'I would've had a lot of confidence' - Wasim Akram reveals how he would have bowled to Virat Kohli

Former Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram feels that he would have had a lot of confidence in bowling to Indian batting ace Virat Kohli in his prime. He also revealed that he would have attacked Kohli from the start and kept him on the backfoot. Akram also said that he would have been ready with a Plan B and would have used all the tricks in the book against the former Indian skipper.

Akram is regarded as one of the best pace bowlers of all times and the best left-arm pacer to ever play cricket. He took 414 wickets in 104 Test matches at an average of 23.6 and 503 ODI wickets in just 356 matches at an average of 23.5. He dominated the cricketing world for almost two decades and won the 1992 World Cup as well.

I would switch to Plan B, which would be bowling the bouncer: Wasim Akram

It would have been one of the greatest fantasy scenario battles with both the players facing each other in their prime. When asked about what he would have done if he had gotten the opportunity to bowl Kohli in his prime, the former Pakistan skipper replied that he would have bowled with two plans.

“I would have had a lot of confidence. If he came to bat at 3 or 4, it means two wickets down. If he is new to the crease, then I would attack. Will make the ball pitched on middle stump, and swing it away, or towards him. If that doesn’t work, I would switch to Plan B, which would be bowling the bouncer. Place the fielder in the deep and then put him back inside… making several such small chances are important to get the better of him,” Akram said in the To Be Honest show on Nashpati Prime.

Akram also shared a memory of how he got the chance to make his debut in 1984. He was an unknown bowler with no significant domestic experience but he impressed Javed Miandad during the trails in Lahore and was selected for the national team.

“Javed bhai picked me. Then once I came into the team, I met Imran Khan – that was in Australia in 1985. I was bowling in the net, and that is where he saw me. He got impressed and then when I played a three-day match against New Zealand, that was my first FC match. I couldn’t sleep the night. In the first innings itself, he was very relaxed.” Akram added.