Report: Feyzan Lakhani. West Indies fast legend Courtney Walsh, while praising Pakistan’s fine tradition of fast bowling, said that world-class bowlers have always been born here, calling Shaheen Afridi a perfect fast bowler.
Courtney Walsh is currently working in the coaching staff of the Rawalpindi franchise in the Pakistan Super League and in an exclusive conversation with Geo News in Karachi, Courtney Walsh said that the conditions and skills here play an important role behind the success of fast bowlers in Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan has always had quality fast bowlers, bowlers like Sarfaraz Nawaz, Wasim Ekram and Waqar Younis have proved their mettle in the past while young players are carrying on the same tradition.
Regarding Shaheen Afridi, Courtney Walsh said that he was very impressed with his style of play, attitude and passion for the Pakistan game.
According to him, Shaheen is a bowler who sticks to his basics and performs consistently which is the greatest quality of any fast bowler.
He also praised the performance of other fast players of Pakistan and said that they also have great potential and will improve in the future.
Courtney Walsh described his experience in the Pakistan Super League as a positive one, saying that the style of coaching is different in franchise cricket as time is limited and coaches have to adapt to the team immediately. According to him, the players are already professionals, so instead of coaching, the emphasis is more on guidance and discussion.
He said that the PSL atmosphere is very good and the attitude of the players is positive, although his team’s results are not yet up to expectations but they are striving for better performance.
Regarding T20 cricket, Courtney Walsh said that this format is better for the batsmen, however, the fast bowlers have adapted to it and are showing outstanding performances with their skills.
He said that the biggest challenge for bowlers in modern cricket is to control the runs as the fans want to see more scores and big sixes, in such a situation only batsmen who have the ability to limit the boundaries are successful.
Courtney Walsh also acknowledged that players around the world now prefer the shorter format over the longer format, mostly because of the financial benefits and more opportunities in less time. According to him, better marketing and player incentives are needed if Test cricket is to survive.
In his advice, he gave advice to the young men and said that hard work, discipline and persistence are very important for success. According to him, the players who work hard are the ones who improve.
He also talked about a young bowler in his team named Raza and said that he has speed and potential, but he needs to improve his control and he can be a good player in the future.
