Cricket is believed to have begun possibly as early as the 13th century as a game in which country boys bowled at a tree stump. Over time, the sport has become a passion for the residents of many countries including; England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, India, and Pakistan. Nowadays, it is being played in more than 25 countries at the national or international level. Through this game, many superstars came who got such fame that shall be remembered as long as cricket is played. The world governing body of cricket is International Cricket Council (ICC) that was founded at the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England, and South Africa. Cricket is played throughout Australia, and the United Kingdom where matches are aggressively competitive at every level. All the great Australian players from Sir Don Bradman to Shane Warne developed their skills in club cricket before graduating to the state and national teams, and the Australian style of cricket is marked by aggressiveness with the bat, ball, and, often, voice in an attempt to intimidate opponents. Talking about the best bowlers from Australia that history will always remember, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Jeff Thomson, Craig McDermott, and Brett Lee are the bowlers that stunned the world with the magic of their fast inswing and outswing bowling. On the other hand, Shane Warne is regarded as one of the best spinners of all time who took 293 wickets in ODI and 708 in test matches. Similarly, the best bowlers from England include Sir Ian Botham and Fred Trueman who was the 1st bowler ever crossed 300 wickets.
In India, it is played on city streets, in village fields, and on maidans, the largest of which can host dozens of overlapping matches. Historically, Indian cricketers have displayed a good eye and strong wrists, and its batsmen, most notably Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, have been some of the most productive and stylish in cricket. The dry flat pitches of the subcontinent have also traditionally produced high-class bowlers. The world-renowned bowlers from the country include Kapil Dev who (with his out and in swings) took 253 ODI and 434 Test match wickets. Another name is Zaheer khan who is regarded as one of the best bowlers for a decade for India. He took more than 500 International wickets. As I look upon Sri Lankan cricket history, the island country was a popular destination for touring teams, particularly for English teams on the way to Australia by boat. In 1996 it won the World Cup, beating Australia in the final by playing aggressive, innovative cricket under the inspired leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga. The victory instilled a belief in a new generation of players that included Sanath Jayasuriya, and Muttiah Muralitharan, who in 2010 became the first bowler to take 800 Test wickets. South Africa played its 1st test match in 1889. Since then, cricket has been at the heart of the country’s sporting culture. The greatest fast bowler in the country’s history is Dale Steyn who picked up 439 wickets in only 93 matches. As we see New Zealand cricket history, it has always taken a strong national structure in the state. Sir Richard Hadlee was the best bowler from the side who took 431International wickets. From the West Indies, we have Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, and Joel Garner who got fame with their aggressive fast bowling. In batsman, Brian Lara and Sir Viv Richards smashed almost all the bowlers with their high-performance batting.
The evolution of cricket in Pakistan has been chaotic, and exotic in roughly equal measure. Under the leadership of Imran Khan (the great inswinger), Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup, but often its cricket was ruined by political interference and scandals. The country has produced a host of talented cricketers and has proved itself. Wasim Akram is known as (Sultan of Swing) all over the world due to his devastating swings and Yorkers. Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, and Abdul Qadir made their names by introducing a distinctive style of bowling. Moreover, Shoaib Akhtar became the fastest bowler in the history of cricket when he bowled at 161 km/h against England. All of these superstars shall be remembered forever.
In this regard, a very talented bowler Ahmad Bashir should be given a chance to play for Pakistan at the International level. It has been more than 8 years that he is playing on a national level and has stunned his coaches and opponent teams through his outclass bowling. In some of the matches, he even took 5 wickets which is almost impossible for a player of age like him. He is a master in both in & outswings. Practicing in Lahore from 2010, the young talented bowler is from Vehari (the same place where Waqar Younis belongs to). If he is bowling at a speed of 140 km/h here in Pakistan, then it would not be wrong to say that his speed will increase by 150 km/h if he is given a chance to play abroad where pitches are faster than in Asia where a bowler can perform in and out swings easily with his fresh spell.
To me, progressive performance always gives a guarantee that a player can turn turtle the condition into a winning class like talented Ahmad Bashir who is an upcoming cricket superstar aged 25. If ever, he got a chance in international cricket, I assume that he will maintain the popularity and winning standards like honourable World’s renowned sports icon and Prime Minister of Pakistan (Imran Khan) as he has won the world cup in 1992. In this regard chairman PCB (Ehsan Mani), and Head Coach (Misbah-ul-Haq) should consider the importance of super attacks of fast bowling to get opening series of batsman to send them back to pavilion with very limited score. Under the above-mentioned sports living legends of cricket, the young player can do much better for the country.
The Writer is a Senior Sports Analyst & Chairman Pakistan Columnist Council
Can be found at figure786@hotmail.com