KARACHI —  Pace legend Wasim Akram said Saturday he was confident Pakistan’s pool of young fast bowling talent would secure their future as he prepared to train a group of budding bowlers.



“Pakistan has enormous talent,” said Akaram at the launch of the 13-day camp under the Pakistan Cricket Board.



“Talent keeps coming because there is a passion for bowling fast in Pakistan so we need to nurture the talent and I am confident that the future is secure.”



The 49-year-old, regarded as one of the best left-arm paceman to have played the game, will train around 20 young bowlers from across the country, in particular from the tribal areas along the Afghan border and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.



“I am happy that bowlers from remote areas have come to the camp and even though the 13-day period is short but I am sure these bowlers will learn the basics, like I did when I was young,” he said.



Himself plucked from nowhere during a talent hunt camp in 1984, Akram rose to enormous heights at international level, taking 414 Test and 502 one-day wickets during an illustrious career.



He formed a lethal new-ball pairing with Waqar Younis, now head coach of the national team, in the 1990s. They were dubbed “The two Ws” who helped Pakistan win a number of series, famously in England in 1992.



Waqar hails positive approach



Pakistan coach Waqar Younis Sunday hailed his players’ positive and attacking approach after they comprehensively defeated Sri Lanka in all three formats on the islanders’ home turf.



Pakistan clinched the second Twenty20 against Sri Lanka in a sensational last-over finish by one wicket to take the series 2-0 Saturday, capping a successful tour where it also won the Test series 2-1 and one-dayers 3-2. Waqar said the victory had made him proud of his players, and the team was on the up.



“I would not say that we have become world beaters after winning the whole tour but I would say that we are heading in the right direction,” he said. “I think the best thing on this tour was that the mindset of the players has changed towards positive cricket.”



The former fast bowler attributed the team’s recent success in Tests, where they are now ranked third in the world, to finding the right blend of youth and experience.



“I think for the last one year we have been well settled in Tests as seniors support the juniors and everyone knows how to perform their roles,” he said, singling out batsmen Younis Khan and Shan Masood and leg-spinner Yasir Shah for extra praise.



On the one-day series victory, Waqar said the introduction of fresh blood had helped Pakistan improve its fielding and shed the go-slow approach that had hindered them in recent times.



“Azhar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan and Anwar Ali were outstanding,” he said.



Pakistan’s victory in the one-day series moved it from ninth in the rankings to eighth, thereby ensuring its qualification for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. — Agencies