Dilbar Hussain: “Mohammad Asif was the one bowler who I wanted to emulate when I first started to play cricket”

Image courtesy of: Pakistan Cricket Board

Many Pakistan fast bowlers choose the legendary pace duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as their role models, but seamer Dilbar Hussain revealed that his idol when he first started playing cricket was Mohammad Asif.

Asif took 106 wickets in 23 Tests at an average of 24.36, 46 wickets in 38 ODIs at an average of 33.13 and 13 wickets in 11 T20 Internationals at an average of 26.38.

Dilbar’s revelation comes after he was picked for Pakistan’s tour of England, where he is set to make his international debut.

“Mohammad Asif was the one bowler who I wanted to emulate when I first started to play cricket. In fact, I used to bowl with the same action as Asif in my early days when I played tape-ball cricket,” Dilbar told PakPassion. “I would watch him bowl on television and observe his bowling style and all the people who used to watch me play were amazed at how much my action resembled Asif’s.

“Then over a period of time, as I started to play tape-ball cricket in a professional capacity, I started to change my action to one that was suitable for my style of bowling and made it more unique to myself and that is the one I use today.”

Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests and three T20 Internationals against England, with the first Test starting on August 5 and the T20 series beginning on August 28.

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