Dubai: Twenty20 is often termed as a format that assists batsmen. From a bowling point of view, many experts believe that fast bowlers are very effective in checking the run flow and taking wickets.
But interestingly, the highest number of wickets in the Twenty20 format have been taken by spinners. Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi leads the list with 58 wickets and his fellow countryman, Saeed Ajmal, is in third place with 54 wickets, closely followed by England’s Graeme Swann with 41 wickets and Sri Lanka’s Ajanta Mendis with 40 wickets.
Is spin therefore a very strong weapon and will it play a decisive role in the Pakistan-Australia Twenty20 series?
Pakistan skipper, Mohammad Hafeez, who is a fine spinner and an excellent strike bowler in Twenty20 cricket, believes he has the answer: “Twenty20 is not about batsmen or bowlers; it is all about execution of skills. I feel spinners are the ones who test the skills of every batsman around the world.”
Hafeez’s conclusion is based on his own experience. “All over the world we have seen that, when a spinner comes in to bowl, the batsmen tend to play some big shots and lose their wickets. In the Twenty20 format, a quick wicket can give a team the upper hand. That is the reason why we as a team have a lot of faith in our spinners. Saeed Ajmal is fantastic and Shahid Afridi is one of our key bowlers. Our spinners will continue to play a significant role in Twenty20 cricket.”
With Afridi not at his best in the One-Dayers, are Pakistan heavily dependent on Ajmal? “We all know that Ajmal is a great bowler and has been performing very well for Pakistan. Unfortunately, the rest of our bowlers are not giving him enough support or assistance, which he should have got. As a team we are not just focusing on one bowler. I believe that everyone must play their role to win matches. I also believe that all our bowlers are trying their best to get the best result, but sometimes things don’t work the way we would like to happen. Ajmal can create problems for any opposition. It will be great if a few more join him in winning matches for Pakistan,” said Hafeez, who may even open the Pakistan bowling attack like he did in the third one-dayer at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
