Birmingham, Sept 8:
Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar, once a nemesis of many a top Indian batsman, is now ready to offer advice to his arch-rivals saying that Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron will be key to India’s 2015 World Cup defence.
“Shami, Umesh (Yadav) and (Varun) Aaron are the ones. Keep them fresh, well trained and give them proper practice from the World Cup’s point of view. If these three bowlers can be fit and firing in the World Cup then India will be unstoppable,” Akhtar said on the sidelines the limited-overs series between India and England.
Shoaib, who turned to coaching with the State Bank of Pakistan in the upcoming first-class season, also gave some food for thought to the Indian think-tank that has been using Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar like work-horses over the past year or so.
“Atleast, one month before the World Cup is to begin India should give its main fast bowlers optimum rest. Rotate them, take care of them and then bring them up to match fitness slowly.
“If they play a long tour in Australia, then they will get jaded and fatigued. So train them away from international cricket and then slowly give them match fitness. Make sure they don’t look for match fitness in the World Cup. Keep them fresh for the World Cup,” opined Akhtar.
Sharing his concern for Indian bowling, Akhtar sounded pretty optimistic on evidence of the five-match ODI series in England that the Men in Blue won by a 3-1 margin.
“India’s death bowling is improving. Shami has been very good in this ODI series. The problem is that they do not have someone at mid-on and mid-off telling them what to do. India is missing experience in its bowling.
“They need to have a Pakistani mindset for bowling. Wasim Akram and I have been helping them whenever they have approached us with questions, but we can only help so much. This is a slow process, but definitely they are getting there in terms of death bowling,” he said. (PTI)
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