Mohd Irfan stands tallest for Pakistan team

New Delhi:

Mohammad Irfan has joined the league of Bruce Reid and Joel Garner in a rather interesting way, as Pakistan's tallest cricketer has made it to the 15-man squad for the 10th Asia Cup in Sri Lanka to be played from June 15-24. (Read: Akhtar, Malik make Pakistan's Asia Cup squad)

West Indian Garner and Australian Reid were two of the tallest bowlers ever to have played international cricket - both six feet eight inches tall, and Irfan too is of the same height. But if he can match up to the height of their achievements, remains a tall task.

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

Irfan was earlier working in a plastic pipe factory for about $96 a month and played club cricket in eastern Pakistan before he was was spotted by former first-class bowler Nadeem Iqbal.

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

"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.