Mitchell Starc expressed surprise at the comparatively lower speed of the Pakistani bowlers during the first Test in Perth, where Australia secured a convincing 360-run victory.
Speaking to the media at the MCG ahead of the second Test, Starc noted that the slower pace was unexpected. While emphasizing that speed isn’t the sole factor, he acknowledged its significance in the game.
“I think everyone was slightly surprised at the lower pace of the Pakistan bowlers, when you’re generally used to some guys getting in the 150s [kph]. I don’t think that pace is the be all and end all but it certainly plays a part and can help,” Starc said.
Starc recognized that the MCG might not prioritize extra pace as much, citing the example of Scott Boland, who, despite not being among the fastest bowlers, demonstrated effectiveness by generating lateral movement on his home ground.
“Case in point, you look at Scotty Boland who can bowl good wheels, but he’s not at your top end of pace bowlers. But he generates a lot of sideways movement here in Melbourne, obviously being his home ground. He’s done it for a long time and we saw that obviously against England, where every ball he bowled could have been a wicket. So I don’t think that pace is the be all and end all. Certainly, for our attack we all complement each other really well by doing things very differently,” he added.
Waqar Younis, in a conversation with ESPN, lamented the absence of the exciting, express-paced bowlers that traditionally characterized Pakistan’s tours to Australia. “What I’m worried about is that always when we come to Australia, one thing that excites is the fast bowling and this time around I’m not seeing that. I’m seeing medium-pacers or slow-medium-pacers, all-rounders, there’s no real pace. People used to come and watch Pakistan pace bowlers really running in hard and bowling 150 clicks [kph], and that’s what I’m not seeing there,” Waqar said.
“That’s my worry and issue because I have not seen it at the domestic level also. There are a few injured, I can understand, but in the past you would always see a battery of fast bowlers that they could always bring on, but unfortunately that is not there and I’m really worried about that,” he added.—APP
