India is little more obsessed with batting: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that India needs bowling superstar, and that the cricket crazy nation is little obsessed with batting. He also cited the example of arch-rivals Pakistan, and named the likes of Wasim Akram, Imran Khan and Waqar Younis, who are superstars in that region. He believes that India have produced greatness in term of batting and that may well be the reason.

The current Indian team has some outstanding pacers in the face of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. Fans and followers have gradually started to glorify them just as they do in the case of  Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma.

“I think in India as a country, we are a little more obsessed with batting. That is not the case with Pakistan, for example. When you look at Pakistan, superstars are mostly bowlers, starting with Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, so their bowling heroes are revered more,” Manjrekar said after releasing Spell-binding spells, a book authored by Anindya Dutta. “It just happened that India has somehow produced greatness in sport through batsmanship and not so much from bowling; this is more unique to India, than the rest of the world.”

Fans have to embrace who their hero is: Manjrekar

He said that the latest trend of pacers hogging the limelight is a good change.“It is up to the fans to start making heroes out of bowlers and I think that is starting to happen now. We have game-changers like (Jasprit) Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar who are winning man of the match or man of the series awards. That’s a nice trend, a different trend, but at the end of the day it’s the fans who have to embrace who their hero is. They like batsmen better.

“All India needs is one bowling superstar and it’s amazing the effect it will have on younger kids. You have can best academies and infrastructure in the world, but youngsters get inspired by bowling and batting heroes. Cricket inspires young cricketers.” Manjrekar said.