Wants more young bowlers to receive academy training

Akram proposes fast-bowling fund

Cricinfo staff

May 30, 2007

Wasim Akram believes he owes it to Pakistan cricket to help develop more young fast bowlers © Getty Images

Wasim Akram has proposed setting up a fast-bowling fund as a way of continuing to contribute to Pakistan's fast-bowling future. Akram, along with Aaqib Javed and Mudassar Nazar, is currently overseeing a PCB-organised camp for the country's most promising fast bowlers and opening batsmen at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The experience has already spurred him to consider broadening his role in the future. A more regular, involved position was all but ruled out given his media and business commitments, but he is keen to make some kind of contribution.

"It's too early to say right now about a permanent role as it depends on my timings," Akram told Cricinfo. "I have media commitments and I'm away from Pakistan a lot. But I think whenever I have time, a week or two off, I could come back and help out.

"But my idea really is to set up a kind of fund, a Wasim Akram fast-bowling fund. Depending on how much time I can give, instead of payments, the money can go into this fund. From this, we can then send, say two bowlers and cover their costs at the academy in Pakistan or an academy in Australia to hone their fast-bowling talent. I have given the idea to the chairman and he liked it, so it could be a regular thing."

Akram, regarded by many to be the best left-arm fast bowler ever and one of the best outright, has often offered informal, impromptu help to Indian and Pakistani fast bowlers, since he retired from the game in 2003. Often it has had telling effect, but this is his first official involvement of any kind and it came about on his own prompting.

"It just came up like that," he said. "I think this much I owe to Pakistan cricket that when I have time and I am in the country, I can work with some younger bowlers, give them some advice, some help, pass on some things I learnt."

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