Pakistani Squad

Mohammad Asif

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When he made his debut against Australia at Sydney in January 2005, little suggested that Pakistan's long tradition of happening upon blitzing fast bowlers would continue. Australia wrapped up a whitewash with a nine-wicket win and Asif went wicketless in 18 innocuously expensive overs; he did though pouch a running catch at long-on, making it seem easier than it actually was, and stubbornly resisted without being dismissed for over 100 minutes combined. That determination, however, unveiled itself fully in 2005, when Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, called Asif the most improved player around the national squad. By taking ten wickets in a warm-up game against England, he proved Woolmer right. He narrowly failed to add to his solitary Test appearance during the series, but made an impressive ODI debut one day after his 23rd birthday, dismissing Marcus Trescothick with his third ball; he ended with 2 for 14 off seven incisive overs. Tall, lean and possessed of a little more muscle than on his debut, Asif generates pace a medium-pacer would aspire to and a tearaway would loosen up with, around mid to late 80mph. His action isn't pure, modified slightly since his debut and now involving a Shoaib Akhtar-ish position of the left arm in his jump. Everyone and everything about him though suggests a bright future.