Shoaib Akhtar advises Mohammad Hasnain to cut his run-up to generate more pace

He is one of the promising young bowlers of Pakistan cricket who can make it big if nurtured properly. Mohammad Hasnain is known for bowling at 150 kph case and the 19-year-old is seen as one of the new-generation pacers in Pakistan along with the likes of Shaheen Afridi who can last the distance.

Hasnain made his international debut earlier this year and played two of the three T20Is against Sri Lanka at home recently. He picked his career-best 3 for 37 in one of those games even though Pakistan lost the series 0-3.

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar came up with some advice for Hasnain recently to see him an improved bowler. The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ believes that Hasnain should cut down his run-up by a few steps so that he can bowl at full pace. He said the youngster is losing pace when steaming into bowl and feels that by reducing his run-up by around 10 yards, he will solve the problem.

“Hasnain runs on the heels, most of the times he labours to reach the popping crease and that’s where he loses his pace,” Akhtar was quoted as saying by PakPassion. “He should lose about 10 yards from his run-up as he seems to be struggling to get to the popping crease.”

Mohammad Hasnain was picked for Pakistan’s WC squad

Hasnain was lucky to make it to Pakistan’s World Cup squad in England a few months ago although he did not get a game. He has played only five ODIs and three T20Is so far, taking eight wickets in all. He needs to work a lot on improving his average which is above 60 in the 50-over format and 35 in the T20Is. The right-arm fast bowler though has a much better average in the 18 T20s he has played (20.72) in which he has claimed 29 scalps.

Hasnain’s presence in Pakistan’s World Cup squad was though not appreciated by the team’s current head coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq who felt “really surprised” that the teenager was picked in the 15-man squad when the team management did not have much confidence in playing him.

Hasnain has economy rates of seven-plus and eight-plus in the 50- and 20-over formats, respectively.

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