New Delhi, Jan 9: Quality pace bowling all-rounders have become bit of a rare breed in Indian subcontinent.
There are hardly any young generation fast bowling all-rounders, who can consistently match the performance of yesteryears greats like Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Mudassar Nazar and Manoj Prabhakar.
The latest to add to that list (despite regular injury worries) is Hardik Pandya.
Therefore, the expectations are bound to be high when a young pacer excels with the bat. For sometime, even Irfan Pathan was expected to do the dual role bit more regularly. Pakistan too had expectations from a few. But not all could dazzle for long.
The consistency with both and ball for a young pacer from either India or Pakistan, has not been very impressive in recent years. Therefore, both countries are desperate to spot new similar talents and want them to flourish regularly.
During the Australia tour, Pakistan's young fast bowler Aamer Jamal did impress a lot. But some cricket experts and former players have always cautioned fans and team managements not to over burden a young upcoming pace bowling all-rounder, with comparisons and high expectations.
Because high expectations may overburden a young talent. He may over-try and may suffer from injuries or feel pressurised. There have been a few instances earlier.
Considering the high expectations of Pakistani fans from Aamer Jamal, former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt has urged cricket enthusiasts to be patient in their assessment of the rising all-rounder.
Butt appealed fans to spare Jamal, cautioning against premature comparisons with established stars like Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes.
Jamal was one of Pakistan's standout performers in the three-match Test series against Australia down under. He finished as the leading wicket-taker for in his debut Test series, bagging 18 scalps from six innings. He also impressed with an exceptional 82-run knock in the third Test in Sydney.
The ex-Pakistan captain expressed his view that Jamal cannot be equated to established all-rounders such as Hardik or Stokes, given that his consistency needs to be tested and advocated for allowing the young all-rounder time at least a year to prove himself.
"Please let him play a few more matches. He has not become Hardik Pandya or Ben Stokes. If a player does something good, we all expect him to do everything, and then when he fails, we say he should be removed. He played a good knock and has the talent, but it takes more than talent to be consistent. Let him perform for at least a year," Butt said on his YouTube channel.
With Pakistan announcing a 16-player squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, there have been discussions about managing star batter Babar Azam's workload, potentially leading to him being rested for a few games.
Citing India's approach, Butt suggested that Pakistan should follow a similar path by not selecting players in the squad whom they intend to rest.
"In some cases, India don't even pick the players in the squad with whom they want to rest. They make their squad accordingly and don't call the big players if they aren't going to play. Pakistan, on the other hand, don't have that clarity. We want to make everyone happy. Pakistan have sent so many guys that if someone contests an election, he will win just by their votes," said Butt. (With IANS support)
