Published: Apr 15, 2020, 03:19 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 15, 2020, 03:19 PM (IST)
Hailing former Pakistan fast bowling duo of Imran Khan and Sarfaraz Nawaz as one of the best during his time, former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar hailed the reverse swing that the Pakistani fast bowling pair managed to extract at a time when very few had heard of it or seen it.
“Every spell Imran and Sarfaraz (Sarfaraz Nawaz) bowled was testing. In those days nobody had heard about or seen reverse swing. The new ball wasn’t a problem but the way the ball swung post-lunch was difficult to face,” said Gavaskar in a chat on Youtube with former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja.
“In 1982-83 when India toured Pakistan and the way Imran Khan bowled and picked up 40 odd wickets in the series it was tough,” said the former India opener.
However, praising his pace and swing, Gavaskar hailed former New Zealand pacer Richard Hadlee as the toughest bowler he faced during his days.
“Facing Richard Hadlee”s pace and swing in those conditions was very testing. The toughest test I would say was facing Hadlee in the three Tests in New Zealand in 1981,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gavaskar recently dismissed former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s proposal of resumption of India-Pakistan ties.
“There are more chances of snowfall in Lahore than bilateral series between India and Pakistan. Both teams will keep on meeting in World Cups and ICC tournaments, but a series between them seem unlikely right now,” said Gavaskar.
