SWaugh: Akram - Bradman of Bowlers. (17 Oct 95)

Title: The Bradman of Bowlers Author: Steve Waugh Source: Sports Weekly (October 17, 1995)

With the first Test against Pakistan only a few weeks away, it is worth examining why they are renowned as a team capable of pulling off miraculous victories when all seems lost while being a team prone to easy defeats for no apparent reason.

I guess the reason for the amount of tremendous victories against seeminly overwhelming odds lies in the fact they have many players who have enough individual flair to turn a Test on its head. The two players most noted for these Hurculean feats are the awesome pace duo of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, who together must rate with the great opening bowler combinations in the history of the game. While Akram is rated by many as a technically better bowler, Waqar`s statistics suggest he is the closest thing we`ve seen to the quivalent of the Bradman of bowlers. So far Waqar has taken 190 wickets from only 33 Tests at an average of 19 - a phenomenal achievement which is even more impressive when you realise he has taken five or more wickets in an innings 15 times. Waqar`s strengths lie in his broad shoulders and strong physique which enables him to generate enormous pace and extract venom out of even the most docile of wickets. He always lets you know you`re in a contest, whether it be verbally or through his body language and possesses a lethal late inswinger when bowling with the older ball, which is hard enough to handle for-top order batsmen and near impossible for the tailenders to negotiate safely without either losing your stumps or a couple of toes on the way through.

Akram is probably rated the world`s best bowler by his peers as he can bowl any type of delivery without altering his action and generate enormous pace from a short run-up due to his explosive last couple of strides. He can be at his most dangerous when all appears lost and he attempts to trick the batsmen by looking tired or injured during a spell only to fire up and bowl like a man possessed, catching his opponents off-guard. These two players will be the key to the series and if we can keep them relatively quiet we will be on the way to a successful series.

On the batting front I wouldn`t be surprised to see one of the all-time great competitors, Javed Miandad, line up against us again. Now here is a man who loves batting and loves a chalenge. He is one of the few players in world cricket to have a chat to bowlers when batting, such is his confident nature and selfbelief that it won`t interfere with his own game. He is the ultimate street fighter and saves his best for when he has been backed into a corner against the odds, the sign of a world-class player.

If he is in their side the Pakistanis will be a much tougher, well-organised unit and harder to beat. Of the other batsmen in their side, two stand out as potential match winners, Inzamam Ul Haq and Saeed Anwar. Inzamam has already denied us a Test victory, being involved in a famous last-wicket stand of 59 to defeat us in Karachi on our last tour to Pakistan. He is brutally strong and loves to dominate an attack, particularly on the slow, low wickets found regularly on the sub-continent.

Inzamam can turn the flow of a Test in a session as he scores quickly and destroys opposing teams` game plans, much in the same way as Anwar. Saeed is the easiest of their batsmen to watch and can play every shot in the book like Michael Slater. He will try to dominate from the outset and is capable of improvising when the situation arises, which has an unsettling effect on bowlers.

As you can see, they have more than enough individually gifted players but as a team they can sometimes be divided, which goes long way to explaining their inconsistency. It is of vital importance that we dominate from ball one in the series, so we can suppress the individual brilliance that lies within their team and try to force home the theory that when they are losing they tend to squabble among themselves.

The news of Dean Jones receiving a new ACB contract can only be seen in a positive light for the return to higher honors for this very talented player. Many fans have been dismayed at his recent non-selection and will be rejoicing in this apparent lifeline. Jonesy was the fulcrum around which Australia enjoyed much oneday success in the late `80s and early `90s with his aggressive attitude, motivational qualities and hustlinig type of game that proved to be a thorn in every opposing side. If he continues on from his great domestic form of last season and gets selected for the World Cup, there will be many disappointed opponents, as he is a well respected and feared cricketer and one that many didn`t want to confront again. On the flip-side to Jones` great news was the disappointment for Merv Hughes not winning a contract. Hopefully this will give Merv added incentive to make it back into the international arena.

Source :: Sports Weekly