Mohammad Asif is greatest fast bowler of Pakistan: Rumman Raees

• Rumman Raees saysno one had more control while bowling seam and swing than Asif.
• He says a fast bowler only needs to increase pace if he does not have swing and seam.
• Raees announces he is all set to make comeback to national team courtesy of domestic performance.

Pakistani cricketer Rumman Raees named Mohammad Asif as the greatest fast bowler in Pakistan, saying that no one had more control while bowling seam and swing than him.

Speakingexclusively to Geo News, the vice-captain of Bagh Stallions said: "All respect to Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis but Mohammad Asif is the greatest fast bowler of Pakistan because no one had more control while bowling seam and swing than Asif."

Raees said that a fast bowler only needs to increase the pace if he does not have swing and seam. “I have excelled my seam and swing abilities so never felt the need to increase the pace," he said while advisingthe young fast bowlers to work on the line and length alongside pace.

The cricketer said Asif's advice made it easier for him to take wickets. While narrating a meeting, he said: "Mohammad Asif told me he was unaware of seam and swing in the initial three to four years of career but later excelled in it. Nowadays fast bowlers want to deliver the ball to the wicket-keeper which is wrong. They should target wickets, not the wicket keeper."

Talking about his knee injury in 2018, Rumman said he started playing Pakistan Super League (PSL) before full recovery from the injury which later worsened and turned into back pain.

"At one time I had lost hopes to play cricket anymore. The doctors stopped me and said that I will only play cricket at my own risk." Raees said, adding that "while working as a bowling consultant in PSL, I continued rehab for nine months and now fully recovered from the injury."

He said that he hascompletely recovered from injury and is all set to make a comeback to the national team courtesy of domestic performance.

Raees termed sharing a dressing room with South African cricketer Dale Steyn as a fruitful moment of PSL. "Steyn summed up the art of fast bowling by advising that it is all about good line and length."

He termedsledging a not-so-good gesture by a fast bowler as cricket is a gentleman's game, adding that self-control is very important in current cricket.

"Pakistan has talented young fast bowlers who are capable to bowl at 140kph but they have to manage their workload really well due ta o number of increased global leagues. They may suffer from injuries if they don’t take care of fitness," he added.