Sarfraz to begin hunt for fast-bowlers

Former pacer to launch programme to unearth talent.

KARACHI: As Pakistan struggle in the fast-bowling department, the country’s cricket board has given the task of unearthing talent to former player Sarfraz Nawaz who will soon launch a nationwide campaign.  

Pakistan pacemen had a mediocre outing in the England series, while their performance in the Asia Cup was also questioned especially after India comfortably achieved a record chase of 330.

Sarfraz, who held a training camp with Hammad Azam, Aizaz Cheema and Wahab Riaz before the tournament in Bangladesh, has said he would launch a talent-hunt programme in which all the youngsters will be invited to show their skills.

“I’ll conduct the programme in all the provinces,” Nawaz told The Express Tribune. “I’ll visit 20 cities to unearth fresh talent. It will begin in interior Sindh with Sukkur being the starting point.”

Sarfraz said the open-for-all trials will help the team recover from their fast-bowling woes.

“Players like Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mehmood are the finds of such programmes.”

He added he will also monitor the fast-bowlers’ performance in first-class matches, adding that the show of the pacemen in the Asia Cup was not impressive.

“There are some issues with our fast-bowlers including fitness problems. They were also not used properly in the tournament like Riaz got a chance all of a sudden in a crunch game against India.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2012.