da poker： Sixteen-year-old Adil Raza has stepped up to the responsibility of being Pakistan’s pace spearhead at the Under-19 World Cup
da jogodeouro： George Binoy in Kuala Lumpur25-Feb-2008
Adil Raza has been the pick of the Pakistan bowlers © Getty Images
Pakistan’s lavishly talented new-ball attacks have set the Under-19 WorldCup alight in recent tournaments: Riaz Afridi finished near the top of the wickets table in 2004, and the trio of Anwar Ali, Jamshed Ahmed and Akhtar Ayub sensationally dismissed India for 71 while defending 109 to retain the trophy in 2006. Inevitably, their squad for 2008 had a potent pairing as well,formed by Mohammad Aamer and Adil Raza.However, that partnership has been on view only once in the World Cup,when Pakistan destroyed Malaysia for 75 with Raza taking 6 for 29 andAamer 3 for 12. Since then, Aamer has been hospitalised with a denguevirus and will not play any further part in the World Cup. His absence hasadded to Raza’s responsibility and, encouragingly for Pakistan, he hasstepped up and delivered. Raza is only 16 and is the thirdhighest wicket-taker in the tournament so far with 11 at 8 runsapiece. His first-over dismissals of both the Australian openers for ducksplayed a significant role in Pakistan qualifying for the semi-finals.The quarter-final against Australia was Pakistan’s first game at theKinrara Oval, and the conditions were different from those in Johor, where theyplayed their group matches. Imad Wasim, the Pakistan captain, said thatthe pitches in Johor were wet and Raza agreed that there was far moreassistance for the fast bowlers there.”There was more moisture in the pitches in Johor for about 20 overs so theball moves a lot,” Raza said. “Here there is moisture for about 5-7 overs and after that it’s a flat wicket.”My plan was to first check what the conditions are like, get an idea ofhow much the ball is swinging and bowl accordingly. If the ball was moving[off the pitch] too much then I try to make the batsmen come on the frontfoot, and if it doesn’t move much I try to keep the batsmen in thecrease.”Evidently he did not take long to understand the conditions at the Kinrara, forhe induced an edge from the left-handed Phillip Hughes with his third ball and trappedMarcus Stoinis lbw with his sixth. Both deliveries were sharp offcutters, which Raza calls his “main ball”, one that he learnt from Mohammad Asif during a three-month stint at the National Cricket Academy in Pakistan.Demonstrating his technique for the delivery, Raza says that the secret ofthe incutter is getting the wrist position right, and one can’t help butnotice the ring finger on his right hand is oddly shaped. The portionafter the DIP joint (the joint closest to the fingertip) is almost at aright-angle to the rest of the finger.”I injured my finger when I was four,” Raza said. “It got jammed in a doorbut I can grip the ball well because of this finger. It helps support theseam position.”While several U-19 cricketers in this tournament have said that theymade their first forays into the game at the ages of nine and ten, Raza,who is from Gujranwala, started relatively late. It’s been only threeyears since he began playing seriously.”When India came to Pakistan after the previous U-19 World Cup, Raza justcame for the trials and was selected because he was the best among the lot,”Mansoor Rana, the Pakistan U-19 coach, said. “He had not played anydistrict or regional cricket before that. Raza was one of the finds of theyear but he got injured and didn’t play against India.”Raza made his U-19 limited-overs debut in the last of five one-dayersagainst Australia in October 2007 and scalped 4 for 36. He remembered thathe had bowled Kumar Sarna, who opened for Australia in that match and fell to Raza intoday’s quarter-final as well. Since then he has gone on to represent Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy. “I played four matches this season and took 18 wickets which included Faisal Iqbal and Wajatullah Wasti.”Ironically, Raza said that he began as a batsman and batted at No. 6 or7 in the line-up. “When I was a batsman nobody used to play me in theteam. There was a senior called Adnan Farooq who made me understand that Ibowl well and that’s when I started working on my bowling. Then peoplestarted taking an interest in me.”Several Pakistan bowlers have turned heads at the Under-19 World Cup butfew have gone on to establish themselves in the national team. Afridi, astar in 2004, made his Test debut that same year but hasn’t played since.Ali, Ahmed and Ayub from the class of 2006 are active on the first-classcircuit but haven’t taken the next step yet.”There’s a big gap,” Mansoor said. “Apart from exceptions such as WasimAkram, Javed Miandad and Salim Malik, who played right after U-19,cricketers need to play two to four years of first-class cricket to mature.” Razahas at least one more opportunity to perform in front of a world-wide televisionaudience before he slips back into the rigours of domestic cricket.