ICC World Cup 2019 | Afghanistan are desperate for good pacer to support spinners, says Gulbadin Naib

07/04/2019

Gulbadin Naib has urged Afghanistan’s talent scouts to unearth quality pace bowlers over the next few years. Naib is of the belief that his team, who have been too reliant on their young spin sensations Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, are lacking a quality pacer to trouble the top teams.

Chasing 228 to win against Afghanistan, Pakistan were 182 for six at the end of the 45th over. Afghanistan were on at the top of that game. Pakistan needed 46 off just 30 balls with bowling all-rounders Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan at the crease. Skipper Naib, one of their better death bowlers, went for 18 runs in the 46th over to change the game for Pakistan. Even though Rashid picked up a wicket the very next over, and Mujeeb bowled a tight over conceding just two runs, it wasn’t enough. Pakistan triumphed, with the two balls to spare, handing Afghanistan their eighth loss at this World Cup.

The problem is clear, for captain Naib. And he was vocal about it ahead of their final outing against West Indies, who will also be heading home soon after the match.

"This is a problem. We didn't find the fast bowlers' department. We all worked on the spinners, so that's why we have world-class spinners. If you find two, three, good fast bowlers, maybe it will be good for us here in the World Cup," Naib said, reported AFP.

It is clear that Afghanistan have a world-class spin attack. Rashid, Mujeeb, and senior man Mohammed Nabi have all done the job whenever they’ve been asked to. However, Naib recognizes that in order to trouble the top teams, a quality pace bowler is a must to supplement their spinners.

Naib lamented the fact that Afghan cricket should’ve worked on finding fast bowlers in the last two or three years, alongside producing the spinners that they have.

"If you look over the last two or three years, we're just depending on spinners, especially when Mujeeb joined the team. We have two spinners in Rashid and Mujeeb. So if you work on the fast bowlers in the last two or three years, maybe we have good pacers now in this tournament,” Naib said.

However, he believes the cricketing fraternity back home will take notice now, and send the talent scouts to find quality pacers. Naib himself hopes to be a part of the process.

"Hopefully in the future we can find a good fast bowler. And I'm hoping I'll be working on it,” Naib added.