Dubai: Aaqib Javed has been hailed as one of the finest pacers ever to grace the game. He was known for his mastery of reverse swing, which destroyed even the strongest of batting line-ups. He was appointed the Pakistan cricket team's specialist bowling coach mainly due to his ability to torment batsmen.
What better cricketer, therefore, for the UAE team to have as a bowling guru. When asked about the qualities which make a good fast bowler, Javed said: "A proportionate body and limb co-ordination are a must to become a pacer. Anyone can become a good batsman if he works really hard on his batting. Anyone can also become a good spinner and even a good fielder, but to become a pacer he should have natural talent, a good structure and excellent limb co-ordination."
So how do Pakistan regularly produce good fast bowlers?
Javed said: "Pakistan produce good pacers mainly due to street cricket matches, which is played with a tape-ball. I am planning to introduce this to youngsters in the UAE too. To have a quick arm speed, it is good to bowl with a tape ball. Most of the Pakistan fast bowlers are products of street cricket playing with a tape ball."
It's no surprise that Javed is keen for UAE to have a strong pace attack. "I have seen one bowler here who is really quick. Naveed from Fujairah is touching nearly 140km/h when he bowls, and regularly gets up to around 135km/h," he said.
