Published 19:19 IST, May 1st 2020
'Nowhere near Kapil Dev', Pakistan's Abdul Razzaq criticises Indian All-rounder; details
Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq has clarified his 'baby bowler' remark on India's Jasprit Bumrah as he stated that his comments were 'misconstrued'
Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq has clarified his 'baby bowler' remark on India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as he stated that his comments were 'misconstrued.' The Pakistan all-rounder highlighted that he was comparing Bumrah with the likes of legendary fast bowlers like Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, Curtly Ambrose and Shoaib Akhtar. He added that it would be much tougher to face than facing Jasprit Bumrah.
Razzaq's remarks had earned him severe criticism with several cricketers jumping in to defend Bumrah. He had termed Bumrah as a 'baby bowler' and stated that he would take the pacer to the cleaners had he played during his era. The right-hand fast bowler has been India's go-to bowler in death overs and is known for his toe-crushing yorkers. Bumrah has also gone on to become Team India's pace spearhead and is a mainstay for the Men in Blue.
Razzaq went on to appreciate Bumrah and stated that he is on his way to becoming a world-class bowler. However, he added that bowlers in his time were of a much higher calibre and not many can dispute that. Razzaq made his debut for Pakistan in 1996 and went on to play till 2013 when he announced his retirement. He played 265 ODIs and 46 Tests.
'Nowhere near Kapil Dev'
Razzaq also critiqued ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya and said that the 26-year-old does not seem to be working hard enough. Razzaq shunned Pandya's comparison with legendary Kapil Dev and stated that he is nowhere near the 1983 World Cup-winning captain. "Kapil paaji and Imran bhai were in a different league," said Razzaq.
Speaking to PTI, Razzaq said, "Pandya is a good player but he can be a much better all-rounder. It is all about hard work. When you don't give enough time to the game, it drifts away from you."
"He has to prepare better mentally as well as physically. As you have seen, he has been getting injured a lot of late (underwent back surgery last year). When you earn a lot of money, you tend to relax. For every player, it is the same. Mohammad Amir did not work hard enough and his performance dipped," he added.
Updated 19:20 IST, May 1st 2020