I’ve worked hard to improve my bowling: Usama

LAHORE: Multan Sultans leg-spinner Usama Mir, who rocked Lahore Qalandars’ batting on Tuesday with 6-40, has said that he had worked a lot on his bowling which eventually paid dividends.

“The way I started last year, made debut for Pakistan, played PSL well, played T20 blast, The Hundred and then I went to one-day cricket my performances were not that good,” Usama told a post-match news conference after his exceptional bowling guided Multan Sultans to a huge 60-run win over holders Lahore Qalandars here at the Gaddafi Stadium.

“I was very worried about it. People criticised me but I took it in a healthy way. Then I matched my fresh videos with the old videos to assess where I was falling short. I realised the mistakes and worked on them and you see the results now,” Usama said.

He credited support staff, especially spin bowling coach David Parsons, for his fine bowling. “The support staff is good, especially coach David Parsons who sends us individual stats after every match and it shows various points and it clarifies where I have to work and I am learning from that,” said Usama, who became the first spinner to take six wickets in a PSL game.

“Previously I wanted some changes in my bowing which did not suit me. I slowed my action and run-up. My action was not being completed and I was worried but now I have completed that and now am bowling well,” he said.

Asked about left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram’s bowling, Usama said he is a skilled bowler and he himself wanted to see him play from the very first game. “He has hunger and he was taking everything positive and was also spending time with me and the coach. The way he made his debut is unbelievable. He has life in his bowling and in future he will be seen playing for Pakistan,” Usama said.

He also credited skipper Mohammad Rizwan for the way he has kept his brigade united. “Yes, credit goes to him,” Usama said. “He has kept the team gelled and from helper to owner we all think about becoming champions and we get onto the pitch as champions and the results are coming,” he said.

“Rizwan leads from the front and it is incredible,” Usama said. Usama was also seen by his mother performing sajdah on the pitch as she had also come to the venue for the first time in life to see her son playing.

“She came to see match for the first time in life and I took six wickets,” he said. “My mother used to tell me when anyone performs sajdah she likes it. In domestic cricket I took five wickets and performed sajdah but she did not see it as it was not live.

She told me that she wanted to see me doing sajdah and she came for the first time to see the match and before the match she told me that she wants to see me performing Sajdah. My start was not good but it was a fine finish and I performed Sajdah and my mother’s dream fulfilled,” Usama said.