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Waqar Younis shares fast bowling tips with youngsters

The 49-year-old started the lesson by reminding viewers of Pakistan’s rich history in terms of producing the finest fast-bowlers in the world of cricket

Waqar Younis shares fast bowling tips with youngsters PHOTO COURTESY: PCB

Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis, in a Youtube video on Tuesday, shared fast-bowling tips with youngsters focusing on the seam position and how to land the ball on the pitch in the right manner.

The 49-year-old started the lesson by reminding viewers of Pakistan’s rich history in terms of producing the finest fast-bowlers in the world of cricket.

“Pakistan has a rich history of fast-bowlers. Whenever you look at history you will find many big names like Fazal Mehmood, Imran Khan, Sarfaraz Nawaz, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul. Pakistan has such a rich history and great performances in red-ball cricket that whenever we look back the names of these legendary players come up,” Waqar said.

“I would like to give a lesson to our fans and the kids who want to bowl fast around the country. I want to show them what fast-bowling is along with its tactics and techniques. I want to especially highlight how to take wickets in the longer format,” he added.

The legendary former pacer revealed that different bowlers had different grips while highlighting the importance of landing the ball on the seam.

“First I would like to talk about the grip because how you grip the ball is the most important part of bowling. It depends on the size of your hands. Many bowlers, who have big hands, grip the ball from a more forward position because the ball can easily come under the top of their fingers. But I, having smaller fingers, gripped the ball a little deep. Your fingers should be on top of the seam along with the knuckle. This is all about the comfort zone,” he said.

“Some players open their fingers while some players like Wasim Akram had a different knuckle position. Different bowlers do it differently as long as the ball is releasing smoothly. The purpose of the seam is to drop it on the pitch so that a bowler can achieve movement on either side. If you can put the seam on the pitch then you can be successful,” he added.

Waqar stated that the palm was a vital aspect of fast-bowling and enhances the ability of a bowler to produce backspin which led to swing and seam.

“Another important point is the palm. The straighter it is, the more flexibility the fingers will have. This can help give better backspin to the ball. The more backspin you give, the more the ball will swing or seam,” he said.

“The ball’s direction should be a little towards first slip or second slip. If you put it in the other direction then it can go that way. Whatever the case, it is very important that your palm goes towards the batsman. This will greatly help you land the seam on the pitch. The more hard work you put in, the more successful you will get. I would advice all players to work hard and keep learning,” he concluded.