Lanky Pakistani paceman sets sights high

Karachi:

Towering Pakistani paceman Mohammad Irfan on Monday said he hoped his extraordinary height will help him emulate the feats of fellow bowling giants Joel Garner and Bruce Reid.

West Indian Garner and Australian Reid were two of the tallest bowlers ever to have played international cricket -- both six feet eight inches tall.

The emerging Irfan, who reaches the same height in his socks, made his mark with a burst of 7-113 for Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) against a star-studded Habib Bank team on Sunday in only his second first-class match.

"I have heard a lot about Garner, have seen his videos and I want to emulate his feat. It would be tremendous to register Pakistan's name in a world record," the 26-year-old told AFP, setting his sights on becoming the tallest international bowler of all time.

Irfan, who hails from the small Punjab town of Gaggu Mandi, is just two inches short of three English players who set the record of being the tallest to play at first-class level.

"I was 17 when my height started to increase and people used to see me with amazement. Some doctors say that my height can still increase," said Irfan, who was first spotted by former first-class bowler Nadeem Iqbal.

Iqbal brought the lanky Irfan to Pakistan's National Cricket Academy where former Pakistan player and bowling coach Aaqib Javed trained the youngster.

"He was raw but after noticing his height I thought that if he has speed then he can become a good bowler. He definitely has the potential to become a good international bowler if he works on his diet and other aspects," said Aaqib.