Nabi’s ability to get batters out while defending is his biggest asset: Pathan

Auqib Nabi’s knack for forcing top batters into errors while they are defending, rather than relying on raw pace, could be his biggest strength as the Jammu and Kashmir pacer prepares for international cricket, feels former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan.

Nabi’s long-awaited India call-up came on Monday when the selectors named him as injured Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka beginning August 15. Pathan, who first spotted Nabi during trials in Srinagar in 2018 and later mentored Jammu and Kashmir’s young cricketers, believes the pacer’s natural action, wrist position and ability to move the ball make him effective without express pace.

“The optimum pace to get the ball moving is around 135 kph. If you can get it to swing, that too late, then you are good,” Pathan told PTI in an interview.

“And with the rhythm and with the kind of action he has, we can touch 133-135 kph on a regular basis. That’s what I believe,” he added.

For Pathan, however, pace is only one part of the equation. The bigger quality is whether a bowler can make top-class batters defend and still find a way to get them out. “Does the bowler have the ability to get the batters, the top-quality batters, out while defending? This is the other quality you seek,” he said. Pathan has seen Nabi produce that kind of bowling against high-quality batters in domestic cricket, including in the Ranji Trophy final when they pipped Karnataka on first innings lead to clinch a historic maiden title earlier this year.

“We have seen that in the Ranji Trophy final, he troubled KL Rahul, he didn’t even get a wicket. In that too, he defended normally and dismissed the batsman,” he said. The former India pacer also saw Nabi create similar problems for batters in Mumbai. “In Mumbai, I saw the match, Shreyas and our current players, he was dismissing them the same way. So, on different pitches, the top-quality batsmen defend and get dismissed. That means he has the ability,” Pathan said.

Test cricket, however, will provide a bigger examination, particularly on flat pitches where bowlers need something extra to create chances. “Obviously, when you play Test cricket, the challenge becomes even more. Because sometimes, you get the flattest pitch in the world,” he said.

“And then obviously, you need to have some extra. In that extra ability, can he use the angle? Can he call the wicket-keeper up? Eventually, it’s all about the performances. Can you perform?” Pathan added.

Pathan, who claimed 301 international wickets, said a bowler does not necessarily need express pace if he possesses the skill to deceive batters. “I’ve been able to take 301 international wickets. I was not bowling 150kph,” he said.

“My ability was to get the batsman out LBW before they think that ball will not come in,” Pathan added.

He believes Nabi’s inclusion can provide a major boost to his confidence, even if he has to wait for his opportunity. “For Auqib to be in the squad right now, even though he was not the first choice, he came as a replacement of Jasprit Bumrah, it will still give him a lot of confidence.