Veteran CPL bowler Sohail Tanvir shares his insights on achieving success in West Indies conditions during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Notably, Tanvir holds the record for the most wickets by an overseas fast bowler in CPL history.

Having played for teams like the Guyana Amazon Warriors, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and St Lucia Zouks, Tanvir emphasizes the importance of controlling the wind, which can significantly impact performance. He explains that just as he compensated for his lack of sheer pace with clever variations, versatility will be crucial for bowlers.

"You won't have seen genuine pacers there achieve as much success," Tanvir told ESPN Cricinfo. "On those pitches, the quicker delivery is easy to handle and put away. Because there's a lot of humidity there, a bowler who has the skills to swing the new ball will be successful up front. And with the old ball in the second half of the innings, variation is the key."

Tanvir highlights that a "good hard length" delivery is particularly difficult for batters to deal with. He mentions Shaheen Afridi, who lacks CPL experience but has been adapting his strategy by focusing on length.

"Shaheen can swing the ball but length is very important there," Tanvir says. "He used to just attack, and if the ball swung, he got wickets, and if it didn't, he conceded 20-22 in his first two. But lately, he works on his length more. He goes after wickets, but also pulls back when he realises he'll have to contain too."

Tanvir also points out that scoring is easier when the ball is new and hard, but it becomes more challenging as the ball gets old.

"While the ball is new and hard, it's easier to score runs there," Tanvir says. "The older it gets, the more difficult. The West Indian players are able to use their power and score runs at the death too but it requires serious power-hitting."