20 (NNN): Former Pakistan captain and pacer Wasim Akram finds the 19-year old Indian left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan to be a mentally strong bowler and a good learner.
Wasim, who spent some time with Pathan in the nets during his visit to Australia as a cricket commentator, said that he had spoken to Pathan about developing his yorker to become successful in international cricket.
On Thursday he said that Pathan was a quick learner and whatever tips he (Wasim) had passed onto him in Australia he picked them up quite quickly.
"He is a very quick and eager learner.
Any tips passed on to him he tried to do them as quick as possible and whatever I saw of him in Australia he has proved himself to be a mentally tough bowler which is so important in international cricket," Wasim said.
Pathan, who flew to Australia after having a successful tour of Pakistan with the Indian junior team in the Asia Cup last November, has said he is working hard to make his yorkers more accurate and potent to be successful during the upcoming series in Pakistan , where pitches hardly offer any assistance to fast bowlers.
"He did ask me about yorkers.
And I told him it would be advisable for him to work on his yorkers.
And specially in One-day cricket it is advisable for him to have a good yorker," Wasim added.
The fact that the former Pakistan spent some time with Pathan in the nets drew lot of attention in the Pakistan and Indian press.
And there were also allegations that Wasim might be passing on valuable tips to the Indians bowlers who are due to tour Pakistan next month.
But Wasim shrugged off such fears saying that every international cricket had a right to help out another young upcoming player.
"I and many other Pakistani players have taken help and advice from Indian and other international players in the past.
What is wrong with that? Pathan, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra, all left-arm pacers are spending time in the MRF pace academy in Chennai at the moment taking the help of former Australian great Dennis Lillee to fine tune their bowling for the Pakistan tour.
Wasim felt that Pathan would find conditions very different to bowl in Pakistan.
"In the tri-series in Australia he did try a few yorkers and bowled the batsman.
The yorker is very important in Pakistani conditions.
Playing in Pakistan would be totally different for him because he has never played big time cricket in Pakistan,' Wasim stated.
Pathan said in a recent interview that he wanted to make a big impression in Pakistan where he was devastating with the Indian junior team.
Pathan has said though he was able to capture wickets in Australia, he was taken for far too many runs on the tour due to some loose bowling which he would not like to repeat in Pakistan.
"I am aware of the abilities of the Pakistan batsmen on home soil.
So I am concentrating hard on how to take their wickets without allowing them to score runs," he added.