MANCHESTER: Pakistan’s bowling coach and former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood feels that the modern day Cricket has become very difficult for the bowlers and cited this problem as one of the reasons for the recent struggling phase of Pakistani bowlers.
“Cricket has been changed a lot, now bowlers have zero margin of error. With 40 overs of power play, restrictions on bouncers and flat tracks, 300+ has become par-score and game has become more batsman friendly,” Azhar said while talking to Geo News in Manchester.
Azhar said that not only Pakistan but other countries are also struggling with express fast bowlers.
“Name any fast bowler now who is consistently bowling at 90mph in the world,” he said when asked why Pakistan has stopped producing fiery bowlers.
However, the former all rounder agreed that Pakistan didn’t bowl well in Nottingham, but insisted that things were improved after that game and team got lessons from the mistakes it made.
“I agree that we didn’t bowl well in Nottingham (in 3rd ODI)” Azhar said referring to the mammoth total of 444/3 by England.
“You can hit for the shots, but your attitude and aggression in field should not be negative,” he said while referring to Wahab Riaz’s bowling who leaked 110 runs in quota of 10 overs.
Responding to critics, Azhar said that he doesn’t have a magic wand and he can only give a plan to the players and it is up to players to deliver according to the plan.
“Job of a coach is to give the plan to the players, at the end of the day, it is very frustrating thing that you’re sitting outside the fence helplessly and your plan is not being executed,” he said.
Expressing confidence on the present lot of bowlers, Azhar said that they need time and fans needs to be patient with this group of players.
“Our test team is number one because we are consistent with selection policy in Test. We need to make combination to build a proper team, these players have potential,”
The former coach said that Ammad Butt and Mohammad Nawaz can be transformed into such all-rounders who can clear the boundaries in later and lower middle order.
“We have Imad Wasim who can accelerate from the lower order; we need to groom Nawaz and Ammad Butt. We need someone after Razzaq who could hit sixes at 8th position,” he said.
“Hassan Ali is also good, he wants to learn and improving day by day. He’s willing to learn and this is a positive sign,” said the former all rounder.