To deal with tall challenge Everything is king-size for Irfan
ADELAIDE: Build does matter, but it also causes some inconveniences. Just ask Pakistan fast bowler, Mohammad Irfan. The towering player is the cynosure of all eyes as his team gears up for the battle that matters --- an opening clash in Group B against India.
First, look at the positives. The left-arm pacer, seen as the biggest threat by the India camp, has the build and a good run-up. Bowling at his best, his steepling bounce and high arm action can cause serious trouble for Virat Kohli and Co.
While his looming presence may intimidate the opposition, size is not always success for Irfan. It brings with it some disadvantages. From his white trousers to bowling shoes to the bed, Irfan always needs to get them custom-built.
BAREFOOT RUN-UPS “Irfan’s trousers are five-foot long, his shirt is three feet. I had to ask a local company to stitch white trousers for him as his size was not available in the market,” Nadeem Iqbal, a Pakistani coach, told HT from Multan. It was Nadeem who discovered Irfan as a boy, bowling barefoot with a tennis ball in a school compound in Multan. He invited him to his academy and told him that one day he would play for Pakistan.
Like Nadeem, who was a leading pace bowler in Pakistan’s domestic circuit, Irfan too hails from Gaggu Mandi, about 150 km from Multan. The place has produced another tall pacer for Pakistan, Mohammad Zahid (38), who took 11 wickets on Test debut but back injury snuffed out his international career.
Trousers are not the only issue since his debut in 2010. The Pakistan board has to ask the suppliers for custom-made bowling shoes to fit Irfan’s size 14 feet.
“He didn’t have bowling shoes. I tried to get some but his size was not available in the Pakistani market. I then requested a friend in England to send a pair. He sent two and didn’t take any money,” said Nadeem. “Irfan was never used to wearing spikes until then. When I gave them the first time, he couldn’t even walk properly. I asked him to start slow running to feel comfortable. After a few days, he bowled his first ball with spikes.”
FACTORY SUPERVISOR
The hotel bed is also an issue for Irfan. “Sometimes we have to ask the hotel to make arrangements for a longer bed. Sometimes he gets, sometimes he doesn’t. Then, he sleeps across a double bed,” Agha Akbar, Pakistan team media manager, told HT.
It was Nadeem who mentioned Irfan’s speed in a media interview. Irfan, who was working as a supervisor in a plastic pipe factory, was then called by the former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
“Irfan is in good rhythm, he is bowling well in the nets. His presence makes our bowling strong,” Moin Khan, the former wicketkeeper who is a national selector, said looking ahead to the India clash.
However, Nadeem feels Irfan’s bowling has gone down and blames coaches in the Pakistan set-up for spoiling his natural rhythm. “If you see his bowling, the ball lands straight. His swing has been missing. I don’t know what the bowling coaches are doing. You can’t create fear in this solid Indian batting line-up with harmless bowling. I don’t think he will make any impact match against India.”