Srinagar: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has suggested England pacer Mark Wood ways to increase his bowling speed.
Shoaib is considered the fastest pacer in the World having broken the 100mph barrier against England in 2003 during a World Cup game, and that remains the record for a fastest-ever bowled in the history of the game (161.3 km/h).
England also has got the pacer who bowls extreme pace in shape of Mark Wood. However the pacer is prone to injuries and is not getting near 100mph mark.
“Mark Wood, a great looking guy and a lovely human being with a beautiful action, that’s what I like to see!” Shoaib Akhtar suggested Wood as quoted by The Telegraph Cricket.
“A couple of things I have noticed. He loses his follow through. Thank god he shortened his run up. He lands on the left foot, and you see often he collapses on the pitch because he cannot control the follow through,” Akhtar said.
“If he is thinking that he cannot bowl more than 155, he is absolutely wrong there! If he wants to bowl 100mph, he needs to start pulling trucks. I made the pitches about 26 yards. I made a ball about four times heavier than normal. I trained by doing a lot of weights, riding the bicycle with weights on it. I would do about 1000 reps,” Akhtar elaborated.
“I noticed I developed muscles that I had never been able to touch before. Little did I know that I was losing my knees, bones and cartilage at the same time. Whoever can bowl 150kph has 10ks in reserve, with the right preparation and the right recuperation.”
England are expected to unleash Mark Wood in the second Test at Multan after the visitors had rattled the Pakistan batters later on the fourth day with some short pitched bowling with the new ball.