ISLAMABAD - Renowned fast-bowling coach Ian Pont believes M Aamir has the potential to be as good as Wasim Akram saying Amir's action is better than the former captain.
“Aamir is one of the finest left arm prospects I have ever seen. He has a strong, repeatable action that helps him be consistent in release of the ball. Amir's pace (around 140 kph/87 mph) is plenty to cause problems and he could be even faster," Ian quoted as saying.
Ian said just 23, Aamir had his best years in front of him. "But what makes him such a great bowler is the fact that he has a great strong wrist position, he can shape and swing a cricket ball at pace," he said.
Ian said clearly parallels would be drawn with Wasim Akram and the fact that Wasim would have mentored Aamir at some point was inevitable. "Aamir has the potential to be just every bit as good as Wasim in my view. And that is because he has a far better action than Wasim had," he said and added Aamir's technique as a fast swing bowler was superior. "The only thing it seems that can stop Aamir is he himself," he said.
Speaking about M Asif, Ian said Asif was a different bowler. "Firstly, he is now 32 and it will be difficult for him to prove himself against others who have filled the void in his time away," he said.
Ian said he would like to see Asif gain an extra yard of pace and this would be done by trying to avoid a collapsed or bent front leg and 'throwing away' his non-bowling arm too early. "All these factors would help him hit the bat harder without losing his assets, thus making him a more dangerous bowler," he said.
Ian said it was great for Pakistan cricket that a couple of talented performers were once again available very soon even though the future for them as individuals might be very different.