The Mohammad Irfan Blog (All blog entries in one place)

Mohammad Irfan Blog Introduction

by Abdul Habib
4th February 2009


Mohammad Irfan is a 6'10 fast bowler from Multan who lacked someone to make a sifarish (influential backing) for him. Despite being very talented and uniquely gifted due to his height, Irfan was unable to get a placement with any first class cricket teams because of his lack of connections.

That's where I stepped in to arrange a meeting for Irfan with Pakistan's assistant coach Aqib Javed (at the NCA) and the rest as they say is history!!

This blog isn't for the purpose of hyping Mohammad Irfan up as the next Joel Garner or as an international superstar. This blog is to chart his progress, his successes and his disappointments in his journey towards a place in Pakistan's domestic scene.

Mohammad Irfan, the tallest fast bowler in the world

by Abdul Habib
4th February 2009


In March 2008, I did an interview with domestic legend and ex-fast bowler Nadeem Iqbal. During the interview he told me that he had a 7 foot left arm fast bowler training at his academy. I found it hard to believe him because if such a phenomenon really existed then surely even the incompetent PCB wouldn't have missed a 7 foot fast bowler!! However Nadeem insisted that he was telling the truth and so I began to keep tabs on Mohammad Irfan's (the giant) progress.

I was regularly calling Nadeem for updates on Irfan's struggle to get into a first class team but things weren't looking great for Irfan. He wasn't rich and he had no-one influential backing him and (in Pakistan) without that no first class team could fit him into their bloated squads. 8 months passed and Irfan couldn't afford to keep dreaming of becoming a cricketer, he had a family to worry about and so around October 2008 he gave up on cricket and turned his focus to earning money for his family.

Nadeem and I weren't happy but there was little we could do if the PCB and Pakistan's first class teams weren't interested. For a long time it looked like the story would end there. But then in February 2009 I arranged an interview with Pakistan's assitant coach Aqib Javed. During the interview I put Aqib on the spot and asked him if he would agree to take a look at Irfan and judge his ability. Aqib was understandably wary about a tale of a 7 foot left arm fast bowler coming from someone he had never met but after some persuading he agreed to meet with Irfan. Keep reading the blog to find out what happened next.

Catching up with Nadeem Iqbal

by Abdul Habib
4th February 2009


I recently spoke to Nadeem Iqbal about whether Aaqib had called him yet and why Mohammad Irshad was under performing. The short interview is below.


Abdul Habib: So have you spoken to Aaqib about your 7'2 giant Mohammad Irfan yet?

Nadeem Iqbal: Yes I have and I'm very grateful to you for telling Aaqib about Mohammad Irfan.


Abdul Habib: Did you also mention your left arm fast
bowler Tariq Mahmood?

Nadeem Iqbal: Yes and Aaqib said to send them both. This is their chance to get noticed, if they have something worth persisting with then now is the time for them to show it.


Abdul Habib: So when will Aaqib be seeing them?

Nadeem Iqbal: He said to send them as soon as possible but Irfan is a bit unfit at the moment. I'm going to send them by the end of next week at the latest.


Abdul Habib: Did you tell Aaqib that Irfan is unfit?

Nadeem Iqbal: Yes I told Aaqib that Irfan has been unfit for the last two months but Aaqib said I should send him anyway. Aaqib said they would treat Irfan at the NCA and help him regain full fitness.


Abdul Habib: Well let's hope they both show their talent.

Nadeem Iqbal: Ameen.


Abdul Habib: How is your job as assistant coach for the Multan region coming along and what's the talent in your region like?

Nadeem Iqbal: If we're talking about potential to play
for Pakistan then out u16 age group is brimming with talent, there's a lot of raw potential there.


Abdul Habib: What about your u19s?

Nadeem Iqbal: There are a few who have performed at that level and could go really far if they apply themselves.


Abdul Habib: Any names in the batting department?

Nadeem Iqbal: In 3 day games we have Junaid Iqbal who came in the top 3 the u19 age group, he's an aggressive and attacking right handed batsman and likes to play fast. In limited overs games we have Waleed Iqbal who's a determined and steady left handed batsman, he also came in the top 3 of the u19 age group.


Abdul Habib: What about bowlers?

Nadeem Iqbal: We have a player called Aamir Yameen and I'd say that as long as works hard he could be the next Razzaq. He's a right handed fast bowler, a good batsman and a great fielder too. He's a real all-round talent.


Abdul Habib: How fast is he?

Nadeem Iqbal: We clocked him When he first arrived and he got as high as 131k but that was when he was very raw, He's gotten visibly faster since then and I'd say he's comfortably in the 134-136k range but that hasn't been confirmed by a speed gun yet. Plus he's still young so there's potential for him to get quicker.


Abdul Habib: What about the Multan senior team?

Nadeem Iqbal: Well we have Abdur Rauf who already plays for Pakistan...


Abdul Habib: ...I just remembered doesnt Mohammad Irshad play for Multan? What's the story with him?

Nadeem Iqbal: Yes he's with us and I've been working with him. These days he's struggling with an ankle injury, I believe he twisted it and it's not settling back properly.


Abdul Habib: Has he still got his speed and why doesn't he take wickets?

Nadeem Iqbal: His speed isn't bad but he bowls very
straight, he doesnt get movement or swing and without that how do you take wickets?


Abdul Habib: Are his family problems still ongoing?

Nadeem Iqbal: Yes, unfortunately.


Abdul Habib: At one point he was very close to national selection but what do you think his chances are now?

Nadeem Iqbal: Well you can never write anyone off, as long as someone is still playing then they still have a chance to make it. Look at Rauf and Misbah. My own opinion about Irshad is that it will be very difficult for him, he's getting older and if he's going to catch the eye of the selectors again then he needs to learn to do more with the ball.

Trying my hand at a bit of Sirarish.

by Abdul Habib
15th February 2009





For those of you who may have missed my interviews with Nadeem Iqbal and Aaqib Javed, let me fill you in.

Nadeem was Mohammad Zahid's mentor and Waqar's opening partner for Multan. Many cricketers have claimed that Nadeem was faster than Waqar (including Zahid and Waqar) but unfortunately Nadeem never got the chance to play for Pakistan. The closest he got was a side game or two. Anyway I was interested in getting an interview with Nadeem and I managed to arrange it through Pakistan fan Qadoos! So a big thanks to him for that.

During the interview with Nadeem it came to light that he was pushing two young fast bowlers. One was Tariq Mahmood who reminded him of a young Zahid but not as fast.

The other was a 7 foot left arm fast bowler called Mohammad Irfan. From the moment I heard about Irfan I was always calling up Nadeem for updates on him and his progress towards playing first class cricket. Sadly the last few times I called, Nadeem said that Irfan wasnt coming to practise anymore. He'd stopped playing because he also had a full time job and couldnt afford to dedicate himself to cricket anymore. It looked like the end of a promising career.

When I got a chance to interview Aaqib recently I mentioned Irfan to him and Aaqib said he'd never heard of him. Then I thought why not see if I can do a bit of sifarish (patronage/nepotism) on behalf of Irfan and I pestered Aaqib to agree to see him. In the end Aaqib agreed and I called up Nadeem Iqbal to give him the good news. Although we'd only agreed with Aqib about Irfan, I asked Nadeem to send both Tariq and Irfan along to see Aaqib.

Aaqib saw them both earlier this week, I called him afterwards for his
impressions. This is what he had to say...


Abdul Habib: So have you had a chance to see Nadeem Iqbal's boys Tariq Mahmood (the fast bowler) and Mohammad Irfan (the 7 foot left arm fast bowler)?

Aaqib Javed: Yes I did, they were both here yesterday.


Abdul Habib: Ok we'll start with Tariq. What did you think of him and what speeds did he clock?

Aaqib Javed: He told me that he'd hit speeds upto 140k in the past but when i clocked him he could only bowl at 123k to 124k. When I asked him what the problem was he told me that he'd been carrying an injury and that he didn't want to say anything and risk losing the opportunity.


Abdul Habib: Interesting. What did you advise him?

Aaqib Javed: Aaqib Javed: I told him that he should go back and get his fitness sorted. Then once he's comfortable with his speed and bowling he should come back to see me again.


Abdul Habib: That's very fair of you but what were your honest impressions of him as a bowler?

Aaqib Javed: His main problem is that he's a short guy. He's only 5'8 to 5'9 and when you're that short, in order to be really effective at the international level, you need to be bowling 85mph+ (137k+). I've asked him to come back when he's fit. If he really does clock 140k+ then he has a chance but without the speed I didnt see anything unique in him. Not on this occasion anyway.


Abdul Habib: Ok let's move onto Irfan, what was your first impression of him.

Aaqib Javed: That he's tall (laughs)


Abdul Habib: (laughs) And after that?

Aaqib Javed: I told him to pack his bags and come join me the next day. I dont want to waste any time in getting started on him.


Abdul Habib: That's huge news.

Aaqib Javed: We shouldn't get carried away yet. He's very raw and right now there's no way to know whether he can meet my expectations. At least not until I have time to work with him and see what he's actually capable of. It could take up to two months before I'm in a position to say anything with any certainty.


Abdul Habib: What speeds is he clocking?

Aaqib Javed: He told me that he'd been clocked bowling at 138k but the highest he recorded with me was only 125k. In his defense I'd already been made aware that he'd been carrying an injury for several months and wouldnt be fully fit when I saw him. What I told him was that I didnt need him to clock 140k, I didnt even need him to clock 138k. I told him that if he could clock 135k for me then I believe he should play for Pakistan. He's tall, so he naturally gets extra bounce and with a bit more speed he could be a very dangerous bowler.


Abdul Habib: With his height and bounce, even an average speed of 130-132k should be enough to trouble any batsman.

Aaqib Javed: That's exactly what I told him. I said if you can increase the top of your range to 135k then you will be a far better bowler.


Abdul Habib: Is he a swing or seam bowler?

Aaqib Javed: At the moment he has no clue about what he's trying to do. He's very raw, he hasn't played any professional games at all. The road ahead of him is long and hard. He gets natural swing away from the right handed batsman but it doesnt matter about swing and seam right now. We can teach him that stuff at the academy and if he's good enough then he'll pick it up. What he needs right now is to bring his fitness levels up and start bowling as fast as he can. If he manages to hit 135k+ then we have something special here.


Abdul Habib: What about his action? He must have long, gangly arms like Shabbir Ahmed. Is his action legal?

Aaqib Javed: There's nothing wrong with his action, it's completely legal. He's nothing like Shabbir.


Abdul Habib: If he's as raw as you say then what's the next step?

Aaqib Javed: When I met him I remembered that I'd seen him before. He came to see me in Karachi some 18 or so months ago. I discussed a few things with him and asked him to go away and work on them, from the evidence I saw yesterday he has been working hard on those issues. What I'm really curious about is the mental side of his game, I want to know whether or not he will be an intelligent bowler. I'm hoping he's someone who knows how to work batsmen out and not someone who just runs in and bowls anything he can think of whilst hoping for the best. It usually takes around a week to decide whether or not someone is capable of becoming a thinking bowler, right now that's my only concern about him.


Abdul Habib: So what was your parting advice to him?

Aaqib Javed: I told him to pack his bags and come straight back. I want to work on his mental and physical fitness, he hasnt played any real cricket yet so he still has everything to learn. I spent the whole day thinking to myself that we might have something really special here but only if he wants it badly enough. At the end of the day we can push him as hard as we like but if he doesnt respond then nothing will come of it. It depends on what he wants from life and whether he is willing to put the work in to get it.


Abdul Habib: That's so true, so many talents remain unfulfilled because they dont want to put in the hard graft.

Aaqib Javed: Sadly I've seen it too many times.


Abdul Habib: If he does put in the hard work where will he go from here?

Aaqib Javed: I'm aiming to launch him in the coming domestic season which starts this October. I'll get one of the first class teams to take him on and we'll see if he can deliver on the expectation!


Abdul Habib: Ok then Aaqib Bhai, thank you for taking a look at these two kids for me.

Aaqib Javed: No problem and thank you for making me aware of them.


Wow I still cant believe it! It's quite possible that I've has uncovered one of the future stars of Pakistani cricket. I could hear the excitement in Aaqibs voice, he was genuinely impressed with Irfan.

After speaking to Aaqib I called up Nadeem Iqbal and asked him about how Tariq and Irfan had taken it.

Nadeem said that Tariq was very worried and a little depressed but that he wasn't going to give up. Tariq promised that he will get back to full fitness and then go to see Aaqib again.

Nadeem said Irfan is very excited about the opportunity and that he's arranging his affairs and will be going back to the NCA soon. Irfan has promised to put everything he has into making it big!

So that's it for now!

Fan Power and Pakistan's Giant Fast Bowler

by Abdul Habib
15th February 2009





The excitement in Aaqib’s voice is unmistakable as he says "I spent the whole day thinking to myself that we might have something really special here"

The former head coach of Pakistan’s national academy, Aaqib Javed, knows talent when he sees it. Aaqib is talking about a 6'10 left arm fast bowler sent to him by Nadeem Iqbal (Waqar Younis’ old fast bowling partner) the assistant coach of the Multan regional academy. The 23 year old has never played a professional game of cricket but still manages to impress Aaqib.

"At the moment he has no clue about what he's trying to do" continues Aaqib but the seemingly scathing remarks are anything but negative as Aaqib explains when he says "we can teach him that stuff at the academy and if he's good enough then he'll pick it up."

Aaqib clearly doesnt want to waste any more time, he states that he advised Irfan to "pack his bags and come straight back because I want to work on his mental and physical fitness, he hasnt played any real cricket yet so he still has everything to learn."

According to Aaqib, Irfan gets extra bounce due to his height and as a left hander he also gets natural away swing from the right handed batsman. The only thing concerning Aaqib is that Irfan is only clocking 125 kph in the speed department but Aaqib is even upbeat about that saying "What he needs right now is to bring his fitness levels up and start bowling as fast as he can. If he manages to hit 135k+ then we have something special here."

Irfan got his chance to meet with Pakistan's assistant coach Aaqib Javed through what appears to be the first instance of cyber patronage. Nadeem Iqbal first brought Irfan to my attention over a year ago during an exclusive interview I conducted with him.

Then when I got the chance to interview Aaqib Javed I pushed forward the case of Mohammad Irfan and convinced Aaqib to take a look at him. Aaqib agreed and now Irfan is living the dream and getting coached to play first class cricket at Pakistan's NCA in Lahore, one of the best cricket academies in the world.

The nation that brought the cricketing world the wizardry of Wasim, the destructivesness of Waqar, the guile of Imran, the genius of Fazal and the pure speed of Akhtar may just have uncovered the tallest bowler in the game's history!

A 6'10 fast bowler steaming in raining down reverse swinging yorkers and peppering batsmen with vicious bouncers could be the best thing to happen to the game of crcket in a long time!

Irfan officially arrives at the NCA

by Abdul Habib
18th February 2009


I just spoke to both Aaqib and Irfan, here's what they had to say.

Aaqib said that Irfan has arrived at the NCA but Aaqib himself is in Karachi, Irfan isnt staying at the NCA because they have strict rules about that. You only get free accomodation if you've performed at first class level or at u19 level and have been picked by the selectors. If you want to pay to stay at the NCA then they charge 1500 rupees per day!!

Aaqib has arranged for Irfan to receive full medical assistance and the best training and has said that he will help him (with what he can) out of his own pocket if he needs it. Aaqib said it's a shame he or Mudasser Nazar are no longer part of the NCA setup because they would have been able to do something for Irfan when they were.

I spoke to Irfan who is very excited, he says his injury is gone but it's his fitness that he's working on. He had just got back from the NCA where he's undergoing fitness tests and having a training plan made for him.

He said that he'd been training as part of a small group and that Mohammad Asif was also there!!

He's currently staying with a friend in Lahore and they're helping him out and he's very happy to keep updating us on his progress.

Irfan taking tips from Mohammad Asif

by Abdul Habib
26th february 2009


I just spoke to Irfan and he's really enjoying himself at the academy. He says it's hard work but there's nowhere else he'd rather be.

His speed is steadily improving, he hit 130k after a weeks training and hopefully he can crank it up another few KPH over the coming months.

One of the representatives of Habib Bank happened to be visting the NCA and showed a great deal of interest in signing Irfan straight away but Irfan said he would wait and follow Aaqibs advice (smart boy).

Irfan's also been taking (bowling) tips from M Asif who's currently at the NCA every day getting himself match fit. He said Asif was teaching him how to hold the ball correctly and how to get it to seam and swing.

But most of all he's looking forward to Aaqib coming back to Lahore in the next day or two (with the Pakistan team) so Aaqib can work with him!!

Wasim Bari reveals that a lot of people excited about Irfan's potential

by Abdul Habib
8th March 2009


When I called Wasim Bari about the attacks in Lahore, he told me that he was currently based at the NCA. So I asked him if he knew about Mohammad Irfan.

Bari said that he hadnt seen Irfan yet but had heard a lot about him, Bari said Irfan was one of the shortlisted developing cricketers in Pakistan and a lot of people were excited about his potential. Bari explained that someone with Irfan's height would get natural bounce off a good length which would make him hard to play anywhere.

Bari said that upon hearing about Irfan he had been reminded of a conversation that the late Bob Woolmer had with him when Bari was still Chief of Selectors. Woolmer had requested for Bari to try and get him tall fast bowlers to work with. Bari also pointed to the trend of modern teams looking towards and supporting the development of taller fast bowlers.

I then called up Mohammad Irfan himself. Irfan said he had been told that he needed to work on his physical fitness because he wasnt as strong as he needed to be for fast bowling. He said he was working hard and following the plans given to him by his coaches. He mentioned Saboor Ahmad as one of the coaches who was working with him, so I give Saboor a call.

Saboor said that there were only two things in Irfan's favour at the present time. One was his height and the other was that he can bowl a good line and length. Other than that Saboor said Irfan was weak in every area, he lacks swing, stamina and variety.

Saboor said that it could take between 4 to 6 months to make a proper assessment of Irfan's potential. He stressed that going forward from this point it was all on Irfan's shoulders. If he puts in the work then he could make it big otherwise Saboor doesnt hold out too much hope given Irfan's present level of ability and conditioning.

So it seems that Irfan is far from the half started article let alone the finished article. But then we knew he had a long way to go.

The jump from playing amateur cricket to becoming a professional is no easy feat. Aaqib said he has seen many try to bridge the gap and fail, I hope Irfan isnt one of them!

A giant interview with a giant fast bowler

by Abdul Habib
15th March 2009


Below are the links to a 2 part interview with Mohammad Irfan, enjoy...

The Mohammad Irfan Interview (Part 1 & 2)

Photos of Mohammad Irfan at the NCA (courtesy Saboor Ahmad)

by Abdul Habib
17th March 2009


Saboor Ahmad is the NCA's fitness trainer and an all round good bloke. He helps Pakistan cricketers with their gym work and is currently trying his best to build up Irfan's strength and stamina up.

Saboor has very kindly sent us some pictures of Irfan at the NCA. There's also a few other famousf aces in there too!

A huge thanks to Saboor and he said he hopes everyone likes the photos. Click the link below to see the photos...

Photos of Mohammad Irfan at the Lahore NCA

Footage of Irfan shown on Sky News

by Abdul Habib
26th March 2009


I just got off the phone to Mohammad Irfan and Saboor Ahmed. Apparently Sky Sports came to the NCA to do some interviews with the PCB Chairman, Aaqib Javed and Intikhab Alam. Aaqib introduced them to Irfan and they filmed him as well, they seemed very impressed.

A South African news crew were also in attendance to talk to Aaqib about the Sri Lankan incident but when they saw Irfan they spent some time learning about him as well. Below is a link to the footage of Irfan, there's a very short clip of Irfan from 01:40 in the video...

Link to footage on Sky News

Irfan said he's met the Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam a few times now and that Inti always shows interest in Irfan and asks him how he is.

Irfan attented a HBL camp last week and everyone was impressed with what they saw, so it looks like he'll be playing for HBL when the NCA release him to play first class!

There's also talk of Irfan attending the Aussie series camp in order for him to get to bowl to the top batsmen and for them to handle some steep bounce! This hasn't been confirmed but he's been told to remain ready in case it goes ahead.

Yesterday Irfan played a club game where he took 3/20-odd in 6 overs and clanged several batsmen on their heads (he seemed quite pleased about that).

Lastly he said that he's really feeling the difference the training is making because he used get tired after a 4-5 overs but now he was bowling 10+ overs on the trot and not even feeling it!

Mohammad Irfan featured in the Eastern Eye newspaper and Spin Magazine

by Abdul Habib
18th April 2009


April was a big month for Irfan's profile in the UK. The story about his discovery made into the Eastern Eye newspaper and Spin Magazine. They based their features on the interview I conducted with Irfan. I told Irfan about the media mentions and he was quite surprised that media half way across the world had already heard about him.

Irfan said it's hectic at the NCA these days because all the players shortlisted for Australia are getting fitness tests done. And yes Shoaib is there too, Irfan said he briefly spoke to him but that they only exchanged salams.

Irfan had the day off from the NCA so he played a club cricket game for PNT club, Abdul Razzaq was his captain! Razzaq was really impressed with Irfan's line and length, he also complimented Irfan on the fact that the ball was going straight for the batsmens head!! Razzaq told him that if he works hard then he could go very far.

Irfan took 3/30-ish today. 1 wicket was lbw and one was caught at slip. The third wicket was off an onside bouncer that the batsman had a go at and skied it, Irfan said there also a few catches dropped but that comes with the territory.

A video of a raw Mohammad Irfan bowling in the nets

by Abdul Habib
21st April 2009


I've just got off the phone to Mohammad Irfan and I'm happy to announce that he's finally been given accomodation at the NCA. The people to thank for this are Aqib Javed, Mohammad Ilyas and Aamir Sohail who pushed Irfan's case really hard.

Irfan also said that for the last week Aamir Sohail has been coming down to the nets between 3pm to 5pm every day. He comes down to watch and advise both Irfan and Mohammad Talha who are both doing their bowling exercises at that time. Irfan said that Aamir is very astute and knows what he's talking about, Aamir was very impressed (like Aqib) with how quickly Irfan picks things up and implements them into his bowling.

Irfan has been bowling to Hafeez a few times in the nets. One day he smacked Hafeez on the elbow causing him to have to go off and apply some ice to his arm. Today Irfan was bowling with a new ball to Hafeez and smacked him in the head and then the grill, so Mauthashim Rashid (bowling coach) came over and gave Irfan an older bowl saying the new ball was rearing up too much!! Irfan innocently said it's just my natural length

A couple of weeks back I arranged a meeting between Kashif (a friend of mine) and Mohammad Irfan. The idea was for Kashif to get some videos of Irfan bowling and he did! I'd like to extend a huge thanks to both Kashif and Irfan for taking time out to do this for all the fans who wanted to see Irfan bowling.

The whole meeting was a hastily arranged last minute thing, so Irfan didnt get any time to warm-up. Because of that he wasn't bowling with his proper match run-up and intensity because we didn't want him to risk a silly injury or twist a muscle. Click the link below to see the video...

A video of Mohammad Irfan bowling in the nets without warming up

Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Talha in targetted training at the NCA

by Abdul Habib
1st May 2009


I just spoke with Irfan to get an update on what he's been upto. Irfan said that at the moment he and Mohammad Talha are being trained together daily and that a lot of attention is being paid to the development of both bowlers. They have two intensive bowling sessions per day where they bowl 15 overs at full tilt in each session. He said this is really helping them work up a rhythm and implement the things they're being taught.

With Irfan in particular, a lot of work is going into his yorker. Irfan said he's working really hard on getting the trajectory right and in bowling it in the right areas.

When I asked him about his speed he said that he was clocked last week and it had improved slightly. This time he clocked 132k as his highest speed which is an improvement of 4k over the 128k he was clocking when he arrived at the NCA. Irfan said that he is feeling a lot stronger and that this is a direct result of the fitness training and conditioning that he's receiving at the NCA. He realises that there is a long way to go as far as his speed is concerned but is hoping it will keep picking up as he gets stronger.

He also said that he's waiting on a pair of spiked bowling shoes to arrive which is hindering his ability to bowl at full stretch. This is because without the spikes there is a danger of him slipping in his action and twisting or stretchingsomething so he's been advised to bowl within himself till they arrive.

Irfan also mentioned that he got a call from Mohammad Bilal who is a legspinner that he played with at AOCC club in Karachi. Bilal is currently in the UK and called Irfan to tell him that he'd seen Irfan featured in a UK magazine (SpinMagazine). So Irfan related the story about how I discovered him.

I asked Irfan if he'd been watching the Pakistan series in Dubai and he said that whenever he wasn't at the NCA he's been watching the games. Irfan agreed with me that the batting was the problem and that the bowlers had been doing their jobs to a good standard. He felt the pitches weren't condusive to the huge scores we're used to in the modern game but that was no excuse as both teams were batting on the same surface.

Playing club cricket with Aleem Dar the next batting sensation

by Abdul Habib
21st May 2009


I just got off the phone to Irfan a few hours ago and he's very happy with his progress so far. There's been interest from the Multan Tigers for him to represent them in the T20 domestic tournament and there are even rumours that he might get to play in one of the T20 side games. However he's been blocked from playing for Multan and is very unlikely to play any of the warmup games because his coaches want to (sensibly) stick to their original plan and debut him in the upcoming first class season in October.

The main reason being that he isn't strong enough physically at this point in time and not refined enough as a bowler for him to be thrown in at the deep end. It seems that within the chaotic and uniformly disorganized world of the PCB, there are some people who can think long term!

I asked Irfan about Talha's progress and Irfan said that Talha and himself are both doing a lot of strength training simply because they need more muscle on their lean frames. He reassured me that they weren't being turned into bodybuilders, just that they needed more strength and power in their frames. They bowl all morning and then concentrate on strength training in the afternoons.

When discussing Talha's action Irfan said that Aqib, Aamir and the other coaches at the NCA had sat down to do a frame by frame analysis of Talha's action. It's been identified that Talha pauses about 3 steps from the crease and leans back losing his momentum which results in a jerky action. This has now been smoothed out and Talha says he feels far more comfortable since implementing the changes.

With Irfan himself there is work being done on getting his left arm higher on delivery and better use of the right arm to add momentum to his action. Irfan plays for Lahore's PNT club and they're taking part in a one day tournament at the moment. Abdul Razzaq is PNT's captain, Imran Nazir is one of the openers and Mohammad Khalil also plays for PNT.

On Monday they played against a team from Gujranwala, Razzaq didnt take part in that game. The Gujranwala club batted first and put up a total of around 230 and Irfan had a very good game taking 3/30-ish in around 8 overs. PNT chased down the total quite easily with Imran Nazir bludgeoning around 60 runs peppered with sixes.

Their next game was against a team from Sheikhpura and took place the next day on Tuesday. It saw the return of Razzaq as well as a player at number 4 called Aleem Dar whom Irfan describes as a very good right handed batsman. Now if you're wondering whether this is Aleem Dar the international umpire then you would be right!! It turns out that Aleem Dar plays for PNT club in Lahore when he's available and is a very credible batsman too.

PNT club batted first with Imran Nazir racking up a rapid 80-odd runs including smashing some poor bowler for around 25 runs in an over. Razzaq wasnt far behind with around 55 runs of his own but unfortunately Aleem Dar was run out for 4 before he could get going. Irfan himself had a good day with the bat smashing 25 quickfire runs including 2 sixes and a boundary taking PNT's total to around 270.

In bowling Razzaq bowled a very tight 6 over spell taking 2/10 and Irfan himself bowled 7 overs taking 2/20-odd. PNT won the match by some margin and are now through to the semi-finals.

Bowling to MoYo and the National Bank T20 quarter final

by Abdul Habib
5th June 2009


I spoke to Irfan earlier today and he said that Mohammad Yousuf was attending the NCA these days and that Irfan had gotten the chance to bowl to him for around half an hour in the nets. With the new ball Irfan managed to hit MoYo on the foot and the thigh, when they used an old bowl Irfan tried a few yorkers. One of the yorkers got through Yousuf but the other two were kept out. He said Yousuf told him that 'lambu (lanky) your speed and line and length is good'

When I asked Irfan about his speed he said he hadnt been clocked again but he was constantly being told that he was bowling faster than before. Irfan feels his top speed is closer to 135k instead of the 128k he entered the NCA with. He said there's still a lot of work to be done but his control and speed is now in a different class to what it was when he joined the NCA a few months ago. Back then he was would often get smashed around by guys in the nets but now he holds his own against guys like Hafeez, Nasir and he even did well against MoYo.

He also praised his fitness coach Saboor Ahmad saying that there was a clear improvement in his conditioning and stamina. When Irfan first arrived at the NCA he didnt feel like bowling after a few overs because he would be exhausted but now he comfortably bowls 20 overs a day. He doesnt tire quickly anymore and enjoys bowling longer spells rather than wanting to rest and stop.

He played for his PNT club side today (Friday 5th June) in the quarter-final of the National Bank club tournament. They played against Lahore's Muslim Gymkhana. Razzaq was the captain again but Imran Nazir missed out due to a niggle he picked up playing in the T20 final for Sialkot Stallions. It's not serious and Nazir should be ok to play again soon.

Razzaq and Irfan opened the bowling, Razzaq's first two overs went for 30-odd runs whilst Irfan maintained impressive control conceding 2 runs in the first and 6 runs plus a wicket (bowled) in his second over. Irfan finished with 1/13 off 3 overs but 5 of those runs were due to overthrows whilst Razzaq bowled 4 overs and finished with 2/40-odd. Muslim Gymkhana were restricted to 110-odd which was chased down by PNT in 16-odd overs for the loss of 4 wickets. Irfan didnt get to bat but Razzaq scored 30-odd off around a dozen balls before getting out. Saleem Elahi was also playing for PNT in this match but only scored around a dozen runs.

Irfan would once again like to pass on his thanks to everyone who is supporting him.

Razzaq on his way to England and meeting with Shoaib Akhtar

by Abdul Habib
11th June 2009


Even before I could ask about him about Abdul Razzaq, I was told by Irfan that he'd just said goodbye to his PNT Club captain. Irfan said that Razzaq would be leaving on a flight to England on Friday morning (Pak time) which would make it very unlikely that Razzaq could make it to Lords in time to play Sri Lanka. Irfan said that Razzaq was very excited and had said that he wanted to dedicate the few years he had left to playing for Pakistan.

A couple of days earlier whilst bowling in the nets, Irfan had noticed a very high profile spectator watching the net session. It was Shoaib Akhtar who was only there for a little while but Irfan managed to have a quick chat with him. Shoaib told Irfan that he was a good bowler and that if he continued to work hard then he would go far in the game.

Irfan says that the NCA is very busy these days because Aamir Sohail is holding a camp to select a Pakistan academy team for a tour of South Africa. Irfan himself has been working really hard and hitting batsmen with his bouncers in the nets, he was chuckling whilst relating some stories of clanging a few helmets and visors.

Irfan has made friends with another upcoming fast bowler called Ali Raza who's known as Brett Lee at the NCA. Irfan says it's because Ali's action is a lot like Brett's and that Ali is quite nippy but not close to Talha's speed.

Irfan takes 4/45 against Pakistan A

by Abdul Habib
23rd June 2009





I just spoke to Mohammad Irfan who was over the moon about Pakistan's win in the T20 World Cup. He said that Kamran, Misbah and Salman Butt had been to the NCA in Lahore already and met with the players and coaches there.

Irfan also told me that he played in a practise game between Pakistan Academy and Pakistan A which took place last week. It was a 50 over game with 11 players per side and Irfan played for the Pakistan Academy side.

The Pakistan Academy side had players like Nasir Jamshed, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Asif and Abdur Rauf. The academy team batted first and put up over 350 runs with 80+ from Nasir Jamshed, 50-odd from MoYo and a useful 20-30 contribution from Umar Akmal.

Asif and Rauf opened the bowling for the first 8 overs and then Irfan took over from Asif after Asif had bowled his 4th over. Irfan bowled 8 overs for 45 runs and took 4 wickets, it should've been 5 but an easy catch was dropped.

He had Hafeez and Fahad Iqbal caught at slip whilst Sarfaraz Ahmed was caught in the field. Abdul Rehman was undone by a vicious bouncer which he skied to a fielder. Asif advised Irfan to bowl naturally and to make the batsmen drive because with his bounce the batsmen would get themselves out. Asif and Rauf also took a wicket apiece and Pakistan A were all out for around 150.

Irfan mentioned that he's been getting interest from first class teams like Sui Gas, National Bank and State Bank but he's advised them to talk to Aaqib Javed who is handling Irfan's development.

Irfan asked me to pass on his congratulations to all Pakistan fans on the win in the final and he hopes you all enjoyed it as much as he did!!

Losing the 50 over club final

by Abdul Habib
30th June 2009


Irfan recently took part in the 50 over club championship final for his PNT team against Okara club. The game was reduced to 45 overs a side and PNT batted first.

PNT were being captained by Aleem Dar and also had Imran Nazir and Saleem Elahi playing. Nazir smashed 58-ish runs with 3 sixes and lots of fours. He was out by the 7th over and it was a real quickfire knock. Saleem Elahi scored around 60 runs, Aleem Dar finished on 20* and our own Irfan scored 7 off 3 balls. In a clear tribute to Afridi, Irfan hit a six off the first ball, ran a single for his second and when he came back on strike for his third delivery he got out!

The PNT team were bowled out for around 240 in 42 overs. They began their defence well with Irfan taking 2 wickets for 20 in his first 4 overs but then disaster struck. 3 balls into his 5th over Irfan felt a lot of pain in his left arm (bowling arm) and couldn't continue. Aleem Dar also took 2 wickets with his right arm offspin but Okara managed to chase down the total in 43 overs and PNT lost the final.

Irfan is totally gutted and blaming himself, he said that he was really confident and in top form. He thinks if he had been able to complete his quota then PNT would've won the game but I told him these things happen and he shouldnt blame himself.

When I asked him about the nature of the pain and injury he said that the doctors had told him that he was severely dehydrated because he's been bowling non-stop in the nets in searing heat and that he needs to properly regulate his liquid intake. Suffice to say I gave him a bit of an ear bashing about looking after himself and he took it in good humour. He said he's started to bowl again today but is taking it slowly and is hopeful that he'll be back to full strength in a few days.

We discussed the 3 offers he's got from first class teams and he said he'd spoken to Aamir Sohail about it. He said Aamir gave him the same advice that I had. Aamir told Irfan that he shouldn't worry about how big a team is or how much they will pay him but that he needs to make sure he joins a team that will play him in all their games. Aamir said that was the way to get yourself noticed by the selectors and put in the performances that will make his career.

Irfan and other emerging players at the NCA sent back home by the PCB.

by Abdul Habib
24th July 2009


Mohammad Irfan answers my call from his village in Multan and not the NCA in Lahore. I enquire whether he's come back home because he's been given a few days off from the NCA (National Cricket Academy) because that's usually the response he gives. However this time I'm totally unprepared for Irfan's answer.

Irfan is a 6'10 left arm fast bowler who was sent by me to meet Aqib Javed at the NCA in Lahore, the meeting was arranged earlier this year and Aqib was so impressed that Irfan was immediately taken on by the NCA as one of their emerging players. This emerging players category is for talented and promising cricketers who could be the future of Pakistan. These players get coached at the NCA by some of the best coaches in Pakistan, in some case they also get to board at the NCA.

NCA Director Aamir Sohail was heavily involved with this project and according to Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Talha, Aamir would spend lots of time meeting with the players personally to ensure they were getting the best training possible. However when Aamir resigned from his post, the PCB took the decision to send all the players involved with this scheme back home until the new administration took over and re-evaluated the status of the emerging players project. Mohammad Irfan is one of these players and is now uncertain about his future, Irfan had been making swift progress at the NCA and is already fitter and more in control of his bowling than he has ever been in his life.

Irfan is also 2 months away from his first class debut which will put him in the record books as the tallest fast bowler to play first class in the history of cricket. The disruption to the training and fitness regime of Irfan and the other emerging cricketers so close to the upcoming first class season is completely unnecessary. Surely the PCB could've better evaluated the scheme by keeping the cricketers at the NCA and thereby being able to observe both them and the scheme at close quarters.

Irfan sounds very worried about his future but I try and reassure him that 6'10 left arm fast bowlers arent a dime a dozen and that if he doesn't get back into the NCA then I for one will be extremely shocked! I change the subject and ask Irfan how he's recovering from the bout of dehydration he suffered during a final a few weeks ago. Irfan says that he feels a lot better now and took part in the LUMS 20/20 tournament in Lahore which his team won.

Irfan said that he performed really well during the LUMS tournament which also featured some big names in Pakistani cricket. In a group match he took 3/16 in 3 overs, then in the semi-final he bowled a very miserly spell of 0/6 in 3 overs. His team reached the final which they won thanks to a blistering knock of 70-odd from Nasir Jamshed and Irfan's own contribution of 2/12 in 3 overs. Mohamamd Asif also performed well in the final taking 2/35 off his 4 overs.

Irfan is also taking part in a 20/20 tournament in Sialkot organised by CA Sports, he's on the same team as Nasir Jamshed and Imran Nazir who could be opening the batting for Pakistan during the ODI matches in Sri Lanka. Irfan's team reached the final and bowled the opposition out for 130-odd with Irfan taking 2/21 off his 4 overs. Nasir and Imran opened the batting and Nasir had already hit 3 boundaries off the first over when the match was called off for rain. Imran Nazir wasn't happy and he went up to the umpires and asked them to let them continue playing in the rain. Imran Nazir said that he and Nasir were willing to play in the rain and only needed 6 overs to finish the game. His pleas fell on deaf ears and the match was called off, the game will be replayed at some point in the future.

Mohammad Irfan said he's awaiting the return of Aqib Javed to Pakistan because he wants Aqib to help him decide which first class team he should play for. There are several offers on the table but he wants to join a team which will give him games and not sit him on the bench. As always Irfan wanted to thank all his supporters and he promises to continue working hard, he is back at Nadeem Iqbal's academy until a decision is made about his return to the NCA.

So this is what being stuck in limbo feels like!

by Abdul Habib
20th August 2009


The last time I spoke to Irfan he was sitting back home in Multan instead of working with the coaches at the NCA. This was because all the emerging players were sent home from the NCA.

This time when Irfan answered my call, very little had changed. He hadn't been called back to the NCA nor did he know of any other emerging players who had. Irfan told me that three players had been earmarked by Aamir Sohail to return to the NCA. One was Irfan, another was Ali Raza the fast bowler nicknamed Brett Lee (because his action reminds people of Brett Lee, not his speed). The third player was the spinner Hidayatullah who has been tipped by many to have a future with the Pakistan team.

Prior to calling Irfan, I'd spoken in length to Haroon Rashid (the new head of the Lahore NCA) about the emerging players and what the future held for Mohammad Irfan. Haroon had said that no academy in the world keeps a player for 12 months of a year and that Irfan had spent enough time at the academy. Haroon felt it was now time for Irfan to go back to his region and play in the upcoming Inter District (senior) Trophy as well as prove himself at grade II level before getting a chance in first class. Irfan himself had called up Haroon (after I gave him the number) and he received the same advice that Haroon gave me.

Irfan has accepted that a return to the NCA within the near future is unlikely and is doing his best to continue following his fitness programme with the limited facilities available in his village. Mostly Irfan does a lot of jogging and bowling in the nets. Irfan has also taken to coaching some of the local kids whilst he waits for the cricket season to start.

I'd heard about Irfan getting an opportunity to bowl to the Pakistan A team before they left for Sri Lanka so I asked him about it. Irfan said that Ijaz Ahmed (the Pakistan A coach) had agreed with Saboor Ahmad (the Pakistan A fitness coach) to call Irfan to the Pakistan A camp. The idea was to give the Pakistan A batsmen some practise against steep bounce for a couple of days. Irfan said that he had been under strict instructions not to hit any of the batsmen or bowl at their heads in order to avoid injuring any of them before the tour. He bowled to Khurram Manzoor, Ahmed Shahzad, Faisal Iqbal and a few others. Irfan said that he really enjoyed the experience and thanks Ijaz and Saboor for inviting him.

But it's not all doom and gloom for our favourite 6'10 left armer. Irfan has been selected to go to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah with PNT (his Lahore club team). Whilst there he will play in a couple of Ramadhan tournaments. He leaves Pakistan on the 29th of August and has already submitted his passport to get his visa confirmed. Irfan is really excited about this opportunity and hopes that he can make a big impact for his club.

The talk turned to first class cricket and Irfan said that he'd left the decisions up to Aqib Javed. So I called Aqib to get the latest news. Aqib said that Habib Bank were interested but if the deal fell through then KRL had shown some interest too. Aqib was adamant that Irfan should start playing first class cricket from this season and was trying hard to make sure that Irfan gets a place with a first class team that will give him chances to bowl regularly.

Once again my sincere thanks to people like Aqib Javed, Saboor Ahmad, Aamir Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed who have realised that a 6'10 bowler doesn't come along every day and that we should be doing everything that we can to try and make him a success.

Irfan Blog: Opening the bowling with Shoaib Akhtar

by Abdul Habib
12th February 2010





Mohammad Irfan achieved his dream in late 2009 when he signed with Khan Research Laboratories. This was thanks to months of hard work from Azhar Ali, Aqib Javed, KRL coach Rashid Iqbal and NCA trainer Saboor Ahmad.

A couple of days ago the rain robbed Irfan of a chance to open the bowling with Shoaib Akhtar but today was a different story. KRL were up against the Lahore Eagles and Akhtar was the captain. He lost the toss and KRL were put in to bat on a good batting track, Mo Idrees (104) and Bazid Khan (59) combined to put up a total of 263.

The Eagles began their chase against an opening combination of the world's tallest bowler and the one-time world's fastest bowler. Akhtar had a hamstring niggle so wasn't able to generate his usual pace but still managed to get through all 10 of his overs. Akhtar is really committed to proving his fitness for the T20 World Cup and so played despite the hamstring niggle.

Despite the Eagles boasting Mo Irshad in their bowling line-up, the fastest bowler on display today was Mohammad Irfan. Team mates estimated that Irfan was bowling in the high 80mph range. Irfan took 1/20 in 8 overs at an economy of just 2.5 runs per over.

Akhtar told Irfan that he was on the right track and that if he kept on improving like this then he would takes stacks of wickets in places like Australia, South Africa and England.

Despite his great bowling Irfan wasn't needed to complete his quota of 10 overs because of some great restrictive bowling by KRL's Saeed Anwar Jr who took 1/24 in 10 overs. It was a great first game for KRL and hopefully they can keep the momentum going for the rest of the tournament too.

Irfan Blog: An Azhar Ali century takes KRL to their second win

by Abdul Habib
14th February 2010





KRL captain Shoaib Akhtar lost the toos to Sui Southern captain (and keeper) Ahmed Zeeshan. It had been raining heavily for the last few days and there was a threat of the rain spoiling today's game as well so Sui Southern put KRL in to bat first. Sui were hoping their pace attack could use the conditions to their benefit and skittle KRL out for a below par score.

However KRL (and Pakistan A) opener Azhar Ali had other ideas and stuck to the wicket weathering the early onslught to keep his team in the game. Azhar told cricistan.com that "The pitch was sluggish and slow, it was a pitch where a batsman would have to be patient and run lots of singles because it was difficult to get the ball away to the boundary." At the fall of the second wicket Azhar was joined by Bazid Khan (94) and together they put on a partnership of 138 runs which lifted the KRL total to 291 runs.

291 runs would be difficult without any complications but with the weather worsening, the total had to be recalculated under the Duckworth-Lewis system. Sui Southern needed 233 runs in 42 overs and ended up falling 68 runs short.

Mohammad Irfan bowled really well taking 2/38 in 9 overs. He was ably assisted by the spinners Nauman Ali and Saeed Anwar Jr who took a combined 2/67 in their 20 overs strangling the fight out of Sui Southern's chase.

Shoaib Akhtar pulled up injured two balls into his 4th over, he had pulled his calf and was unable to bowl any more overs in the game. Still his team won the match and KRL are off to a great start winning the first two games they've played.

Irfan Blog: KRL remain undefeated but NBP go through to the semi-finals on run rate

by Abdul Habib
18th February 2010


Irfan was a little depressed when I called him, the first thing he told me was that KRL were out of the competition and that they wouldn't be playing in the semi-finals.

So I asked if they'd lost the game, Irfan replied that they'd beaten the more fancied HBL by 19 runs. Irfan took 1/35 opening the bowling with Rahat Ali as Shoaib Akhtar was unavailable to play once again. I asked Irfan why Shoaib hadn't played the last two games despite saying he would and Irfan said that Akhtar had said he wanted to rest his leg so he could play the semi final and the final.

Irfan said he had some good news for me, he's heard that he's been selected for Multan in the upcoming regional T20 tournament. He's excited to play for his region and is hoping to continue progress he's been making in the 4 day and 1 day versions of the game.

Irfan Blog: The Lahore match is a Quarter Final

by Abdul Habib
1st March 2010






On the 28th of February 2010, Mohammad Irfan fulfilled a life long dream. After years and years of trying, he was finally picked to represent the Multan region. Irfan said "When I heard that I'd been picked by the Multan region I wasn't sure if it was true, it's not the first time I've been on a list for Multan. I heard the same thing last year, that I would be playing T20 for Multan but it never happened. However when I arrived at Karachi and joined the team, it all became very real and I'm loving the experience so far"

The first game was a bit nerve racking for Irfan because it was being broadcast live on TV. He said he was excited about being on TV because he was hoping it would bring him to the notice of the selectors and the fans. But he also added that the TV cameras bring a lot of pressure with them because many cricketers think this is my chance, I have to do it all today.

Irfan said that he was really disappointed about being hit for two boundaries in his 3rd over against Peshawar after a good start in his first two overs. But Multan won the game and that's all that matters to Irfan. He wants to see Multan in the semi-finals and the final.

Irfan was determined to do better against Quetta and he did a lot better. He took 3 wickets and had this to say; "I've taken 3/14 in 4 overs against Quetta, I had to up my game today and I did. Now I'm hoping to carry this form into the match against the Lahore Lions. We don't see that match as another group game, for us it's a knockout match. For both us and the Lions it will be a quarter final match and I hope the Lions are prepared for a fight because we want to go through just as much as they do."

When asked if he was worried about the big names in Lahore's batting line-up and whether he really thought Multan stood a chance of going through. Irfan stated "My team, the Tigers, are a very strong unit. We have good batsmen and good bowlers too. We may not have many big names but we all have big hearts. We're not backing down, we're going into this match to win it. As for big name players, the bigger the player the more I want to add his name to my wicket tally."

He added "When the day of the game comes there's no big names or small names. There's just me with the ball in my hand and him with the bat in his hands, whoever keeps his head will triumph."

Irfan Blog: I'm predicting a Wolves v Stallions final

by Abdul Habib
6th March 2010





I've just spoken to Mohammad Irfan and he told me that the Multan Tigers took strength from being labelled as the underdogs, they didn't mind being written off by everyone else because they knew that they had the right work ethic to challenge any team. In the end the Tigers fought till the very last ball and only fell two runs short of pulling off an upset against the much stronger Lahore Lions team.

Irfan said that before the game, when the Tigers were making plans for the Lions batsmen he had been told that it was his job to take care of the left handers. Irfan replied that he was confident about getting Nasir Jamshed's wicket because he always got Nasir early. After the Lions game, Nasir (a good friend of Irfan) came up to Irfan and said "from now on I'm going to tell my coaches that I don't want to play in any games where lambu (the tall guy) is on the other team."

When I asked what the plan had been for Salman Butt, Irfan replied "Everyone knows that Salman loves to drive and since I get extra bounce, Manzoor Elahi told me to tempt him to drive and that Salman would edge the ball behind him. When Salman came in I tried the plan on the first ball and it worked."

Irfan lamented missing out on a hat trick, he'd wanted to take away a slip and put in a short midwicket hoping to get the batsman caught trying to hook/pull a bouncer but the captain wanted to try something else.

Talking about his 4th over Irfan said "Before I bowled Hafeez ran up to discuss a field change and we brought the third man in, in hindsight it was a bad move. Umar Akmal noticed what we'd done and took full advantage by giving himself room and launching into his shots. It's disappointing to get knocked out when you come so close but there will be other opportunities in the future."

Irfan thinks that we will see a Faisalabad Wolves and Sialkot Stallions final with the Stallions taking the cup for a 5th time. He thinks that the teams are well matched but the Stallions have much better death bowlers and the Wolves will struggle to make full use of the last 5 overs.

Irfan: Waqar said we're practically neighbours

by Abdul Habib
25th March 2010

Irfan is back at the NCA in Lahore and is playing for the NCA XI team which is taking on the Afghanistan national team in a series of practise games. The NCA XI have won the first two games, by large margins. The final two games will be held on the Fri 26th & Sat 27th March.

Just before the Pakistan Day tournament, Irfan was practising at the NCA and ended up sharing the nets with most of the Pakistan players.

His first delivery to Salman Butt went wide at which point the coach came over and told him off saying, what's the point of you running in all that way and then wasting your energy by bowling wide.

Irfan took the advice on board and carried on bowling, he had Butt 'slipped' twice (eg a nick to the slips but there are no slips during nets) before Misbah came in to face him. Irfan bowled Misbah on his 3rd delivery and really enjoyed testing his skills against batsmen from the national team.

Later on he got together with fellow left arm fast bowler Mohammad Aamer for a mutual coaching session. Aamer wanted Irfan to show him the grip he uses to get the ball to swing in whilst Irfan wanted to know how Aamer gets outswing so easily.

But the highlight of the day was when he was spotted in the nets by Waqar Younis who came over for a little chat. Waqar was very happy with the way Irfan was bowling and asked him where he hails from. When Irfan named his village, which is near Waqar's hometown in Multan, Waqar said 'so we're practically neighbours then'

Irfan is hoping that he can continue to keep developing his game and impressing the likes of Waqar.

Irfan: Talha, Cheema, Wahab, Sohail and I've been called up to the Pakistan camp

by Abdul Habib
30th March 2010

Cricistan.com's own 6'10 giant left arm fast bowler is delighted to reveal that he's been called up to train with the Pakistan players. Irfan received a letter from the PCB asking him to join the camp starting on the 29th.

Cricistan can exclusively reveal that in a surprise sensible move, the PCB have called up Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Talha, Aizaz Cheema and Sohail Khan to bowl to the Pakistan team in the nets.

Usman Qadir, Abdul Rehman and Ahmed Shahzad have also been called up to the camp as well.

Irfan told Cricistan.com that "Those of us who aren't part of the T20 squad or the reserves, spend the morning working out at the NCA whilst the national team does their training. But in the evening we all attend the net sessions together."

Irfan has been enjoying bowling to international batsmen and even got the chance to send a handful of deliveries down to Afridi.

"I beat Afridi 3 balls in a row before he shouted out 'well played yaar' and advised me not to change my line saying it was very good." remembered Irfan.

But the highlight of his day was when Waqar would come over to him to give him some advice. Irfan said the first thing that Waqar picked up on was the length that Irfan was bowling.

"Waqar walked over to me and told me that because of my height what was a good length for other bowlers didn't suit me. He said that if I was hitting a normal bowlers good length then I would be bowling too short and the batsman didn't need to play at the ball. Waqar advised me that a good length for me was to pitch the ball a little fuller and then my natural bounce would take care of the rest."

"Waqar went on to say that when batsmen saw my height they would automatically go onto the backfoot. So when I bowled fuller than they were expecting it would pull them forward and give me a better chance of getting a wicket" stated Irfan to Cricistan.com

Irfan is busy taking on board all the advice that Waqar has been giving him and implementing it into his bowling. He feels that it's already made a noticeable difference and he cant wait for more gems from Waqar.

Mohammad Irfan playing for Moddesrshall cricket club

by Abdul Habib
30th March 2010

Cricistan.com's own giant left arm bowler will be coming to England from mid-April to play in the Premier Division of the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League. Additionally Ijaz Ahmed Jr will be playing for Modderhall's A side this season

Irfan who only debuted in first class cricket last season, has had a very successful first season playing for KRL in the Pakistan domestic. He took 43 wickets in the 10 first class games he played. He's also represented Pakistan's National Cricket Academy against Afghanistan and Pakistan A, impressing a lot of people along the way.

Currently Irfan is training with the Pakistan cricket team at a national camp in Lahore where he's caught the eye of national coach Waqar Younis. Waqar who was impressed with Irfan's control, has been advising Irfan on the correct line and lengths to bowl for his height.

Moddershall Cricket Club was founded in 1922 and has previously been home to former Pakistan A legspinner Imran Tahir. Tahir claimed 80 wickets for Moddershall en route to their 2008 North Staffordshire and South Cheshire League Premier Division title success. Tahir now plays for the Titans in South Africa and is now hoping to play for the South African national team.

Moddershall is also the club that Rangana Herath was playing for when Sri Lanka called him up to face Pakistan last year. Herath ended up taking 15 wickets in 3 games.

Hopefully Irfan can pick up some of that Moddershall magic and get noticed this coming season.

Afridi and Razzaq told to annihilate Irfan

by Abdul Habib
10th April 2010

At the training camp in Lahore, the players have had two more days of practise matches after the first game where Pakistan A beat Pakistan.

However these haven't been typical practise games. Cricistan.com has learnt that the Pakistan coaching team are trialling something a bit different. They're selecting two batsmen and two bowlers and setting them a target.

For example the batsmen must score 60 runs in 6 overs and the bowlers have to stop them from doing that. Every time a wicket falls it adds 10 runs to the total required. The first set of target scenarios took place on Wednesday 7th April and only involved the players selected for the T20 World Cup.

However today (Saturday 10th April), all the players took part and Mohammad Irfan ended up in the unenviable position of being picked to tame Afridi and Razzaq.

That's right, Razzaq and Afridi were given free license to take apart Irfan's bowling and to plunder 60 runs from 6 overs. Bowling from the other end for the first over was Mohammad Sami who went for around 15 runs, the other two overs at the opposite end to Irfan were bowled by Hafeez who also went for a few runs with a few boundaries off his bowling.

But what happened at Irfan's end? Did the twin cannons of Afridi and Razzaq send him flying into the stratosphere?

Luckily for Irfan he had a secret weapon in his corner, a little somebody called Waqar Younis who was there to advise Irfan on what to bowl. Irfan told Cricistan.com that Waqar asked him to aim to make the ball rear up at the throats of Razzaq and Afridi.

In the end, Irfan only went for 9 runs off his 3 overs taking the wicket of Razzaq and only getting hit for 1 four by Afridi. So the bowlers won the day against two of the biggest hitters in the history of the game.

Another interesting encounter was when Hafeez and Kamran had to score 60 runs off 6 overs against Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Asif. They lost two wickets but managed to reach the revised total of 80 runs therefore winning their encounter.

These target matches are probably being used to try and help the Pakistan team focus on an objective and prepare for chasing/defending a target. Cricistan.com thinks that these target scenarios are a great idea and hopefully we'll see more new initiatives being implemented in the future too.

Fawad sets it up, Irfan finishes it

by Abdul Habib
17th April 2010

The third and final T20 practise game between Pakistan and Pakistan A took place on Friday, it was held at the training camp in Lahore. National captain Shahid Afridi was busy in Karachi with the launch of the T20 World Cup so Misbah Ul Haq took over the captaincy of the Pakistan team whilst Mohammad Hafeez captained Pakistan A.

Essentially both teams were Pakistan A teams because both teams were a mix of first team and reserve players. The Akmal brothers were on opposing sides but neither of them did much in this game.

Pakistan A batted first but were in trouble very early as Asif took the wickets of Khalid Latif and Umar Akmal in the first over. Aamer took Umar Amin's wicket and after 15-odd runs Hafeez eventually fell to Aamer as well.

In no time at all Pakistan A were 40-ish runs for 4 wickets requiring a miracle to make a game of this match. Cometh the hour and cometh the man, Fawad Alam stepped up and began to rebuild their innings. Eventually Pakistan A recovered and scored around 145/7 with a big 50 from Fawad Alam.

Pakistan's bowlers did a fantastic job with Asif and Aamer on top, Ajmal and Azam also took a wicket each.

Pakistan went into the chase confidently, after all they were looking at a relatively modest total and were favourites to beat Pakistan A.

But they hadn't reckoned on running into a giant. Unfortunately for them they did.

Irfan opened the bowling for Pakistan A and took 2 wickets in his first over, removing both Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal. Sami came on from the other side but went for 8 or 9 runs. Then Irfan came back and bowled a 3 run over to keep the pressure on Pakistan. Irfan was unlucky not to have more wickets with a couple of catches being dropped off his bowling.

Misbah came out to steady the innings but got a nasty bouncer from Irfan which broke his helmet. The match was stopped as everyone rushed in to check on Misbah's health but afer a short break he was fine to continue. In fact Misbah went on to score a big 50 himself and remained not out in the end.

But Pakistan A's spinners dried up the runs through the middle of the innings with both Hafeez and Rehman taking a wicket each. Misbah got some support from domestic batting legend Naumanullah who'd been drafted in specially to play this game but it wasn't enough. With 24 runs needed off the last over Pakistan fell short by 10 runs.

Another victory for Pakistan A who win this series 2-1

Irfan Blog: I still can't believe it

18th April 2010

Mohammad Irfan was watching the TV in his room at the Lahore NCA when there was a newsflash on Geo reporting that both Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Sami had been selected to join the Pakistan T20 World Cup squad. Irfan was aware of a team meeting taking place at the NCA but was still a little shocked to see the news announced all over the media.

Irfan exclusively told Cricistan.com about what he was feeling at the time "I was in a state of shock; I couldn't believe what I was watching. Of course I'd been hoping for this to happen but never did I dream that it would happen as quickly and dramatically as this. I was preparing myself for a possible call up to play during the games coming up in England later this year but this is totally unexpected."

The first person to congratulate Irfan was a friend from Burewala who called him on the phone as he sat in front of the TV still taking the news in. Irfan then came out of his room and met Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis who both told him to come to a meeting of the Pakistan team.

"Afridi said mubarak lambu you've made it into the team and Wicky bhai said shabash (well done) this is the reward for all your hard work and perseverance." a stunned Irfan told Cricistan.com.

During the meeting Irfan was officially told of his selection and congratulated by everyone. Sami was welcomed back into the team whilst Irfan was welcomed for the first time and told that the real hard work begins now.

"I'm going to be fitted for my official Pakistan kit tomorrow, then I'm to report to the NCA on the 23rd to join the team before we fly out on the 24th."

"I'd like to thank my parents for all their patience and prayers, as well as all those who've supported me in my cricket career. From the first day that Nadeem Iqbal spotted me to this day when I've been called up to play for Pakistan." said an emotional Irfan to Cricistan.com.

I reminded Irfan that he had to carry on the tradition of Pakistan debuting left arm bowlers in T20 World Cups. Tanvir was a success in 2007, Aamer in 2009 and hopefully Irfan will do it in 2010.

I asked Irfan if he had anything else to add and he was very adamant that I include the following quote.

"I'd like to thank the people behind Cricistan.com who've supported me from day one. Just over a year ago, I'd given up cricket and I was working as a foreman in a plastic pipe factory when Abdul Habib (currently with Cricistan.com) arranged for me to meet Aqib Javed who was then the assistant coach of Pakistan. When Aqib saw me, he was so impressed that he asked me to come back to the NCA the next day and then my journey began. Habib and Cricistan.com supported me even through the bad times, they were there to reassure me when things weren't going as planned and congratulate me when things were going good. They never gave up on me."

"I would like other organisations and companies in Pakistan to learn from Cricistan.com and to also extend their support and sponsorship to other youngsters as well. There are many youngsters in Pakistan who can’t dedicate time to following their sporting dreams because they don't know anyone influential or because their families need them to be the breadwinners. Initiatives like this one are needed to help more sportsmen achieve their dreams." said Irfan in a message to businesses and organisations in Pakistan.

If Irfan debuts for Pakistan then at 6'10 he'll become the tallest player to play international cricket in the history of the game. Previously Bruce Reid and Joel Garner were the tallest at 6'8 but Irfan has 2 inches on them.

Irfan Blog: Left arm spinner Rehman replaces fast bowler Irfan

Abdul Habib
19th April 2010

Yesterday Pakistan's captain, coach and chief selector all unanimously selected Mohammad Irfan to join the Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup. Irfan's wildest dream had come true but today in a move that makes no sense to anyone who knows anything about cricket, Ijaz Butt has forced Abdul Rehman on the Pakistan team.

Rehman will become Pakistan's 5th spin bowling option. Does a team boasting the likes of Ajmal and Afridi need yet another spinner in their ranks?

Speaking exclusively to Cricistan.com Mohammad Irfan said that he was given the news by Waqar Younis.

"Wicky bhai came and informed me about the decision personally. He told me that I shouldn't lose heart and that I was still in his plans to play for Pakistan." stated a dejected Irfan.

Irfan said that naturally he's a little down about being dropped but that he hoped it meant that God had something better in store for him.

I reminded Irfan that T20 cricket was a risky business and not the best place for him to make his debut. He would only have 4 overs to impress and T20 was a game where any bowler can take a beating.

I told him that he was better off debuting in an ODI or a Test match where he would get 10 to 30 overs to show what he was capable of.

Irfan replied "I can see the logic in that Habib bhai and hopefully you're right about this. I have to focus on the future. My next assigment is to play the Pentangular tournament for the Baluchistan Bears and I will make sure that I raise my game even higher."

In conclusion I reminded Irfan that the most important part of this debacle was that Irfan was now a household name and that meant that even if he didn't get his chance this time. He was now on the radar and that he would get his chance very soon, Insha Allah (God Willing).

"Insha Allah" came the reply but the gloom was still there.

I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for Irfan, one minute he's realised the dream he toiled for over a decade to achieve. And the next minute it's snatched away.

Irfan Blog: Irfan cancels league contract to fight for Pakistan place

by Abdul Habib
24th April 2010

Speaking exclusively to Cricistan.com; Mohammad Irfan has revealed that he chose to stay in Pakistan and fight for a place in the national team instead of taking up a lucrative league contract in England. Earlier this year Irfan signed a contract with Moddershall CC which is a club in the Staffordshire league in England. Irfan doesn't come from a very rich background so the money from this contract would've made a big difference to him and his family.

But Irfan knows that this coming season will be his best chance to get into the Pakistan team and he doesn't plan to let anything stop him from achieving his dream.

"I was really excited about the league contract because I've never played in England before and it would've been beneficial for me to get used to those conditions. Also it would've helped to give me some financial stability whilst I continued to chase my dream of playing for Pakistan.

But at the end of the day I think it's best to be honest with others and with yourself too. My priority will always be to represent my country and the best way to achieve that is to stay here at the NCA and continue to attend camps and play as many games in Pakistan as I can. When I play here in Pakistan there's a greater chance for the selectors to spot me and hopefully that will increase my chances of getting picked this year." Irfan told Cricistan.com.

Irfan also revealed that he didn't want to let Moddershall CC down by having to walk out on them mid-season if he got called back to a training camp or even to the Pakistan team.

"At this stage in my career it's very important for me to participate in every event that the PCB calls me for, I want to make myself fully available. Because of that it wouldn't be fair for me to go over to England and then come back every time my name is included in a PCB camp or game. Moddershall deserves better than that." Irfan stated to Cricistan.com

Moddershall's Andy Hawkins had mixed emotions when he heard the news that Irfan wouldn't be playing for them this season.

"We were all very excited about having Irfan as our professional this season and we're disappointed to lose out on a talent like him. With his height and bounce he's something out of the ordinary and I think he'd be very successful on our pitches. But I also know that he's worked really hard to get noticed by the Pakistani selectors and I can understand why he's chosen to stay. I just hope that he fulfills his dream and gets selected for Pakistan." Andy told Cricistan.com

When I asked if they had lined up a replacement yet, Andy said that they were waiting on visa approval for Asad Ali of Faisalabad.

Asad Ali is a very good fast bowler himself and could turn out to be another shrewd pick by Moddershall CC.

Irfan: We should've won the final

by Abdul Habib
2nd May 2010

The Baluchistan Bears were humbled in the RBS Pentangular final, they were bowled out 78 runs short of the target. The 110 run partnership between Abdul Rauf and Abid Ali came too late in the day, the Bears were already 8 wickets down when Rauf joined Abid at the crease.

Speaking exclusively to Cricistan.com, Mohammad Irfan felt that the Bears had let the Dolphins run away with the game in the first innings.

"At one stage the Dolphins were 37/2 and then again we had them 133/4 but I think we relaxed and let the game run away from us. It was Hasan Raza's experience and calm head that was the difference between the two teams. He made sure that his partnership with Faisal Iqbal was full of singles and doubles and they ended up with a big score." Irfan told Cricistan.com

Talking about his own bowling Irfan said "I took a couple of wickets and had catches dropped but I should have bowled better. It was a slow wicket that suited spinners and slower bowlers. On the day their slower bowlers did more damage than ours, our middle order struggled and so we failed to reach the target."

In other news Irfan told me that earlier this week he appeared on Bolain Kya Baat Hai with his Baluchistan and Multan skipper Abdul Rauf. He said he was nervous but he thinks it went well.

Irfan has also been picked to attend a 3 week camp in Lahore, it starts on the 5th of May. The camp will include 24 of the most promising players from Pakistan and it'll be another chance for Irfan to impress the selectors.