"Were You Telling Batters In Advance?": Wasim Akram Blasts Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada
Wasim Akram was quite unimpressed with the way Punjab Kings duo of Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh bowled against Lucknow Super Giants, conceding 106 runs in 8 overs.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match between Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants turned out to be a historic clash, with the KL Rahul-led side creating a mountain of runs, scoring 257 while batting first. Though Punjab themselves also put over 200 runs on the board, while chasing the target, they eventually ended 56 runs shy of LSG's total. After the game, Pakistan great Wasim Akram took a swipe at PBKS pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Kagiso Rabada for the manner in which they bowled in the match.
Akram, who is one of the finest pacers of all time, lambasted the duo of Rabada and Arshdeep, asking if they were telling the LSG batters in advance about where they were going to bowl.
"Unbelievable. In our times, we would've won with 257 on the board. You see, this is what I talk about. I understand T20 is difficult for bowlers. But if I was a bowler in today's era and I was getting hit with a particular run-up and side, I would make my run-up more angular and come from around the wicket," Akram told Sportskeeda in a chat.
"I haven't seen many right-handed bowlers, except probably Dwayne Bravo, who could bowl yorkers outside off-stump from around the wicket. And that comes with practice. You can come from around the wicket, or maybe run from behind the umpire. The idea is to create doubt in the batsman's mind. These guys don't.
"Rabada and Arshdeep conceded 106 runs in their 8 overs. Were you bowling full-tosses? Or were you telling the batters in advance, 'I'll bowl there, hit me for six'. Unbelievable. I know bowlers get hit, but this is carnage," Akram further said.
The defeat was a forgettable one for Punjab who are placed 6th in the points table with 4 wins in 8 games.
Punjab Kings
Lucknow Super Giants
Kagiso Rabada