"Everyone Was Slightly Surprised": Mitchell Starc On Pakistan's Lack Of Pace In 1st Test Against Australia
Australia's experienced left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc was "surprised" to see Pakistan's lack of pace in the first Test which was one of the most talked about points.
Australia's experienced left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc was "surprised" to see Pakistan's lack of pace in the first Test which was one of the most talked about points. Pakistan are quite restricted in terms of putting up a quality pace bowling line-up with Naseem Shah nursing an injury and Haris Rauf opting out of the Test series. Without experience, the majority of the burden fell on Shan Masood's deputy Shaheen Shah Afridi, but even he struggled to generate pace. "I think everyone was slightly surprised at the lower pace of the Pakistan bowlers, when you're generally used to some guys getting in the 150s [kph]. I don't think that pace is the be all and end all but it certainly plays a part and can help," Starc said, speaking to media as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
During the first Test, Afridi averaged around 130 kmph and saw a drop to a high 120 kmph in the second innings. Khurram Shahzad bowled at a usual medium pace, while, Ameer Jamal on a rare occasion touched the 140 mark.
But the lack of pace factor may not be on the cards in Melbourne as Starc acknowledged that the extra pace wouldn't be as crucial at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
"Case in point, you look at Scotty Boland who can bowl good wheels, but he's not at your top end of pace bowlers. But he generates a lot of sideways movement here in Melbourne, obviously being his home ground. He's done it for a long time and we saw that obviously against England, where every ball he bowled could have been a wicket. So I don't think that pace is the be all and end all. Certainly, for our attack we all complement each other really well by doing things very differently," Starc said.
Pakistan's lack of pace not only grabbed the attention of the opposition camp but also their former star Waqar Younis.
This factor disappointed him to an extent that he termed the bowling in the first Test as "medium pace".
"Another thing that I am worried about is that always when we come to Australia, one thing that excites is the fast bowling and this time around I am not seeing that. I am seeing medium-pacers or slow-medium-pacers, allrounders, there is no real pace. People used to come and watch Pakistan pace bowlers really running in hard and bowling 150 clicks [kph], and that is what I am not seeing there," he said on ESPN's Around The Wicket show.
"That is my worry and issue because I have not seen it at the domestic level also. There are a few injured, I can understand, but in the past, you would always see a battery of fast bowlers that they could always bring on, but unfortunately, that is not there and I am really worried about that," concluded Waqar.
The second Test of the three-match series will be played on Tuesday with Australia currently one-up in the series.
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Pakistan Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team
Mitchell Starc
Shaheen Afridi