A medium pacer who became fast bowler
PrashantNews
Not many people know that legendary cricketer Imran Khan had an action like Jeff Thomson when he began his career as a medium pacer playing for Worcestershire in the English county cricket. Khan’s action like right leg going behind his left foot, with his back facing the batsman was similar to Thomson, said John Parker, who was Khan’s teammate at Worcestershire.
But Khan himself was not impressed by his bowling action and wanted to develop the style of Australian great Dennis Lillee.
“After seeing Lillee in 1972, I immediately said I wanted to become a fast bowler,” Khan said in an old interview, the video of which has gone viral after he said he was facing threat on his life in jail.
” For bowling fast, he said he started changing his bowling action despite getting a warning from the Worcestershire coach. He said the coach was very much impressed by his in-swing bowling as a medium pacer. “Why do you want to spoil your in swing bowling by changing your bowling action,” the coach had warned.
But Khan remained adamant and changed his bowling action to become a deadly fast bowler. Khan also said he was perhaps the only bowler in the world who became a fast bowler from medium pacer.
Khan in his hey days was a deadly fast bowler. After he became the captain of Pakistan cricket team, he started thinking big. Khan’s dreams came true in 1992 when he led his team to win the world cup. Later, he joined politics and rose on to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Khan, who is incarcerating following a series of corruption charges, has now expressed fears that he might be murdered by the army.