When Asif was Inzi146;s raw nerve

For Mohammad Asif, the ongoing dream run in the India-Pakistan series is turning into the proverbial tale of the return of the prodigal son....

For Mohammad Asif, the ongoing dream run in the India-Pakistan series is turning into the proverbial tale of the return of the prodigal son. While Inzamam 038; Co. ride high on the young fast bowler8217;s explosive bowling, Pakistan8217;s new poster boy was at the wrong end of the Pakistan captain8217;s barrel last summer for his India connection!

The story dates back to June last year when a batch of four Pakistani speedsters, including Asif, visited the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai for a training stint. Mohammad Khalil, Mohammad Irshad and Riaz Afridi were the other three quicks.

And as the foursome went about a two-week module with the legendary Dennis Lillee and the academy8217;s chief coach TA Sekar, Inzamam had openly criticised the attitude of budding fast bowlers in Pakistan for making a beeline for training in India instead of approaching legends at home.

The experienced Pakistan batsman8217;s critical remarks came a couple of days before Asif and the rest set off for Lillee8217;s tips in the last week of June. Inzamam went on record arguing that it was wrong for budding pacers to ignore approaching home-grown legends like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

Interestingly, Khalil, who has donned the Pakistan shirt in a Test and a few one-dayers, dispelled the notion in a chat with The Indian Express midway into the training stint. 8220;We are here to train for just two weeks. Otherwise, we train all year round back at the National Cricket Academy NCA in Lahore. There, we regularly train under Waqar Younis and Aaquib Javed,8221; Khalil had explained.

Inzamam may not have been amused at that time with the country8217;s young guns taking to Indian training centres. But in a fairytale turn of events, it is one of those players, Asif, who has become the talking point of the ongoing series.

Recalling the Sheikhpura speedster8217;s stint in the Chennai-based academy, its chief coach Sekar today told this daily: 8220;Lillee and I had two really intensive weeks with the four Pakistani youngsters. We agreed that Asif was by far the best of the lot. We were particularly impressed with his ability to make the new ball do a lot of things.8221;

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Interestingly, Asif went through a crucial change in his bowling action at the MRF Pace Foundation under Lillee8217;s watchful eyes. 8220;Initially, Asif8217;s hands during the delivery stride were wide apart from the body, which inconvenienced the flow. We made him change the action, and if you notice, you will see how close his hands are right now to the body when he lets go of the ball,8221; Sekar elaborated.