps the biggest, influence on Shoaib Akhtar and his desire to return to the side when backed into a corner.

During a Pakistan series against New Zealand in 2001, Shoaib was accused of throwing and suspended by cricket's supreme governing body, the International Cricket Council. At such a low point in his career, it seemed to be over for Shoaib but Dr Tauseef stepped in and understood the hyper-mobility Shoaib possessed. Tauseef steadily compiled a case outlining the exceptional points overlooked initially and with [then PCB head] Tauqir Zia, the cricket board filed a report and sent it the the ICC, eventually helping Akhtar resume his cricket. While Shoaib’s career may have been prolonged through several of his own efforts, in my opinion it was Dr. Tauseef who really saved him, and had it not been for that report I feel Shoaib’s career would have finished ten years back.

While the PCB did assist him somewhat financially, that is a small issue as far as I am concerned. I say this as the board has spent their money on a lot of other wrongdoings too. At least money used on Shoaib has benefitted the team and country and helped Pakistan’s flag continue to wave high. 

Another point I’ve heard recently is on Shoaib’s shortened run-up and how several commentators apparently feel he would have extended his career had he reduced this earlier. I have to disagree with those who hold this view as when Shoaib was being tested for throwing, I witnessed him bowling from a very short run up of about three paces and he would still fire the ball down in the mid 90mph zone. I think if you have a bowler who can deliver a ball at around 95-96mph without much of a run to the crease, it shows how much pressure is put on muscles when bowling the ball. I don’t think it would make a big difference how long his run up would be as all the pressure on his joints would still go through his body during his delivery stride. I’ve always believed the beauty to fast bowling is the aggression you bring to the table. Shoaib’s long run up was his aggression, it was what made batsmen feel his presence, and aggression is an absolute must in a fast bowler’s make up.

Now that Shoaib is about to hand his boots up for good, none of us are sure what the future holds for him. Personally, I would like to see him stay in touch with cricket as he has a lot to offer. I would be really happy to see him working with the Rawalpindi Association and help with up and coming bowlers rising through the ranks. The current system is full of several people who don’t even know their stuff and are just employed without much background. However, with Shoaib there is no doubting his credentials, he is a living legend and a superstar known all over the world. Just the other day, I was listening to Nick Knight on TV recount the story of Shoaib telling the left-handed England opener that he planned to bowl devastatingly quick that day. Come the game, Shoaib recorded the fastest ball in the history of the sport and became the first bowler to break the 100mph barrier with his delivery at 161.3kmh. His quality is respected throughout the world and while I’m not sure if Shoaib would have the patience to do such a job, perhaps he can be some sort of coach in Pakistan in the future. 

Shoaib Akhtar might have been involved in some controversies in his time, but being close to him and knowing him as a friend, he hasn’t ever been involved in selling his country or anything of that nature. He is a patriotic indivudial and deserves to go out on a high for giving Pakistan a good name with his performances. He has done a lot for this country and it would be good for him to get a proper send off in an official tournament. I wish him the best for the future. 

Coming to the World Cup, I genuinely can’t see a team with a better chance than Pakistan of winning this whole event.

Pakistan’s bowling attack is very impressive on the whole and most importantly, the way the team has gelled is extremely satisfying. Not just one cricketer but all cricketers are playing from their hearts and playing as a unit. If they continue to play with such passion, no-one can stop them from taking this trophy. 

When Pakistan defeated Australia convincingly in their final group stage match, the strength in bowling showed as the Australians just couldn’t post a good enough total. I was very impressed with the performance of Abdul Razzaq who was used towards the end in a three to four over burst and consistently kept the ball on a good length. With the pitch as it was, Razzaq extracted some tennis ball bounce with some balls jumping and others keeping low, I think he is the best type of bowler to use these conditions as, despite a lack of pace, his control is so good. Conversely, we saw Shaun Tait bowling in the high 90mph bracket and yet spraying the ball around and remaining ineffective.

The only weak link for Pakistan appeared to be the left-armer Wahab Riaz. I think the problem with Riaz is that while he may bowl quite quickly, he gives far too many four balls and a lot of wides and other extras. He needs to improve on this aspect a great deal. For example, if you woke a dozy Glenn McGrath up in the early hours of the morning he’d still probably pitch the ball exactly where he wanted, such was his class. He was one of the best bowlers I’ve seen in my lifetime and that was because of his mastery over accuracy. Wahab should learn from the best and set himself a line and length and stick to it. Riaz is a quick bowler but he is not an express bowler. The difference here is that the express bowlers, like Shoaib, can afford a greater margin of error in where the ball pitches as even their slightly off target deliveries can engage batsmen into false shots due to an extra bit of zip. Riaz, while a 140kmh+ bowler, does not possess such pace and must therefore work on becoming a more precise bowler and be disciplined in landing six balls per over where he wants.

Finally, we cannot forget Umar Gul who is bowling beautifully. He is a much improved bowler and the way he varies his lengths is a joy to watch. Gul is successful because he is an adaptable bowler who changes tactics depending on the conditions he is faced with. He bowls a good length with the new ball but then pitches it up when it reverses with an older ball. 
The only other point to note is that the Pakistan team are missing Mohammad Amir. If he was here opening the bowling, Pakistan would win this Cup easily.

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