In an exhaustive three-part interview to Amrit Mathur, Wasim Akram dwells on the subtle nuances of fast bowling and on technical aspects like ball selection and reverse swing. Excerpts:Q: How do you choose a ball?Wasim Akram: It's a matter of feel. Just like selecting a bat, it must feel good in the hand. Though the weight and the other measurements are standard, I look for a ball that feels light and has a firm, pronounced grip. It is difficult to explain, but when you hold a ball in your hand you instinctively feel whether it is right or wrong.Q: Which make of ball is the best?WA: Duke, overall, for its hardness, good seam which makes it moves nicely. It's my preferance. Kookaburra, on the other hand, becomes soft after a while. The seam flattens out and it is difficult to bowl with it. In Australian conditions, it is not so bad, but on sub-continent wickets and outfields the Kookaburra is not a good choice. It loses shape and does not feel good in the hand.Q: Whydoes a ball start swinging suddenly?WA: It's not easy to explain, many things are responsible. The atmosphere and weather are major factors. But any new ball should swing because of the shine. Experience shows that in a day's play the ball swings most either before lunch or in the last session. Don't ask me why, but that's how it happens usually. Any bowler will tell you that. It could be heat, but then even in England the same thing happens. As I said, it's difficult to explain. That is why batsmen feel more comfortable between lunch and tea.Q: How will you define bad bowling?WA: If driven in front of the wicket, I am not bothered because it is not always a bad ball. Moreover, there is a chance the batsman will err and edge to slip. What worries me is when a batsman cuts it to the fence. That means the ball bad - short and wide, the batsman given the width and freedom to play the shot.Q: What about being pulled?WA: I am not pulled too often, maybe because I concentrateon keeping the ball up most of the time to get the ball to swing. Also, there are more chances of dismissing batsmen when they are playing forward. The whole idea is to bowl wicket-to-wicket and keep the ball up. Not at a driving length, but three quarters. Just enough to make the batsman stretch forward and feel for the ball.Q: How differently do you approach one-day cricket?WA: The entire approach is different. Your objective is different, so your bowling is not the same as in Tests. I try not to experiment, just put it there in the right place because you have to be careful about wides. Also, the bowling has to vary according to the stage of the match because of restrictions on field placements. In the beginning, the bowler has practically no cover, fielders are in the circle and batsmen are happily going over the top.Q: How do you look after the ball?WA: This is a very crucial part of the present day game. The ball makes a lot of difference so it has to be handled with care.We all try to keep one side smooth by constant shining and preventing it from hitting the ground. More important is to let the other side of the ball to get rough, this is done when it lands on the pitch. The idea being that one side of the ball should not become mulayam (soft). We are very careful about seeing that this side remains light, no moisture or sweat should come into contact with the ball. Just notice the way the pace bowler holds the ball, he is ensuring that it remains dry, light, rough. This is one of the reasons we wear wrist bands.Q: What is reverse swing?WA: It's an art which has changed pace bowling, especially when people are operating with the old ball. You must give credit to the Pakistan bowlers - Sarfaraz Nawaz and Imran Khan - who invented it. Now every fast bowler in the world is trying to do it. Suddenly, the fast bowlers are in the game even with the old ball. The ball is moving around, the batsmen are not getting easy runs.Q: How is it done?WA:Essentially, it's simple. The normal method for the natural swing, in-swing for me, is to have that shiny side of the ball on the on-side - then the ball comes in with my arm. But with the reverse swing, the shiny side of the ball is inside. And the ball still comes in.Q: As simple as that?WA: Not really - but those are the basics. Various other things have to be in place for the ball to swing.
