(AP Photo)
Young Indian bowler Arshdeep Singh shared insights into legendary Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram’s advice, highlighting Akram’s recent praise for his ability to swing the ball during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in New York.
Arshdeep Singh excelled in the tournament, emerging as the leading wicket-taker with 17 dismissals at an economy rate of 7.16. His standout performance included figures of 2/20 in the final, where he played a crucial role by conceding just four runs in the pivotal 19th over, aiding India’s victory over South Africa by seven runs.
Since his international debut in 2022, the 25-year-old left-arm pacer has been a regular in India’s T20I squad, accumulating 72 wickets in 52 matches. While he has played six ODIs, he is yet to debut in Test cricket, having featured in 16 first-class matches with 49 wickets at an average of 31.97.
I Met Wasim Akram In New York – Arshdeep Singh
In an interview with The Indian Express, Arshdeep Singh reminisced about Wasim Akram’s praise for his release point and swing bowling abilities during their recent encounter in New York. Arshdeep mentioned that Akram encouraged him to harness his skills in longer formats of cricket.
“In the 2022 Asia Cup, he told me that my release point is good and that the ball is leaving my hand beautifully. Recently, when I met him in New York, he praised me for my ability to swing the ball both ways. In one of his interviews, he said that I must play red-ball cricket more with the skillset I possess,” Arshdeep said.
Arshdeep Singh Has Got The Potential – Wasim Akram
During a recent interview, Wasim Akram lauded Arshdeep Singh for his exceptional performance in the T20 World Cup. Akram urged Arshdeep to shift his focus towards Test cricket, emphasizing his potential to make a lasting impact with his effective swing bowling.
“If you have to leave a legacy, you have to think about long-format cricket. People should be talking about you even 10-20 years after your retirement that no such bowler came in cricket history. These young bowlers should have that kind of mindset. No doubt, he has got the potential. I would give him eight,” Akram told Sportskeeda.
“Very impressive, very talented. He should be focusing on four-day cricket too because he has swing and pace. He swings the ball both ways and the new ball comes in decently.”
Arshdeep Singh, hailing from Punjab, achieved his career-best T20I ranking at No. 13 in the latest update. He was also named among the six Indian players in the ICC’s T20 World Cup 2024 team, alongside Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Currently rested from the upcoming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, Arshdeep is expected to make his return for the upcoming white-ball series. This series includes three T20Is and three ODIs against Sri Lanka, scheduled to start later this month in Sri Lanka.
