Shoaib Akhtar has claimed that the former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers used to fear ex-Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif. He said De Villiers once started crying playing Asif during a match.
Akhtar also added that Asif was so lethal he had left India's ace batsman VVS Laxman clueless. He had stunned Laxman during the Karachi Test between India and Pakistan in 2006.
"Even bigger than Wasim Akram, the guy that I've seen bowling is Mohammad Asif. I have actually seen batsmen crying while facing Asif. Laxman once said 'how will I face this guy', AB de Villiers literally started crying during the Asian Test Championship," Akhtar said while speaking on Sports Today.
Akhtar lauded India's pacer Jasprit Bumrah and went on to call him smartest after Asif. Bumrah is currently among the top fast bowlers around the world.
"But I think after Asif, Bumrah is the smartest fast bowler presently. People were doubtful about his fitness in Test cricket, even I was watching him closely. He has a quick bouncer, is deceptive and sharp and a good character this guy is," Akhtar said.
"He (Bumrah) is probably India's first fast bowler, who checks the wind speed and wind direction rather than how much grass has been left on the track. This thing used to be the art of Pakistanis, we used to know how you could play with the wind," he added.
Speaking further, Akhtar revealed he and other Pakistan pacers used to check the wind speed and direction to use it in their benefit. "We used to actually (do that), me, Wasim bhai and Waqar bhai, we used to note the wind speed and direction, look the wind is blowing from that corridor, okay I might get reverse from that end," he said.
"We knew mechanics and aero dynamics of fast bowling, how much swing, and at what time of the day. This is my assumption that Bumrah knows these sort of things which I hardly think other fast bowlers know these sort of things," Akhtar added.
"In Bumrah's world, in those five seconds, he only visualizes the batsman and thinks about his art of taking wickets. He is a great character. He will be the most unusual but great fast bowler if fitness permits. If his back remains okay, he will play for a long time."
(With Sports Today Inputs)
