Much has already been written about the immense skillset of the amazing young wrist-spin of Rashid Khan and yet there is more to him that is still to unravel and still makes him intriguing for the cricket writing and watching community but it is the commentators and broadcaster's experts that should be closer to dissecting him.
Recently Scott Styris and Anil Kumble saw a lot of Rashid Khan while doing the broadcasting work for Star Sports during the Indian Premier League and so, it was only right that a platform went upto them to ask and get what the most lethal wrist-spinner in world cricket is all about.
India Today talked to the former internationals, where they posed a few questions about Rashid Khan. Scott Styris, ex-New Zealand allrounder, was heard talking about how he is not surprised that despite a lot of video footage analysis available to the batsmen around the world, they aren't able to pick him.
Styris said, "I'm not surprised one little bit. The reason I'm not surprised is this game is not played by robots. It's played by people. People make errors and people do things on their day. That's the whole beauty of sports. If success against Rashid was simply about watching a computer screen. Everybody and anybody could go out there and play against Rashid and have success. But it' not. It takes a lot of skill and that is the part that people at home don't understand, the skills these guys have today is fantastic. Bowlers and batsman"
"All the research that you do, analytics as a player and a coaching staff is just giving you is what is better odds to success. Doesn't guarantee success and that's the thing to remember. Just because you watch Rashid, it doesn't guarantee you success against him. He is doing the same to you, let's not forget. He is watching and looking for your weaknesses and he will look to exploit that too. So, that's why we watch it. It's a theatre that is unfolding before us,"
Anil Kumble, one of India's greatest Test Cricket, is also impressed by Rashid and how the sexier art of wrist-spin is excelling again. He said, "Rashid Khan and Mujeeb have been really impressive. The Indian spinners as well. Ish Sodhi has been brilliant. I thought even Lamichhane was brilliant for Delhi. 17-year-old coming in the IPL and showcase what he has been able to is brilliant. Even the young Indian spinners have really bowled well. So it's been a spinner's tournament and a wicket-keepers tournament. So it's totally about wicketkeepers and spinners, that has been the partnership with the bat and with the ball. So yeah! Its been wonderful to see all these spinners bowl these googlies and variations,"
Kumble also said, "I don't think so. T20 is all about hitting you. Some days you win, some days you don't. It's just that they are key bowlers and the expectations are far higher. And even as batsman, you tend to take that much more time with these spinners. I don't think they have gone for too many runs but they haven't picked up wickets because the batsmen have probably been a bit circumspect...otherwise I think they have done well,"
(Inputs from India Today)
