Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram recently shared some interesting insights into the unusual schedule followed by West Indies stars Sunil Narine and Andre Russell during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Akram, who previously served as the bowling coach for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), revealed that Narine and Russell have a unique routine of staying awake all night and sleeping during the day while in India for the IPL.

This peculiar schedule is particularly notable given the significant time difference between India and the West Indies, with India being 9 hours and 30 minutes ahead.

“These guys sleep in the day during IPL and stay up whole night…”

Akram told, “When I was a part of KKR, I would wake up early for breakfast. Sunil Narine came for breakfast with swollen eyes. I asked him, ‘Hey mate! What’s happening?’ I tried for a West Indies accent, but it did not come out that way. It sounded like a British or Aussie accent (laughs).”

“So, yeah, I asked him why he looked tired. He said I haven’t slept. I said what do you mean I haven’t slept. He said I am on West Indies time. I asked him to explain. Sunil said he stays up at night and sleeps in the day. Even Andre Russell, I think he does the same thing. These guys sleep in the day during IPL and stay up whole night,” he added.

Despite their unconventional routine, Narine and Russell have been key players for the KKR franchise. Narine, especially, has been instrumental under the leadership of his former teammate Gautam Gambhir.

Both create impact in the team

In the first seven matches of the IPL season, Narine has showcased his versatility by not only excelling with the ball but also by opening the batting for KKR. He has scored an impressive 286 runs at an average of 40.86 and a strike rate of 176.54, while also picking up 9 wickets with an economy rate of 7.11.

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Meanwhile, Russell has also made significant contributions with both bat and ball for KKR. In seven games, he has scored 155 runs at an average of 51.67 and a strike rate of 184.52, in addition to claiming 9 wickets. Narine and Russell’s unorthodox approach to their daily schedule hasn’t hindered their performance on the field, as they continue to play pivotal roles for KKR in the IPL.

Dale Steyn, a former South African fast bowler, commented that “Captains could be top class bowlers”, while giving an example of Keshav Maharaj’s leadership for Durban Super Giants in the SA20 2024 league. In group stage matches Maharaj won seven out of ten matches, thus taking them to the final where they lost to SunRisers Eastern Cape by 89 runs. Throughout the tournament, he showed exceptional skills in his leadership role.

In his talk with TOI, Steyn said “South Africa has got a gem like Keshav Maharaj. At present he is captaining Durban Supergiants and he is doing a fantastic job.” His captaincy exploits were highlighted by Steyn.

Bowlers as Captains: Maharaj’s Leadership

“Maharaj has also captained South Africa in white-ball cricket 12 times and boasts an excellent record, especially in T20Is,” said Steyn. During T20Is however Proteas have never been defeated since this young man became their leader at the age of 34 years; they have won four out of five games played with one No Result. Nevertheless, his ODI record does not speak as well with two victories from seven games as skipper.

Steyn, however, alluded to the intellectual aspect of captaincy which requires both strategizing and understanding the opponents. In his discussion, he also mentioned Kapil Dev, Wasim Akram, Imran Khan and Anil Kumble amongst many other famous names who were former bowlers or bowling all rounders that have captained their respective sides with much success over the years.

Steyn’s Perspective: The Role of Bowlers in Leadership

“Bowlers are thinking cricketers,” Steyn observed. “They can read players better than anyone else.” The next one is a bit harder. You must be able to manage your workload as well as when you should not bowl or bowl in addition to handling injuries.

Furthermore, Steyn praised Pat Cummins for being an exemplary leader and noted that he had stated “Pat Cummins has found this really good.” He added: “I think what Pat’s done now is pretty extraordinary actually.” During his tenure as captain, Cummins won some iconic matches for Australia including clinching the WTC title and ODI world cup which showed his versatility as a player across multiple formats.

Finally, fast bowlers tend to attract more injuries compared batters who might captain their teams. This notwithstanding, Cummins’ stewardship performance exhibits how bowlers can prosper in senior positions at cricket’s highest level.

Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram felt that India had missed a trick by not selecting tearaway fast bowler Umran Malik on the bouncier Australian pitches for the Twenty20 World Cup, beginning on October 16. The 22-year-year old fast bowling sensation, who caught the eye with searing pace in the Indian Premier League 2022. Played in three Twenty20 internationals against Ireland and was a touch expensive, conceding 112 runs in 54 balls. The pacer, to his credit, defended 17 runs in the final over to give India a four-run win in the second Twenty20 against Ireland in Malahide.

Skipper Hardik Pandya had said the Kashmiri’s pace was the reason for him to give the final over to Malik. But subsequently, Malik has not been part of the Indian set-up. Akram feels that he could have been India’s X-factor. “Umran Malik is quick and India took him to Ireland and he got hammered. It happens in T20, but you got to stick with him. If I were in think tank, then I will have him in the squad all the time. The more he plays, the better he will become.

Also Read: IND vs SA, ODI: IND crushes SA by 7 WKTS!

Pace of Umran can be lethal for opponents to pick, India should use him well

Experience in Twenty20 matters a lot,” the former Pakistan left-arm pacer said at an event where he was unveiled as the brand ambassador for Innovation Factory. An IT firm that focuses on blockchain-based solutions, in Dubai on Tuesday. Umran Malik is waiting for his visa to join the Indian team in Australia, along with Kuldeep Sen. Still, India have to name a replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah and veteran pacer Mohammed Shami is touted as the leading contender as the replacement, but Malik could well be drafted in before the October 15 deadline.

Akram, who had special praise for another young Indian left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, felt that pace, not swing and seam movement, will be very effective on Australian wickets. “Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar] is a very good bowler. He can swing the ball both ways and bowls a good yorker with the new ball, but once the ball is not swinging then he might struggle. You need pace there. Pakistan has got Shaheen Afridi, who is very fast, but has been out of action for over three months. So he has to play some practice games before the big game against India,” felt Akram, who has been a coach for the franchise-based Twenty20 leagues apart from being a commentator for over a decade.

Wasim Akram, former captain of Pakistan, has responded to Shahid Afridi‘s claim that pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is paying for his own treatment and lodging in England with his own money. If this is true, according to Akram, it is startling because Shaheen Afridi is a star player and a “box-office draw.”

He added that it would be extremely unjust if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) neglected to take care of its elite players.

“If this is true, this is really shocking. He is one of our top players, he is box-office. If PCB do not look after this kid, and if this is true (what Shahid Afridi said), then it is unfair. He should have straightaway been sent to the best knee surgeon in the world. But he is looking after all this himself, I am still shocked about it,”

Akram said in an interview with ARY News.

“He has flown out to the UK on his own ticket, he is staying there on his own money, I arranged a doctor for him there, he contacted him there, the PCB is not doing anything in all this. As far as I know he is doing everything about staying there and coordination with doctors.”

He said earlier, while speaking to Pakistan’s Samaa TV

Late Thursday night, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) clarified that it would always be in charge of setting up medical care for all of its players.

“The PCB is also pleased to advise and update that Shaheen Shah Afridi is making excellent progress in his rehabilitation in London and is on track to make a full recovery in time for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022,”

the PCB said in an official statement.

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“It goes without saying that the PCB has always been and will continue to be responsible for arranging medical care and rehabilitation of all its players requiring any treatment,”

it added.

As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, after Shahid Afridi’s comments, PCB contacted Shaheen to reassure him that the expenses would be reimbursed.

Former  Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, said that the reason the Indian cricket team is not having cordial relationship with Pakistan is because they know they are the inferior team.

India and Pakistan will be confronting each other on October 24 at the T20 World Cup, long after the 2019 World Cup in England. The former Pakistan all-rounder, Abdul Razzaq quantifies on AIRY news dauntlessly that over the years, Pakistan have always produced better players than India, and accentuated his trivial points by comparing among legends for both nations.

Razzaq was asked “Do India have the kind of pace bowlers of all-rounders like Pakistan or you feel there is no match?” Razzaq responded by saying that the kind of talent Pakistan has is unique, which the Indian cricket team doesn’t, referring to the ability to prosper in high-pressure scenarios. He said India cannot compete with Pakistan. The kind of knack Pakistan has is entirely different and it isn’t a good thing for cricket that India and Pakistan are not having matches.

He firmly believes, people have found out the kind of expertise that Pakistan has, which India does not. Razzaq’s comments are not only limited to the current bunch of India and Pakistan cricketers but also mentioned that all these are the reasons behind India’s decision to not compete against Pakistan anymore.

He added Pakistan had Imraan Khan and Wasim Akram, who he considered as better potential players than Kapil Dev and Gavaskar. With his irrelevant statements, Razzaq once again became the centre of gossip and a major headline in every news today.