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Saad Shafqat on how Pakistan cricketers graced the county circuit and, in turn, gained from the english experience

Saad Shafqat29-Jun-2006

On a perfect summer day in 1971, Zaheer Abbas took guard at Edgbaston and launched a reputation. Among those left breathless by his strokeplay were officials at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, who had followed his form through the side games and soon found 274 reasons to offer him a contract. Zaheer did not know much about Gloucestershire except that it was out west, and had been the county of Wally Hammond and W.G. Grace. Apparently, that was good enough.His Pakistan team-mate Sadiq Mohammad was already at Gloucestershire and helped negotiate the details. Zaheer did not take to the county circuit right away but when he did, it was nothing short of phenomenal. In 1976, he went berserk and reeled off a century and double-century in the same match on three separate occasions. Gloucestershire shot up to the third spot in the Championship table, having languished second from bottom the previous season.Over 30 players from Pakistan have appeared in the County Championship. Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan’s aristocratic inaugural captain, was the first, but the trend really picked up in the 1970s and the list includes many of Pakistan’s greatest names.It was natural for cricketers from Pakistan, as from elsewhere around the Test world, to be drawn to the English domestic season. The money was good, and if you enjoyed your cricket, England was the only place you could play in the summer months. It was also an intense education, clashing and competing with other players, some of whom like West Indians and South Africans, were legends. And there was the hallowed prestige of things English, which elevated county cricket and its larger context into a dream to which many aspired.The history of overseas stars in formal English cricket goes back to 1929, when Learie Constantine was brought in to the northern leagues. County cricket saw its first major overseas influx in the late 1960s, when foreign stars were invited to revive flagging interest (and falling gate receipts). Asif Iqbal at Kent and Majid Khan at Glamorgan were among this early wave, having impressed on Pakistan’s 1967 tour to England. They were part of a sizeable cohort that included the likes of Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Rohan Kanhai, Garry Sobers, Mike Procter and Barry Richards.

You could argue that Pakistan’s golden age was born in the county game. Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, architects of Pakistan’s finest hours, were both hardened county products. Born and raised in Lahore, Imran finished high school in England and played for Oxford, Worcestershire and Sussex. He credits Sussex’s John Snow with teaching him the ropes. Miandad says were it not for England, Imran would not have become the cricketer that he did.Miandad himself, a self-made firebrand from Karachi’s combative cricket culture, sought the county experience to apply finishing touches. After an uncertain start at Sussex he found a home at Glamorgan and immediately connected with the fan base. In 1981, he had a bumper season and crowned it with the innings of a lifetime at Colchester, making 200 not out in the fourth innings on a minefield against seasoned spinners. Dickie Bird was one of the umpires and Graham Gooch the opposing captain; each would later glowingly recall that innings in their memoirs.The forum of county cricket has been a two-way street in which overseas players and English players have both benefited. For local cricketers, sharing the rigors of the circuit with celebrated icons from other countries, offered an unparalleled cricketing tutorial, and some of the stardust was bound to rub off. It is probably no coincidence that the distinguished county career of Wasim Akram at Lancashire was followed last year by the likes of ex-county team-mate Andrew Flintoff reverse-swinging his way to an England Ashes victory.One measure of how much Pakistan has gained from this relationship is their relative comfort with English conditions. They return this year not having lost a Test series there in a quarter of a century. Pakistan’s great failing, though, has been not taking the system’s core traditional values – discipline, rigour, and intensity – and bringing them into the cricket infrastructure at home, which remains sloppy and casual.Unsurprisingly, Pakistan’s recent international sides have appeared comically short on the basics. Erratic running between the wickets, playing away from the body or against the line, and that old bugbear, the suspect bowling action – these are all kinks that would have been worked out by a sound domestic set-up modeled after the best of the county program.

But county cricket, too, is no longer the institution it once was. In the 1980s, when England’s cricket fortunes began to slide, overseas players in counties were reduced out of concern that promising English players were facing limited opportunities to emerge. A series of strategic appraisals – the Palmer Report, the Murray Report, the MacLaurin proposals – were undertaken with the hope of making the County Championship a more energetic nursery to feed the England international side. Introduction of four-day matches, innings limited to 100 overs with a single ball; and two-tier models, were some of the other ideas thrashed about and eventually implemented.If you ask players like Zaheer or Miandad, they remain puzzled by all the hand-wringing. England’s team saw better days when there were four overseas players per club than when there were one or two. Fewer overseas players means fewer masters to play against and learn from. The logic seems clear enough – you’ll learn more at a university that hires the brightest faculty in the world, than at one that keeps them out. But it’s cricket logic versus administrative logic, and that’s an old divide.Whether the tinkering has worked has been endlessly debated – in itself a tell-tale sign that it has probably not. A plentiful supply of international cricket has necessarily diluted the brand, as it has for domestic competitions across the world. Short-term contracts are devaluing the enterprise, making the foreign recruit seem more like a carpetbagger than the accomplished professional who used to have an enduring relationship with the club and its community.Sponsorship, television rights, and the rampant appetite of an increasingly frenzied public have forever transformed the circumstances of the game. Time and cricket have moved on, and one feels that the heyday of the County Championship with its robust English flavour and lavish international seasonings may have permanently receded.

Trent Alexander-Arnold settled the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi GOAT debate, but the Liverpool defender snubbed his own team-mate Mohamed Salah.

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• TAA picks the best player in the world
• Defender chooses Salah over Kane
• Had to choose between the two GOATS in the final

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Participating in a 'football bracket' challenge for JD Sports on TikTok, Alexander-Arnold engaged in a knockout tournament format, pitting 16 footballing icons against each other. In the final, he unequivocally chose Messi over Ronaldo, indicating his belief that the Argentine maestro reigns supreme in the realm of football greatness.

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  While Egyptian sensation Salah had an impressive run in Alexander-Arnold's imaginary tournament, defeating Bayern Munich's Harry Kane in the round of 16, he ultimately fell short in the semi-finals against Portuguese forward Ronaldo. Whereas, in the other bracket, Messi knocked out former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema to set up a finale with Ronaldo.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Alexander-Arnold is currently nursing an injury which will keep him out of the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday. While Conor Bradley has admirably stepped in to fill the void, his leadership and versatility will be sorely missed by the Reds faithful.

The Argentina youth international bagged the winning goal for Los Blancos against Napoli, and now looks set for a bright future at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid's hero against Napoli was an unlikely one. With Los Blancos tied, 2-2, with the Italian side, and five minutes remaining, you wouldn't have guessed who would be the one to bag the winner. With Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde on the pitch, Nico Paz didn't seem like the match-winning presence.

But Paz provided the big moment all the same, expertly pivoting away from a defender before unleashing a 25-yard strike that found the bottom corner — via a ricochet from the gloves of Alex Meret.

After the game, Carlo Ancelotti didn't seem surprised: "He is a player for the future of Real Madrid. He has all the quality that a Real Madrid player needs to have."

Still, this is a player with rare talent, and excellent footballing pedigree. Paz's father played for an elite national team, while his Madrid academy education has ensured that he has been put in all of the right places to be a star for years to come. Add that he is a midfielder, hoping to break into a side that has some of the best in the world, and Paz has a real chance to get his minutes — while also being allowed to grow at his own pace.

But who is Nico Paz, why do Madrid rate him so highly, and can he really be the future of this storied club?

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  Where it all began

  Paz had something of an advantage from day one. His father, Pablo, was an excellent footballer in his own right, a centre-back who enjoyed a 21-year career starting in Argentina, before moving to La Liga, and ultimately finishing in the Canary Islands. He made 14 appearances for Argentina's national team, and was in the squad for the 1998 World Cup.

  Nico, then, was earmarked as a talent from early on. Born on the island of Tenerife, Paz was originally, like his father, a centre-back. But as he grew and developed, it became clear that he was better used further up the field. It was something that Madrid realised when they signed him to La Fabrica — their elite youth setup — in 2016. Paz quickly became a promising attacking player, before settling into a central midfield role.

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  The big break

  Paz's development in the Madrid ranks has been steady. Such is the quality of La Fabrica, that the player was offered time to grow and figure out his best position. He was training with Raul's Castilla side in 2021, and made his official debut for the team — Madrid's U-23s — in January 2022, then aged 17.

  His first goal for the team came less than a week later, Paz bagging the opener against Getafe less than three minutes into the game. He settled in after that, and continued to impress. Ancelotti, who has historically has been reluctant to use the academy, called the youngster up to first team training last summer.

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  How it's going

  A Madrid injury crisis has proved to be a blessing for Paz. With Vinicius Jr out, Luka Modric struggling for fitness, and Brahim Diaz not quite ready for a full game, there was room for the youngster to earn a few minutes in white.

  He made his debut against Braga in the Champions League, and worked his way into the side from there. Paz has now played for Madrid's senior side four times, and held his own in each instance.

  Most recently, Toni Kroos — a player who knows a thing or two about being a successful midfielder — highlighted Paz's quality, saying: "This boy should train with us every day because he is very good."

  And although he is a regular fixture on the Madrid bench, Paz's occasional showings for Castilla have been equally impressive; he has six goals to his name in 10 appearances.

  According to , Paz had hoped to work his way into the Spain squad. But with Luis de la Fuente showing little interest in the teenager, Argentina swooped in. Paz trained with the senior side ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and seems to be in line for a debut before too long.

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  Biggest strengths

  Paz is an interesting player in that he doesn't quite have a defined position. Nominally a "playmaker", Paz has switched from centre-midfield, to box-to-box, to No.10 when needed.

  Academy coaches highlighted his control in tight spaces, and corresponding strength to ensure that he doesn't get barged off the ball. He has an excellent right foot, and is also good in the air — his 6'1 frame allowing him to take on most central defenders. In a sense, then, all of the traits of a modern attacking player — versatility and all — are here.

The MCC committee has rejected plans for a residential development at Lord’s

George Dobell24-Jul-2017The MCC committee has rejected plans for a residential development at Lord’s. Having consulted with MCC members over recent weeks, the committee has instead recommended the redevelopment of Lord’s in line with the club’s original, though updated, Masterplan.The club’s 18,000 members will be asked to approve a resolution consenting to the plans at a Special General Meeting on September 27. If the vote is passed and planning permission gained, work on replacing the Compton and Edrich Stands would begin in late 2019 after the ground has staged the World Cup final and an Ashes Test in the preceding summer. It is scheduled to be completed by June 2021.Subsequent developments will include a new building at the East Gate which will, among other things, house the ECB offices, a shop, a car park and contain hospitality facilities. It is scheduled to be completed by 2025.The recommendation means there is an end in sight to an acrimonious chapter in MCC history that has rumbled on for several years, costs hundreds of thousands of pounds and seen former Prime Minister John Major resign from the committee in 2012.It also means a rejection of the Morley Plan. The controversial proposal was based upon the building of two ten-storey apartments (containing 97 residential plots) either side of a new Nursey Pavilion which would have been leased to the MCC. The plans would not only have funded the redevelopment of the Compton and Edrich Stands, but left the club with more than £100 million in the bank. The developers had also offered a sweetener of £15m to members to cover two years of their subscriptions to the club in acknowledgement of the disruption the building operation would cause.The developers behind the Morley Plan were the Rifkind Levy Partnership (RLP). Charles Rifkind, an investor and cousin of former Conservative minister Malcolm Rifkind, outbid MCC in 1999 to buy, for £2.35 million, a long-term lease on a 38-metre strip of land running the length of Lord’s at the Nursery End. It means that, while MCC owns the lease for the top 18 inches of land, Rifkind owns the disused train tunnels that lie under the surface. Rifkind and co had hoped the MCC would relinquish its lease to allow building work to progress.The MCC committee’s decision follows a two-year process which involved one of the biggest pieces of analysis ever conducted by the club and a consultation exercise with members. Five consultation meetings were held at Lord’s and around the country in June and members were also asked to complete a survey which accompanied a summary of both proposals. The review and consultation process is understood to have cost £500,000.There were 4710 responses to the survey and, among the 2000 members who chose to add their own views at the end of the form, those in favour of the MCC’s Masterplan outnumbered those in favour of the Morley Plan by a margin of more than ten to one.”Today’s decision by the MCC committee provides clarity on the extremely important and often controversial subject of ground development,” MCC’s chairman, Gerald Corbett, wrote in an address to members. “Put simply, the club can afford to develop the ground using its own resources and it will do so in the coming years without the need for enabling residential development.”The Morley scheme, with flats at its heart, was considered by the committee to detract from the ambience and special feel of Lord’s, as well containing a number of operational, security, execution and planning risks. Moreover the club’s advisers were unable to recommend the proposed commercial terms.”Although the Morley scheme offers a potential cash windfall, and the opportunity to acquire the leasehold land, the committee considered the flats and the effect on the grounds character too big a price to pay and risk to take. The committee also considered the advice of its five principal subcommittees, who all recommended to implement the club’s Updated Masterplan and to reject flats and the Morley scheme.”Being new to the committee – and this issue – two years ago, I have had the opportunity to ask questions, to get into the detail and to listen to the full range of opinion as to what is best for the future of Lord’s. The consultation events and survey responses are unequivocal – members do not want flats at Lord’s and they want MCC to continue ground development through its own finances.”The programme for the next stage will be voted on by members in September and then the club can put this issue to bed by ensuring that developments at Lord’s are based on retaining the unique character of the ground, are cricket-led and operationally feasible and provide the best possible experience for players and spectators.”All members have been consulted. Many have spoken. The committee has decided. The club will now vote and we will then move on.”

Barcelona are reportedly exploring a potential free transfer for former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea ahead of the summer window.

• De Gea still without a club
• Barcelona considering free transfer signing
• Want stopper as back-up to Marc-Andre ter Stegen

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  De Gea remains a free agent following his summer exit from Manchester United. The goalkeeper has spent a frustrating season on the sidelines after failing to find a new club over the last nine months, but has now attracted interest from Barcelona, according to Mundo Deportivo. The cash-strapped Catalans are exploring a potential "strategic" free transfer in a bid to boost their goalkeeping options.

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  Marc-Andre ter Stegen is Barcelona's current first choice goalkeeper and any move for De Gea would see the goalkeeper arrive as a back-up option to the German. De Gea is thought to be keen to return to Spain but whether he would be willing to accept a secondary role remains to be seen. La Masia graduate Inaki Pena has deputised for Ter Stegen this summer but struggled at times while the Germany international was out earlier this season with a back injury. Pena be tempted to move on in the summer in search of more regular game time.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ter Stegen matched the record for clean sheets in La Liga last season. The goalkeeper notched 26 clean sheets in 38 games to help Barcelona win the title.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DE GEA

  De Gea has offered few clues on his future, which is looking increasingly uncertain the longer he spends out of the game. The Spaniard is an experienced stopper who has been linked with several clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Saudi side Al-Shabab, since his Old Trafford exit but it's still impossible to know where, or even if, he will play top-level football again next season.

Leaders Notts were too strong for promotion rivals Northants – and Worcestershire and R Ashwin are next up

ECB Reporters Network31-Aug-2017Samit Patel picked up three cheap wickets•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire remain on course for an immediate return to top flight cricket after defeating Northamptonshire by 163 runs on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship fixture at Trent Bridge.The Division Two leaders needed just over an hour to take the final five Northants wickets, with Adam Rossington unable to bat due to the thumb injury he sustained on the second day.Samit Patel closed out the contest, finishing with 3 for 17 and Jake Ball picked up 3 for 86.The outcome may have done irreparable damage to Northamptonshire’s promotion hopes. Having claimed just three bonus points, their tardy over-rate of minus five left them another couple of points in debit, ground they will hope to make back when they face in-form Sussex at Wantage Road next week.Nottinghamshire, gained another 20 points and remain unbeaten at the top of the Division Two table, ahead of next week’s clash at home to second-placed Worcestershire.David Ripley, Northants’ coach, recognised his injury-disrupted side had ultimately been outplayed, but reserved most of his irritation for losing points because of their slow overrate. “That’s not good,” he said. “We’ve just spoken about it as a group. We talk about it far too much and we need some actions. That’s going to hit us because we are going to lose points from this game and go back with minus points. In the past we’ve not been promoted out of this division by just one point, so every point is vital and we’ve just lobbed some away.”Resuming on 167 for 4, after they had added an unbroken 45 for the fifth wicket in the gloomy conditions of the previous evening, Alex Wakeley and Josh Cobb were parted in just the second over of the day.Wakeley, having advanced his score to 37, pushed firmly at Brett Hutton and nicked firmly through to Chris Read. The same combination accounted for Rory Kleinveldt four overs later, although the South African all-rounder, who made 12, was swishing vigorously towards extra cover.Read’s third catch of the morning saw off Cobb, for 38, with Ball adding to the two wickets he grabbed on the third day.Azharullah decided to make the most of a rare opportunity to throw the bat and hit five fours in making 23 but he then miscued Samit Patel high to Cheteshwar Pujara at cover.Ben Sanderson, batting with a hamstring injury and using Rob Keogh as his runner, made an enterprising 16 not out but the innings ended when Richard Gleeson, who scored 21, clubbed Patel into the safe hands of Riki Wessels at mid off.

Everton midfielder Dele Alli has taken to his personal social media accounts to issue an update on his fitness, confirming a fresh injury blow.

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• Dele Alli had been nearing a return
• Suffers fresh setback
• Offers update on his injury status on Instagram

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 27-year-old revealed he has suffered another injury setback on his road to recovery, having been sidelined with a long-term groin injury since February.

  Dele had previously been on course to return to full training after recently getting back on the grass, but will now be spending some more time on the physio bed following the fresh concern.

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• WHAT DELE SAID

  Speaking on his personal Instagram account, Dele wrote: "As the year comes to an end, I just wanted to say thank you for the incredible support I’ve received over the last 12 months. This year has a been a little different for me. I’ve learned and experienced a lot, had ups and downs, but throughout it all you’ve always shown me so much love. Unfortunately the year isn’t ending as I would have hoped, I had been close to returning to full training but frustratingly I’ve had another set back with my injury.

  "I’ll be out again for short while but my outlook and mentality is nothing but positive. I’ll be attacking my physiotherapy and giving it everything to be back on the pitch as soon as possible. I hope you’ve had the year you wanted, and wishing you all nothing but the best for 2024. Happy New Year, see you guys soon. Dele."

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  Everton boss Sean Dyche had offered a positive update on the fitness of Dele earlier in December, as the former Tottenham star remains eager to reignite his professional career at Goodison Park. Dyche added: "He still has a bit to go because he has been out for a long time, he needs a game programme, but to get him back on with us would be really pleasing for him because he has been so unlucky."

  Dele's bad luck continues with his latest fitness update, but supporters will be encouraged to hear that he is staying positive after a year that saw him make headlines for a brave interview with Gary Neville on . The England international opened up on being abused as a child and his struggles with addiction while also offering an explanation for his rapid decline in recent years, and was widely praised for his honesty.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DELE?

  Dele will now continue his rehabilitation from injury with the aim of returning to match fitness at some point in the new year. Everton will be hoping to get him up to speed as fast as possible with a view to joining their push for a top-half Premier League finish. Dyche's men have crucial games against Spurs, Manchester City and Crystal Palace to come in January, having been beaten last time out at Wolves.

Barcelona star, Ilkay Gundogan, has been blasted for his underwhelming performances with Germany by DFB vice president Ralph-Uwe Schaffert.

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• Gundogan's form with Germany under the scanner
• Schaffert believes midfielder is a shadow of his Barcelona self
• Urged for more fighting spirit from the German team in general

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gundogan, who arrived at Barcelona in the summer, has been an integral figure for the Blaugrana, participating in all 24 matches played in La Liga and the Champions League under manager Xavi. However, his form for Germany has led Schaffert to criticise his contrasting performances between his club and national team. The FA official believes that Gundogan plays exceptionally well for Barcelona but his form dips significantly when he turns up for Die Mannschaft.

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• WHAT SCHAFFERT SAID ABOUT GUNDOGAN

  Speaking to Schaffert said: "Gundogan strangely plays outstandingly for the club and then plays in such a way for the national team that one can come to think: Has he sent his twin brother, with less talent? I don't understand it."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The German team has been going through a lean patch of form since the 2022 World Cup where they were ousted in the group stages. The DFB replaced Hansi Flick with Julian Nagelsmann at the helm of affairs but their fortunes have not turned around as they remain winless in their last three international fixtures including defeats to Turkey and Austria.

  The recent results led Schaffert to express doubts about Germany's prospects in the upcoming European Championship, citing a significant disparity between potential, aspirations, expectations, and reality. He attributed the team's struggles not solely to the coach but pointed to a broader issue of attitude and commitment among the players.

  "I have many doubts regarding next year's European Championship," he said. "In terms of potential, we can go far. But aspirations, expectations and reality are so far apart at the moment that it is absolutely inexplicable to me. I don't think it is due to the coach. I have the feeling that quite a few of the players who are currently on the pitch believe that they can go out on the field with maybe 85% of their possible commitment, and then you have to discover that this is no longer enough against Turkey and Austria.

  "I don't even want to imagine what will happen if we play against France or England with this attitude. Maybe we will no longer need only those who are very talented, but also those who are willing to roll up their sleeves. The best example of how to do this was given by our under-17 when they won the World Cup."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gundogan will get an opportunity to prove his critics wrong when Germany face France and the Netherlands in two friendlies during the next international break in March. In the short term, he will return to action with Barcelona on January 4 against Las Palmas.

Nixon, twice the winning coach with Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League, enjoyed a long and successful playing career with the club

George Dobell16-Oct-2017Leicestershire have appointed Paul Nixon, their former captain, as the new head coach.Nixon, twice the winning coach with Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League, enjoyed a long and successful playing career with the club. He played in the County Championship winning sides of 1996 and 1998 and the T20 winning sides of 2004, 2006 and 2011. He made his Leicestershire debut in 1989 and was captain 2007 and 2008.He faces a tough task at Leicestershire, however. The club finished bottom of Division Two in the County Championship without a win with his predecessor, Pierre de Bruyn, sacked after barely a year in the role.”We are delighted that Paul has agreed to rejoin us as our head coach,” Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan said. “Paul is dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable, and has been a huge part of successful changing rooms both as a player and coach.”Paul will get the very best out of the players. He has a positive outlook, a great attitude, and is a winner. All of those attributes make Paul the perfect person to take Leicestershire County Cricket Club forward.””I am immensely proud and honoured to be returning to Leicestershire as head coach,” Nixon said. “The club has always been close to my heart and I have lived in the city of Leicester for 30 years, so I know how much it means to everyone here.”There are a lot of good people at the club. We have a lot of loyal Members, supporters and sponsors, and I want to bring the good times back to Leicestershire.”I enjoyed lots of success as a player with the Foxes. We won the County Championship twice and got to five T20 Finals Days in nine years, winning on the three occasions we got to the Final. I’d like to thank the club for believing in me. I know that I can make a positive impact in my new role and I can’t wait to get started.”

In an age obsessed with speed, Ramesh Powar is charmingly headed the other way. Siddhartha Vaidyanathan met him

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan07-Sep-2007

It’s said that some cricketers belong to a different era. Ramesh Powar belongs to a different century.He is from an age when cricketers came in different shapes and sizes, wore outsized red sunglasses and delectable hair bands, and bowled slow, really slow. We’ve heard about the adrenalin rushes, speed barriers and shoulder-aches that the fastest bowlers experience. Now it’s time to celebrate the slowest among the slow.Over his last five games Powar has defied the modern notion that bowling in one-day cricket is about restriction. In a high-scoring series he has rarely darted the ball in at a flat trajectory, never beaten batsmen with speed. He has wound the clock back to the golden age of cricket, the Edwardian twilight preceding the first World War, and risked conceding runs for wicket-taking rewards. Expectedly he has got wickets (six in five games); surprisingly he has been economical (4.41). Only Andrew Flintoff, who has played two games fewer, has done better.A ten-minute chat with Saqlain Mushtaq, when the Indians played Sussex during the early part of the tour, made a big impact. Powar was fretting over not getting any of the Indian batsmen out in the nets. Saqlain’s advice was simple: “If you succeed in making these guys defend you, then you are bowling very well. Don’t think of getting a Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar or a Rahul Dravid out. Even if you are able to bother them in the nets, it’s good enough.”Powar has grown in confidence with every game since, so much so that he has not hesitated in slowing down his pace considerably. He usually operates in the 45-to-55 mph range. Occasionally, especially when he bowls the undercutter that goes straight, he gets slightly faster. More often, when he simply lobs up a moon-ball that goes straight, he gets slower. Once he dropped as low as 41mph. He admits it’s his slowest phase yet but, fascinatingly, thinks he can “easily get slower”.At Edgbaston, in the third game of the series, brought on in the 16th over, with Ian Bell and Alastair Cook at the crease, Powar slipped in a really slow one and nailed Cook on the top-edged sweep.”In the third game it struck me that if I bowl a little slower, they might sweep,” he said. “I knew they wouldn’t try to hit over the fence because they rely on batsmen like KP [Pietersen] and Bell to stay at the wicket. They couldn’t afford to take many chances. So I’ve been taking chances against Cook, Bell, [Paul] Collingwood and Pietersen.”It’s helped that Powar is usually operating with Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, who is comparatively faster. “It always helps with Piyush bowling at the other end, because the batsmen tend to always go after those bowling quicker. So, suddenly when the slower bowlers come on, it becomes difficult for them to work around it. And with my kind of pace, I don’t think they can do that easily.”Does he think he can slow it down further? “For left-handers I might go a lot slower because they play against the spin. For right-handers I think it’s fine. Because I’m an open-chested bowler, I can adjust my action easily. I deliver the ball behind my ear and lose pace since I am a side-arm bowler. And since I’ve been bowling like this for seven-eight years, I know how to lose pace with the same action. Sometimes you don’t tweak the wrist – just let it go. Sometimes you hold the ball in the palm, sometimes you hold it in two fingers rather than three. There are a lot of ways to lose pace and I’ve worked on different methods in the nets.”

Powar’s Headingley dismissal of Ravi Bopara, one of England’s best batsmen against spin, underlined the value of pace variations. Two quick ones, at around the 55mph mark, were followed by a straight dolly, lobbed up at 42.4mph. Bopara, completely deceived, popped a simple return catch.”They had changed the ball just then,” Powar said. “It was a newish ball and I knew that tossing it up may help getting some bounce. Maybe he didn’t expect it to spin or bounce that much. There was not much spin but some extra bounce.”Powar anticipates the batsmen’s intentions much better these days. He has always been a shrewd bowler but thinks his gut feel pays off more often these days. Paul Collingwood’s case is worth mentioning. “Collingwood always played the chip shot against me [lobbing over midwicket]. So I decided not to bowl any offbreaks that will help that chip shot. In ten balls I will probably bowl seven straight balls to him. I’m guessing better right now.”The straight one which he utilises so effectively was mastered by watching a great legspinner on television. “I learned that delivery watching Shane Warne bowl. I used to try it earlier also but it used to spin a bit. That’s maybe because at the Wankhede anything spins. When I tried it here in England at the beginning of the tour, it was going straight really well. I don’t know whether the release has changed slightly but it is working. That’s all that matters.”Powar’s trade requires him to bide his time and wait for success. His philosophy in life – one that has seen its fair share of tribulation – is similar. “I’m not the kind who wants success every day,” he says sombrely. “I’ve seen life in and out. So success and failure in a game shouldn’t be taken too seriously.” It’s a perspective that has made Powar the cricketer he is. It’s also helping him become the bowler he wants to be.