Spin Doctor

Threre was something about Abdul Qadir that drew crowds to him. The bouncing run-up and the animated bowling style 8212; imitated famously ...

Threre was something about Abdul Qadir that drew crowds to him. The bouncing run-up and the animated bowling style 8212; imitated famously by Sunil Gavaskar whenever he was given a bowl 8212; made almost everyone crazy about the Pakistani leggie.

Ten years after retiring from the game, that hasn8217;t changed. Not just his ability to attract a crowd 8212; even if a clutch of journos taking time off from the razzmatazz of the one-day series 8212; but his mesmerising spin. On a piece of open land next to Lahore8217;s Gaddafi Stadium is the Abdul Qadir International Cricket Academy. And running in to bowl was the magician himself.

Forget the fact that those facing him were novices: the way he made the ball dance to his tune was Vintage Qadir. 8216;8216;Grip aise karo,8217;8217; he told the rookies, perhaps not realising that no matter how they gripped the ball it wouldn8217;t be the same.

But Qadir is not one of those cricketers who believes the best went with him. He8217;s happy with the standard of spin in today8217;s cricket, noting with pride, 8216;8216;Warne is doing very well.8217;8217; And then, asked who was better, pays the ultimate compliment. 8216;8216;Warne is the No 1 leg-spin bowler. He has even taken 500 wickets, whereas I only reached 250 wickets. Warne is way ahead.8217;8217;

He speaks of how Warne has picked up 20 wickets in his first two Tests after a year-long lay-off from cricket. And he8217;s been involved in a keen tussle with Mutthiah Muralitharan to break Courtney Walsh8217;s record of 519 wickets.

It8217;s a contest Qadir has been watching keenly. 8216;8216;It is good for the game. Murali is the best off-spinner in the world and he is good in his field and Warne in leg-spin.8217;8217;

Closer home, he8217;s relishing the Tests that begin on Sunday. And the prospect of watching Anil Kumble play. 8216;8216;He is a good listener and I have spent some time talking to him. I spoke to him in the mid-90s and it helped him for sometime.8217;8217;

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Will Kumble be hampered by his injury? 8216;8216;No, I don8217;t think so. In fact injuries helps bowlers relax and return refreshed from the break. I am sure Kumble will feel the same way. I have no doubts he will adjust fast.8217;8217;

Though Qadir says he enjoys talking about cricket 8216;8216;and leg-spin in particular8217;8217;, what worries him is the falling standard of spin in the subcontinent and for this he holds the administrators responsible. 8216;8216;They need to look at this fast. If spin academies is the way then so be it.8217;8217;

A bit of self-promotion here? Perhaps, though in a good cause. 8216;8216;This Academy was just an idea that came to me some eight months ago. I spoke to the PCB and they agreed to support me in my venture.8217;8217;

Qadir8217;s academy is located next to the PCB8217;s official Academy, and those enrolled in the first can use the facilities in the second. Even a few of the underprivileged kids are taken care of by Qadir and given free coaching.

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Why is this an International Academy? 8216;8216;Because I am for cricket, anyone can come to meet me. Graham Gooch sent a boy to me from Essex for sometime.8217;8217;

On his part though Qadir has made sure international cricket will have something to look forward to in his third son Salman. The young batsman who also bowls handy-off spin is best placed than his elder brothers to make the National team. Only recently Salman made his presence felt in the under-19 World Cup.