Pakistan have always been blessed with top quality fast bowlers. Starting from Imran Khan to the likes of Mohammad Abbas today, there have been a clutch of pacers who have made life difficult for batsmen all over the globe.
While several of them stood out due to their guile, like Wasim Akram and Mohammad Amir and some due to their pace, like Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, rarely has a bowler been talked about due to his height.
One such cricketer was Mohammad Irfan. The 7 feet 1 inches tall left arm pacer has played 60 ODIs, 4 Tests and 22 T20Is for Pakistan with moderate success. But there was a lot of talk about him early on in his career due to his height which in turn helped him generate a lot of bounce.
But the bowler had a deceptive pace too. This was found out by none other than current India captain Virat Kohli, according to an incident narrated by the Pakistani paceman.
“When I toured India for the first time, the Indian players were telling me that their coaches and support staff had told them that I bowl only at 130-135 kph and not at much speed.
“Even Virat Kohli told me that the coaches next to him had said to him that I bowl at 130-135 kph only. It’s just that I am tall and will get some bounce but he will survive easily,” Irfan said during a chat with Pakistan broadcaster Sawera Pasha on her Youtube chat show ‘Cric Cast’.
While Kohli expected Irfan to bowl in the 130s, he was soon shocked to see the pacer clock close to 150 kms per hour.
“So when he was sitting with his pads on, he saw that I delivered the first ball at 145-146 kph. So he thought there might be some issue with the speed gun. And then I bowled at 147 kph, so he told me that he asked his coach if he was telling a lie or there was some issue with the speed gun.
“Virat Kohli told this to me face to face. And when I bowled the next one at 148 kph, he told me that he abused the person next to him asking what sort of medium fast bowler I was, as I was bowling at 150 kph,” Irfan added.
