Ian Bishop: “Be patient with him for a couple more years. Encourage him and foster his growth as a cricketing fraternity and see where it leads”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former West Indies speedster Ian Bishop has urged Pakistan to encourage 16-year-old fast bowler Ali Raza as he continues to grow and develop his game.
Raza has gained a lot of attention recently for his performances in domestic cricket and is showing incredible potential as a future star.
The teenager represented the Panthers in the Champions One-Day Cup, which was a 50-over tournament held in Faisalabad, and took four wickets in three games at an average of 25.50.
He then proceeded to play for the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the President’s Cup Grade-I (1-Day) competition and finished as the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker with eight wickets in four matches at an average of 32.75.
With Raza having showcased great promise, Bishop hopes Pakistan will “be patient with him for a couple more years” and do everything possible to turn him into a phenomenal asset for the national team.
“I am seeing some nice comments directed toward Ali Raza and his bowling… in “Pakistan Champions One-Day Cup” for the “Panthers”. Be patient with him for a couple more years. Encourage him and foster his growth as a cricketing fraternity and see where it leads,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Pakistan team recently played a two-match Test series against Bangladesh and were beaten 2-0.
They are now taking on England in a three-Test series and trail 1-0 after losing the first Test in Multan by an innings and 47 runs.
The second Test began on October 15 in Multan.
Pakistan Squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Zahid Mahmood.
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