Yasir Shah feels his 'best is yet to come'

Pakistan leg-spinner believes he has only one job on the field, to perform as good as he can for his country

Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah thinks the world has still not seen the best of his abilities with the ball and he is still growing and soon will be a better version of himself.

“Remember that my learning has not stopped just because I have been selected and played a few Test matches,” said Yasir, while talking to PakPassion.

“I am still learning and my aim is to bowl with variation and also to make my action repeatable which is important for success at this level. This is where I must mention the role that the coaching staff, especially our spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed, have played in my continuous improvement since the time I have been associated with the Pakistan team. This is one reason that my bowling technique has steadily become better and best of all, my googly has really improved as a result of advice from such experience bowlers. Not only that, I am also working to refine my top-spinner and flipper.

“I'm happy with how things have gone so far for me in international cricket, but I feel that my best is yet to come.”

The 29-year-old said that he had only one thing in mind when bowling, to perform to best of his abilities for the country.

“Since I have started playing cricket at the top level, I have always wanted to do the best for my Pakistan team,” said the leggie.

“I recall when I made my debut against Australia in the UAE, I was feeling very unsure and flustered in the first few overs as I felt that I was bowling against the very best. I was being hit about a bit initially but then Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed told me that they were only attacking me because they were afraid of my bowling. They were trying to hit me out of the attack but that was a sign that they respected me and I should bowl in the same way that I bowl in First-Class cricket, without fear. I took that advice on board and started to bowl with great concentration and the results were for all to see.”

PHOTO: AFP

Yasir also explained the reason for his lesser appearances in the ODIs

“The reason for this is simply the fact that Shahid Afridi stopped playing in ODIs and that gave me an opportunity to make room for myself in the team,” said Yasir.

“When there is a bowler of the stature of Shahid Afridi in the team, there was no realistic way in which I could be included in the ODI team. He was not in the team for the Zimbabwe tour so I got my big chance to make a debut and picked up two wickets in that game. After that it was just a matter of waiting for me as a senior player like Shahid Afridi will definitely get preference over a younger and inexperienced player.”

“I never lost hope or gave up during this period in which I could not get a place in the team. My aim was to be ready for whenever the call-up came so that I could perform to the best of my abilities for the team and also serve my country. I continued my hard work during this period and the Almighty rewarded me for my patience.”

On a question of always wearing a smile on his face, Yasir said that he was naturally a jolly person but that doesn’t mean that he never experienced nervous situations.

He also talked about the praise that Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne had heaped on him during the UAE tour against Australia.

“He has always been my favourite bowler. It is a matter of great honour for me that he admires my bowling and he also tweeted about my bowling during the series against Australia in the UAE (2014). I felt so proud that a bowler who I admire so much and one who was considered to be one of the best in his trade has words of praise for me,” he said.

“I met him twice in Australia where we were joined by Mushtaq Ahmed and Brett Lee. Basically, he advised me to continue bowling in the way I am bowling and to make sure that my action was repeatable. He also asked me to take my time when things weren't going my way, to slow things down by taking my time to set the field so that it relieves pressure on me. He didn’t feel that my bowling action or style needed changing but his advice was more about general aspects of my game. It was a great feeling to be able to talk to him about these things and this is something I will cherish.”

PHOTO: AFP

Yasir said they have a very good chance of beating England in the UAE as the Test team was very stable and the morale was very high.

Meanwhile, commenting on the launch of the Pakistan Super League, Yasir said: “This is a big thing for Pakistan cricket. I look at the likes of Bangladesh which has its own league and we can see the effect of that in the way their international team is performing where they have beaten the top teams of the world at home. Similarly, this will be a great opportunity for our youngsters to play alongside and against some of the top international players and learn from that experience. I am sure the result of such contact will be visible in the coming few years as the Pakistan team will start producing more talented youngsters.”

Yasir concluded by saying that he might look like Argentinian footballer Messi but his skills in the game are not great but only ‘good’.

“I do play football in my leisure time or at the end of a net or practice session. It’s a nice way to relax and it's funny when people say I look like Messi. I'm not as good as him but I can play some good football,” said Yasir.