Sri Lanka’s bowling coach, Aaqib Javed, heaped praise on young fast bowler Asitha Fernando for his impressive performance on Day 2 of the first Test against England at Old Trafford. Fernando’s figures of 3/68 included key wickets, notably those of England captain Ollie Pope and the seasoned Joe Root.
Fernando’s ability to swing the ball in both directions, combined with his skiddy pace, made him the standout performer in Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, despite a relatively high economy rate of nearly five runs per over.
Aaqib Javed went on to draw a striking comparison between Fernando and former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif, who was renowned for his exceptional control and ability to trouble batsmen with subtle variations.
I told him that he reminded me of Mohammad Asif from Pakistan. After Asif, I haven’t seen anyone with that level of quality. Not many people are aware of his ability to swing the ball both ways without changing his wrist position,
Aaqib commented.
Javed, who played a key role in discovering Asif, further elaborated on the unique skills that set Asitha apart.
I actually spotted Mohammad Asif when he wasn’t even in the system, so I know his talent well. Sometimes, bowlers are unaware of their wrist position, but Asitha has a natural gift. He can move the ball either way without the batters even realizing it,
he added.
Mohammad Asif, celebrated for his almost supernatural skills, claimed 106 wickets in just 23 Tests, often outfoxing some of the world’s top batsmen. However, his career was tragically cut short in 2010 due to his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal.
