Sreesanth

New Delhi: Pakistani bowling great Sarfraz Nawaz says Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth are finished as world class bowlers and blames a combination of modern coaching methods and muddled thinking by the Indian team management for that.

The fast bowler of yesteryear, here on a short coaching assignment on the invitation of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), surprised one and all with his forthright comments on problems faced by India with regard to fast bowling and his knowledge on the subject.

The 57-year-old said India coach Greg Chappell had invited him to give tips to the Indian pacers when they visited Pakistan earlier this year. Although he pointed out the flaws in their technique and told them how they could rectified, he did not see any improvement in their bowling thereafter.

“In the case of Sreesanth, when I saw him in Pakistan, he was a match-winning bowler. But from what I saw in the last match in the Champions Trophy, he is finished,” Sarfraz, who played in 55 Tests and took 177 wickets, said at a press conference here on Wednesday evening.

“His line and length are gone. Despite whatever I told them (Sreesanth and Irfan), I saw no big difference when I saw them again.”

Irfan Pathan

In the case of Pathan, Sarfraz said, Chappell and captain Rahul Dravid should be more prudent in entrusting responsibilities on the youngster.

“I told Chappell and Dravid, ‘Look, you must give him the sole responsibility of getting a side out and win a match for you’,” he said. “When you divert his attention by asking him to score runs and also take wickets, his mentality becomes that ‘if I score runs, it is ok even if I don’t take wickets’.

“Pathan has slowed up at his finish (in the run-up). He is also releasing the ball early. When you release the ball a little late, it means you are delivering with the arm at a less height. That way you hit the deck a bit harder and will also be able get that extra bit of swing.

Asked about the drop in pace in Munaf Patel’s bowling, Sarfraz said it probably had to do with the bowler’s fitness.

“In the beginning he was sharp, but in the last match he did not have any speed,” he said.

Asked if the Indian bowlers were suffering from over-coaching and whether having a specialised fast bowling coach would help them, Sarfraz said it depended on who they were taking help from.

“Today, you become a coach if you pass an exam. To me, a coach has to work like a doctor diagnoses his patient because technique is not something that anybody can come and teach.”

Nawaz also reiterated that he was open being India’s fast bowling coach. The 57-year-old said he had even offered his services to the Indian team when they were in Pakistan.

“I was present at the function hosted by the Indian High Commissioner Krishna Menon. I told Chappell and Dravid that either they could come to the academy in Lahore or I could come here. My offer still stands,” he Sarfraz.

Considered to be the pioneer of the art of reverse swing, he said he would be happy to share his knowledge with budding Indian bowlers.

“With destiny’s blessings, I was able to do it without tampering the ball. It needs slight modification in action. One needs to rotate the ball at high speed.

“I will be teaching them how to use the wind, how to bowl with the wind and against the wind. It will also help the upcoming batsmen if they play bowlers who can bowl reverse swing at an early stage in their career.”