I'd like to thank Saj's brother-in-law for putting us in touch with Aaqib and Aaqib Javed for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to us. This interview is a follow up to PP's exclusive interview with Aaqib in 2005, which can be found here...

PP Exclusive Interview with Aaqib Javed in 2005

This is part two of the NCA interview and concentrates on upcoming fast bowlers. Hope you enjoy it...



PakPassion.Net: In your last interview you said Mohammad Talha was destined for big things, whats your opinion of him now?

Aaqib Javed: It hasnt changed, it's still the same. Talha is very close to being selected for the national team and is currently the fastest bowler in Pakistan after Shoaib Akhtar. We've clocked him at 146kph.


PakPassion.Net: Do you think he'll get faster?

Aaqib Javed: He should do. He's still very young and as his body fills out, adding more power to his frame, I think he could reach 150k.


PakPassion.Net: Last time you told us that Yasir Ali was close to selection but we haven't heard from him again. Do you think it might be because you changed his action?

Aaqib Javed: I didn't change Yasir Ali's action, he had a good action.


PakPassion.Net: But in your last interview you said you were working with Yasir on his action.

Aaqib Javed: I showed him how to use his left arm more effectively, that's not changing someone's action. Yasir has been out of cricket due to several injuries. He has had stress fractures and was involved in a motorcycle accident which he took a long time to recover from. However he's back now and he's started bowling again. He's been doing well this season and still bowls fast.


PakPassion.Net: Tell us about the changes you made to Mohammad Irshad's action. Did the changes make him lose form?

Aaqib Javed: We worked on his runup to make him more balanced on the crease at the time of release. He actually had a fantastic run after leaving the NCA in 2005. He toured with Pakistan A, played against South Africa Academy and featured in lots of side games. He was taking a lot of wickets and bowling really well.


PakPassion.Net: So what happened to him then?

Aaqib Javed: He was a very talented bowler but talent alone can only take you so far. After his good run in 2005, he's had a very ordinary last few seasons. He's also had some very tragic domestic circumstances to deal with. 2 of his brothers passed away and his mother's health isn't very good either. He's always very concerned about his home situation and isn't able to fully dedicate himself to his cricket. I'd say his problems are more psychological than technical. Whenever someone asks him about his poor performance he talks about his domestic situation so it's clearly playing on his mind a lot.


PakPassion.Net: That's depressing stuff, I guess sometimes we forget there's more to life than cricket.

Aaqib Javed: Yes it's very sad.


PakPassion.Net: How fast was he?

Aaqib Javed: He was in the 140k range but not a lot faster than that, also he wasnt very tall and shorter fast bowlers tend to struggle. I tried to work with him to improve his ability of hitting the seam, showing him where to pitch the ball and how to vary his pace. When you work with people, sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail. If you ask me honestly then I dont think he matured as a bowler the way he should have, he didnt impress the people he needed to impress and his performance at domestic level hasnt been great. My initial experience with him was very positive, he started out really well but it's all about about how you maintain that initial momentum and whether you can give consistent performances.


PakPassion.Net: You were very positive about Najaf Shah last time. Since then he's been selected but fell off the radar shortly after that, what happened?

Aaqib Javed: If you ask me what I think of him today then I'll still say that he's got the talent. He's 6'4, bowls in the 130k to 140k range and has both conventional and reverse swing in his arsenal. He needs to work really hard on his fielding, he had a frozen shoulder which affected his throwing. If he overcomes these few problems that he has, he can still make it. He took 10 wickets in a recent match so he's still around and still performing. If you ask me about his chances today then I'd have to say that there are a few other bowlers who have overtaken him but if he really wants it and gets himself noticed again then he could be a real asset for Pakistan.


PakPassion.Net: Why doesn't the NCA have a speed gun?

Aaqib Javed: We do, we've had one since around 2001 I believe.


PakPassion.Net: Ok that puts another myth to rest, what's the top speed you've seen clocked on a speed gun.

Aaqib Javed: Shoaib was at the NCA before the T20 World Cup and he clocked 154k, that's the highest I've seen. Then there's Talha who's clocked 146k, Sohail Khan got 145k, Wahab 144k and Aamer 143k


PakPassion.Net: What's the best way to increase a bowlers speed?

Aaqib Javed: It's really difficult to increase a fast bowlers speed, to some extent you can manipulate their speed 4 to 5ks in either direction but even that requires lots of hard work and dedication. Fast bowlers are born not made, you cant create a fast bowler in an academy. It's all natural, the talent and ability has to be there.


PakPassion.Net: I'd like your opinion on some fast bowlers. Their speeds and potential.

Aaqib Javed: Ok go ahead.


PakPassion.Net: Mohammad Ali?

Aaqib Javed: We brought him in from nowhere and he took 40-odd wickets in 10 games last season. He's impressed everyone and looks really good. He was named in the initial 30 man squad for the Champions Trophy and toured Zimbabwe with the academy team recently. He got injured out there and still hasn't recovered. I've seen him clock 139k.


PakPassion.Net: Mohammad Naved

Aaqib Javed: He played with the u19 team last year, he's got pace but I havent clocked him yet. I'd say he's in the high 130k range.


PakPassion.Net: Junaid Khan

Aaqib Javed: Junaid is a medium pacer who gets extra swing from his wrist, he's a very consistent bowler who's got very good control. He's with Faisalabad which helps him because he has a better chance of playing every game and bowling more overs. If he really wants to make it then he needs to get some more variations. When he was last at the academy he worked really hard on bringing the ball in to right hand batsmen but I think he needs more work.


PakPassion.Net: Ali Imran Pasha from the 2004 u19 WC looked to be a real prospect but we never hear about him anymore, why?

Aaqib Javed: He plays for PIA and is doing reasonably well, he has talent and bowls around 140k. The thing is he needs more control over his bowling and he needs to learn more variations. He also lacks in the mental side of the game. If you ask me to compare him to guys like Aamer then I'd say that Aamer is better at reading the game, reading pitches and reading batsmen.


PakPassion.Net: Ok I'll ask you about Mohammad Aamer.

Aaqib Javed: He's an outstanding talent, he has everything a top class bowler should have. Unfortunately he's run into a few issues with his lower back but he's slowly getting back into his bowling. I think he needs 1 more domestic season under his belt, by next year he should be in the team. When he's fit he can hit 143k which is already good enough due to the angle he gets as a left arm bowler. He hits the deck and is a genuine seam bowler who can swing the ball both ways. 


PakPassion.Net: We heard that Aizaz Cheema is bowling at 92mph, is it true?

Aaqib Javed: He worked with me in 2002 and yes he is sharp, he's not 92mph but he can bowl in the early 140k range. He's a very short guy, about 5'7 to 5'8 and so he lacks the ability to get good bounce off the pitch. He's very effective with reverse swing but for the top level we have a few better options at the moment.


PakPassion.Net: In the 2006 u19 WC Jamshed Ahmed impressed me the most, more than Ayub and Ali. He also clocked close to 139k, your thoughts on him?

Aaqib Javed: He was very impressive at the u19 level but then many bowlers are, Jamshed is a short guy and as a fast bowler that can work against him at the top level. To make it internationally you have to have something special like express pace, good swing or extra bounce and you have to have it with control. What's not helping Jamshed's chances is that he plays for PIA and they have a lot of fast bowling options which means he doesnt get to play a lot of games.


PakPassion.Net: We've already discussed Ali and Jamshed but what's your opinion of Akhtar Ayub. He clocked several deliveries over 140k during the 2006 u19 WC with a highest speed of 142k.

Aaqib Javed: He took part in the fast bowlers camp that Wasim was involved with and he was clocking deliveries in the 140k to 142k range there as well. He's had a few injuries to contend with and he's another one that is with a domestic team with too many fast bowling options. He's from the Rawalpindi region and has to fight for a place with guys like Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Ali, Mohammad Aamer and Yasir Arafat so he doesnt get to bowl as often as he needs to in order to progress to the next level.


PakPassion.Net: Mohammad Rameez from the 2008 u19 WC?

Aaqib Javed: He was with us at the NCA last year. He clocked around 135k.


PakPassion.Net: Adil Raza from the 2008 u19 WC?

Aaqib Javed: Another one that was at the NCA last year, he bowls in the early 130k range and is a great new ball bowler. He's a very good seam bowler but if he wants to go further then he needs to improve his speed. He's a typical inswing bowler and needs to work really hard on making the ball swing away, he has a chance to make it but it will be difficult for him. 


PakPassion.Net: Do you remember the UFONE speed competition and it's winner Khaleeq Ahmed? Whatever happened to him?

Aaqib Javed: Yes I remember it. Khaleeq was a street cricketer, a tennis ball player who'd never bowled with a hard ball. He won the competition and got sent to Australia but he didn't have a professional attitude. After his return he never joined a cricket club or started to regularly play with the hard ball, if you dont join the system and start to play proper cricket then you wont get very far. You can't keep playing tennis ball cricket all the time. You need to have a good attitude and learn how to bowl with and control a hard ball. His speed was between 140k to 144k but he never took to the hard ball.


PakPassion.Net: What about the UFONE runner-up Imran sabir?

Aaqib Javed: He plays domestic cricket, he's a reasonably good bowler but nothing special. We have better options.


PakPassion.Net: Our two fastest bowlers after Shoaib are Mohammad Talha and Sohail Khan. They were both runners-up in the Pepsi Pace competition. What happened to the guy that beat both of them and clocked 141kph? His name is Kamran Shehzad, where is he now?

Aaqib Javed: He was another tennis ball bowler and like Khaleeq he didn't start playing for any teams. These tape ball players have different lifestyles, different goals and different attitudes.


PakPassion.Net: But isn't tape ball where we get all our fast bowlers from? Recent examples are Tanvir, Talha and Aamer. All 3 of them made the transition to the hard ball.

Aaqib Javed: I'm not against tennis ball players, in fact I think it's good for fast bowlers to bowl with a lighter ball when they're between 10 to 15 years old. It gives them a quick arm action, they learn to rotate their shoulders quicker than would be possible with a real cricket ball. Bowling with a lighter ball helps kids generate pace but at some point you have to let the tape ball go and start playing regularly with the hard ball. We dont play first class or international cricket with tennis balls so you can't make it as a fast bowler unless you learn how to bowl with a hard ball. The reason guys like Talha, Aamer and Tanvir have made it is because they joined professional teams and started bowling with the hard ball.


PakPassion.Net: When I interviewed Talha he said he found it really difficult to adjust to bowling with the hard ball, how hard is the transition?

Aaqib Javed: You need a really big heart, you have to really want it and you must have a good professional attitude too. Fast bowling is the toughest job in cricket, you wont make it unless you're totally dedicated to your bowling. The tennis ball gives you the basics and it encourages you to bowl fast but there has to come a point where you move on to the hard ball.


PakPassion.Net: You've mentioned that 140k+ bowlers like Khaleeq Ahmed and Kamran Shehzad came along, had good pace but didn't make it. What can we do to prevent this from happening with other bowlers in the future?

Aaqib Javed: You have to let people make their own decisions. All we can do is provide them with the opportunity, show them what they need to do and encourage them to make use of their talent and pace. Sometimes we see outstanding players come along at 15 or 16 years of age but they end up disappearing. It's about how much hard work they're willing to put in, fast bowling is one of the hardest disciplines in any sport. At the end of the day you cant live someone's life for them and although it's heart breaking to lose such talented players, what else can we do? You cant force someone to play cricket or to follow your advice.


PakPassion.Net: I never thought about it that way, it's true that you cant force people to succeed.

Aaqib Javed: No you cant.


PakPassion.Net: I'd like to ask you about some urban myths that have been discussed on PP.

Aaqib Javed: Ok go on.


PakPassion.Net: Tanveer Zeeshan. Did he really exist? When Woolmer was coach and Inzi was captain we read a story about a young bowler who turned up in the nets and impressed everyone with his pace. Waqar, Inzi and Bob were so impressed that they sent him to the NCA, how much is truth and how much is legend?

Aaqib Javed: I know who you're talking about, actually I was the one who called him to the NCA from Islamabad. Zeeshan was very impressive, he had a good strong bowling action and he was clocking speeds in the early 140k range. I spoke to his people in Islamabad about him playing cricket but he was a very good student and he preferred to concentrate on his education. He was doing so well in his studies that he just didn't have any time to dedicate to cricket.


PakPassion.Net: Sometime within the last few weeks Osman Samiuddin of Cricinfo was a guest on BKBH when someone phoned in claiming they knew someone who could bowl at 150kph. Aamir Sohail asked the person to come down to the NCA later that week, do you know anything about this?

Aaqib Javed: I can't believe that there is someone out there who's genuinely been clocked at 150kph and that no-one knows about him, it would be nearly impossible. And no I haven't heard anything about this.


PakPassion.Net: I'd like to tell you about an urban legend of our own. Earlier we spoke about Nadeem Iqbal's academy (in part 1) but are you aware that Nadeem claims to have a 7'2 fast bowler who bowls in the mid-80mph range? His name is Mohammad Irfan.

Aaqib Javed: No, I havent heard of him. If he's that good then he should be in the Multan regional academy.


PakPassion.Net: Nadeem says that Irfan also has a job and isn't able to dedicate much time to cricket because of it. If i give you Nadeem Iqbal's number then can you call him and discuss the possibility of taking a look at Mohammad Irfan?

Aaqib Javed: Ok, give me his number. I'll check him out and find out more about him. (Aaqib takes the number and Mo Irfan's details!!)


PakPassion.Net: Ok thanks for your time Aaqib Bhai, good luck in the Sri Lanka series.

Aaqib Javed: Thank you.



Click here to read part one