Mumbai: Impressed by Varun Aaron’s speed, Australian legend Glenn McGrath today said he was disappointed at the fast bowler’s omission from India’s World Cup squad and predicted that the pacer will be around on the international scene for a long time.
According to the New South Welshman, who finished his career with a staggering 563 wickets in 124 Tests at just 21.64 per victim, both Aaron, whom the Australian had tutored for a while, and Umesh Yadav should always be part of the Indian team as they can both bowl in excess of 150 kph.
“I was a little bit disappointed that Varun Aaron did not make the World Cup squad. He can bowl at good pace, swings the ball nicely, I think he will be around for a long time,” McGrath told PTI in an interview.
“I will put Aaron and Yadav in the same team — two guys who can bowl at 150kph. If you got consistency with that pace you can do some damage. I thought Yadav had a fair series. He seemed to play better when they got to the World Cup,” said McGrath, who is here as brand ambassador of Australia’s Hardys Wines for their Indian distributors Sula Selections.
When pointed out the two bowlers were a little bit inaccurate at times, McGrath said the solution lay not in asking them to cut down in pace but to work harder during net practice for gaining the necessary accuracy.
“(Inaccuracy) is just one of those things. I hate seeing guys bowl slower to get a little bit more control.
Obviously you need control and that’s how you build pressure and get wickets. But if you are slowing down to get that control, I am not a big fan. I would rather see the guys do a lot more work in the nets to get that control – target bowling.
“I would like to see bowlers do a little bit more work in the nets, target practice, building up that consistency.
You saw what Mitchell Johnson did for Australia. He was bowling upwards of 150k and did not lose any pace but he got that control. Soon as he got control with that pace he became lethal,” he noted.
PTI
