5 forgotten pacemen we ought to see again

Fast bowling is an emotive art

- Ian Bishop

Mohammed Irfan

Standing at 7 feet 1 inch, he is officially the tallest international cricketer in the world. He spent years plying his trade in eastern Pakistan knocking batsmen over before heading out and fixing pipes for a measly $96 per month to support his family. The hype about his abilities was created by an author on cricket forum pakpassion.net which ultimately found its way to the national selectors. The man had gone from obscurity to the fringes of international fame in a few clicks of a button. The day finally descended in 2010 with a call up to face England in the NatWest ODI series. A below par debut ensued where he was taken for 15 in his first over including three consecutive hits to the fence by then England captain Andrew Strauss. That was that, and he was subsequently taken off and returned for his second spell only to stretch his calf muscle and leave the field wicketless in his 5.3 overs. He recovered well but a repeat performance of sorts with the ball in the next ODI pretty much sealed his fate. His ability to generate bounce out of the pitch with his frame at a good pace of 140kph holds him in good stead, but with fierce competition for places within the Pakistani express ranks, a second coming is some way off. One thing is for sure though: with Pakistani cricket and unpredictability walking hand in hand, surprises are never too far off the corner and that offers the giant a tiny ray of hope. The only missing jigsaw in world cricket right now is the lack of “sweet chin music” men and this fella can certainly make the ball rock and roll.

Josh Hazlewood

He was once touted as the blue eyed boy of Australian cricket, the heir apparent to the legendary Glen McGrath. He made the world his stage and danced with stardom at the tender age of 19 putting in a man of the match performance in Australia’s Under-19 World Cup final triumph last year. He put tradition to rest in becoming the youngest player to represent his country debuting against arch rivals England at the Rose Bowl. He produced a nipping delivering that cleaned up Craig Kieswetter after being dispatched for the maximum a few deliveries earlier. He ended up with commendable figure of 1/41 from his 7 overs in his first outing , that overridden by a true show of character which offers promise for the future of Australian cricket. His services were not required since with the less bouncy pitches in other matches more suiting Clint McKay’s style. An unfortunate back stress fracture ended his hopes for a test debut against India in the latter half of the season. He’s out there working through the rigours of the domestic circuit having flirted with success in his first taste of international cricket. Time is certainly on his side as he looks to fill in the large boots left by his great predecessor. A burning hot prospect for future Ashes!

Vernon Philander

He was seen comically letting the ball through his legs for a boundary today in the tie against NSW. The batsmen (Daniel Smith) couldn’t help but giggle but one could sense karma was on its way. Couple of overs later, a short of a length delivery was met with a gravity defying swipe that mightily missed. The sound of clattered stumps followed and the act of retribution was complete for the powerful South African all rounder, Vernon Philander. A stump to stump bowler, he thrives on the simple philosophy of “you miss, I hit”. He made his way to the national team in the 2007 -2008 season, debuting with dream figures of 5.5-1- 12-4 against a below par Irish unit. He blew hot and cold thereafter and lasted only 6 more matches. His name, Philander, meaning “readily or frequently enter into casual sexual relationships with women” is not the only eventful thing about him, being the victim of an armed robbery along with his Cape Cobra teammates in 2007 and disciplined by the ECB for his on-field behaviour whilst representing Middlesex. Coming back to the cricket though, with South Africa attacking with the trio of Steyn, Morkel and Tahir , he could offer them a different dimension to their attack by keeping it tight . He will however have to fend off competition from three others who have performed admirably over the last couple of years – Tsotsobe, Parnell and Langeveldt. His ability to knock a few with the bat may give him a slight edge over the trio but he has to keep at it with the ball to make his way back into the reckoning.

Jaidev Unadkat

Fast forward to the year 2016 and if I told you that a gentle left arm medium pacer would spearhead the Indian attack, would you be surprised? No… not that you’d expect otherwise. The reservoirs are running ever so thin and dry and a lifetime beckons without witnessing a genuine fast bowler. We clinched the World Cup with our ‘line and length’ bowlers so not that there’s reason to complain . We even took the fastest we had to England to observe and learn the art. On a serious note though, Jaidev Unadkat is the most noteworthy of our current breed. He was thrown into the deep end as a replacement for his idol Zaheer Khan against South Africa in their own backyard last year and came out empty handed conceding 101 in the process. He was not picked again. His ability is beyond question, making up for the lack of pace with subtle variations. He has benefited tremendously from the tutorship of Wasim Akram at Kolkata Knight Riders who has earmarked him as one for the future. He can swing the ball both ways and is working on the art of reversing it. He bounced back well after being taken apart by the Somerset top order with crucial wickets for KKR which shows the mental strength and the hunger to succeed. Destiny is his to hold onto!

Isuru Udana

Yet another prodigy from the land of mystery bowling. The left armer shot into the limelight during the Champions League T20 last year, perplexing Kiwi batsmen with his cunning change of pace and ended up with a hattrick for his efforts. His perfection of the slower bouncer and an overall reputation as a skiddy customer led him to don the national jersey. In his debut match at the World T20 2009, he was taken to the cleaners by a rampaging Shane Watson before using his secret weapon (the well disguised slower ball) to deceive Clarke and David Hussey. He suffered at the hands of Shahid Afridi a few matches later and that effectively put a premature end to his international stint. Sri Lankan cricket is going through a development phase and sooner or later he is likely to find himself in the mix again. For now though he is back to being his miserly best at the dearth for the Wayamba Wolves.

Life always does not always offer second chances but when it does, these men have to grasp it with both hands to script both themselves as well as their nations into cricketing folklore. In a batsman friendly world, let’s hope the enemy reigns!