Ignore Shoaib at your peril, warns Prabhakar

Shoaib Akhtar may not have set the ODI series alight but India would underestimate him at their own peril, warns Manoj Prabhakar.

Enigmatic speedster Shoaib Akhtar may not have set the ODI series alight but India would underestimate the temperamental Pakistani spearhead at their own peril, warns former all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar.

8220;It would be foolish to underestimate Shoaib. Yes, he has not been in the best of form in the ODI series, but that was primarily because he was returning after a hiatus. For a bowler of his type, who relies so much on rhythm, it was in fact unfair to expect him to be back with a bang,8221; Prabhakar said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

8220;He looks little toned down and has put on some extra flesh. But I have seen him in his pomp and the day he strikes form, he would just run through any batting line-up. India can8217;t afford to ignore him,8221; he said.

And he also advised Shoaib to stick to his prolonged run-up.

8220;Being a rhythm bowler, he has to keep the run-up intact,8221; he said.

The former all-rounder also refused to buy the argument that Shoaib was off-colour because he did not get enough help from the other end.

8220;I think Umar Gul was outstanding, though people may talk about Sohail Tanvir. Gul is one of those rare bowlers who can swing both the new and old ball with such a high-arm action. And remember how he bothered and got rid of Sachin Tendulkar in his nervous nineties.8221;

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8220;Tanvir, on the other hand, poses threat of another kind. As if his action and angle are not enough, he swings a lot to make life difficult for the batsmen. And for the uninitiated, his unusual action can be a huge worry,8221; he said.

In his eyes, Indian attack, however, looks even better, said Prabhakar.

8220;I think RP Singh has become an outstanding bowler and looks like the most improved among all. Zaheer Khan has been doing fine but it8217;s unfair to expect him grab five wickets every time the ball is tossed up to him.8221;

On S Sreesanth, Prabhakar felt the Kerala speedster was a bit childish but quite a handful for the opponents.

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8220;His aggression has been in the news but I think he is quite an exciting bowler. He has to properly channelise his energy. I can understand when you utter a few words of frustrations when your hard work does not pay you dividends. But mindless antics would do you no help at all. He8217;s a bit childish but very hard working. He has become a favourite with the match referee and I think a couple of more punishments and he would be back to his normal self,8221; said Prabhakar.

Asked if the Indian attack was good enough to bowl out Pakistan twice, Prabhakar felt much would need on the track.

8220;The pitch looks green but I am not sure it would remain same on match day. After all, our strengths are our batting and the spinners. And then you have a spinner as the captain,8221; said Prabhakar, who is the bowling coach of the Delhi Ranji side.