New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) Pakistan great Wasim Akram has called on cricket fans to view India-Pakistan contests as sporting occasions rather than carry the emotions of past conflicts into the rivalry, while also opening up about his long-standing association with former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan and his occasional disagreements with the latter’s social media activity.
Speaking on the 1 Mint podcast, Akram addressed the extraordinary attention surrounding matches between the two neighbouring nations, saying the result of a cricket game should not become a source of prolonged hostility between supporters.
“People have too much time. Why can’t they understand? It’s only a frikkin game. At the end of the day, it’s just a match. Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose. And move on to the next one. But no, what happened many moons ago still lingers. Revenge and all is so 1970. It’s the classic ‘an empty mind is a devil’s workshop, thought process,” he said.
Akram, one of the most celebrated fast bowlers in cricket history, also reflected on his connection with Pathan, whose emergence in international cricket drew frequent comparisons to the former Pakistan captain for his left-arm pace and similarities in their bowling actions.
The two first met during India’s tour of Australia in 2004, when Pathan was still establishing himself at the international level. Akram said the young Indian had grown up watching Pakistan’s great left-armers and was eager to learn about the craft of fast bowling.
“Irfan met me in 2004 on his first tour to Australia; I was commentating. He was a big fan. Grew up watching us. I gave him a few tips here and there, but he did well early on in his career. His action was similar to mine from the very beginning. But when players ask you about something, what you tell them is mostly about the mindset. Action and all is fine, because at that stage, you have reached that level where you’re representing the country. Things like wrist position and how to suss out a batsman,” said Akram.
The former Pakistan fast-bowling icon explained that his advice to emerging players was focused less on changing established techniques and more on developing the tactical understanding required to succeed at the highest level.
“When to use variations, when not to. So yeah, it was good fun. Irfan is a good boy; he still keeps meeting me. It’s a different thing that he keeps tweeting some or the other thing against Pakistan. But our fans are ready too. They don’t have the tendency to ignore either. They just have to reply,” he added.
Pathan made his Test debut against Australia in 2003 and quickly became one of India’s most promising all-rounders. His left-arm pace, ability to swing the new ball and resemblance in bowling style to Akram made the comparisons inevitable during the early years of his career.
–IANS
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