Azhar Mahmood, the Desert Vipers fast bowling coach for Season 4 of the DP World ILT20, is backing the Pakistan trio of Naseem Shah, Hassan Nawaz and Fakhar Zaman to have a major impact in this season’s tournament.
Azhar has returned to the franchise after missing Season 3 while working with the Pakistan men’s team – and that meant he saw plenty of Naseem, Hassan and Fakhar.
And he told the Vipers Voices podcast that the three players can be major contributors as the team goes in search of its maiden title.
Starting with fast bowler Naseem, who Azhar worked closely with on national duty, he said: “He has ability and skill. With the new ball, he can swing it up front with good pace and for the last year or so he has become much better as a white-ball bowler.
“He is a fixture now for Pakistan in the white-ball team and he is bowling really well.
“We saw him in the Caribbean Premier League and he was bowling in excess of 145 kilometres per hour, which is a really good sign and now he has vast experience and is understanding his game a bit more.
“He is a great addition to our squad.”
Like Naseem, Hassan Nawaz is all set to play in the DP World ILT20 for the first time off the back of a remarkable year that saw him make his international debut in the format and score a century in only 45 balls against New Zealand.
And Azhar said Hassan’s versatility with the bat offered the Vipers some great options this season.
“Hassan Nawaz is a very exciting young cricketer. He can change the game in no time and he likes to take the bowlers on,” he said. “He has batted throughout his career opening the innings but Pakistan use him in the middle order and that gives us the option to do the same.
“It means he is a very adaptable young player – and also a terrific talent.”
The final player of that Pakistan trio, Fakhar Zaman, is no stranger to the Vipers, having been part of the team in Season 3, and Azhar said the left-handed opener was a leader on and off the pitch.
“Fakhar is a match-winner and he also knows and understands the game really well now and he can adapt his game according to the situation in front of him.
“He will take younger players with him too because of the way he is and that is a good sign too,” he added.
Azhar’s return to the Vipers means he will have the opportunity to work with one of the break-out stars of Season 3, fast bowler Khuzaima bin Tanveer, who is still qualifying to play for the UAE.
Khuzaima was retained by the franchise off the back of his excellent form in the previous edition of the tournament and Azhar said he was looking forward to his interactions with the player.
“I watched Khuzaima closely last season and he has got raw pace,” he said.
“I have never worked with him but it may well be that my main input with him might be over tactical things because I have seen he is a wonderful prospect to become a really wonderful fast bowler.”
One bowler Azhar knows all about already is Sam Curran, a player he worked with for many years at English county side Surrey.
Since the last edition of the DP World ILT20, Sam has returned to the England white ball set-up through the strength of his performances and Azhar said having someone of Sam’s quality in the dressing room – a player who has developed a superb slower ball – was a huge bonus.
“I am really happy for Sam because he is a hardworking cricketer and I am really grateful he has come back into that England squad,” he said.
“Sam is a match-winner whether he has a bat in his hand, a ball or even in the field, and his presence in the dressing room gives a lot of others in the dressing room motivation to succeed.
“Sam is a guy you can throw the ball to in tough situations and the same is true with the bat as he won a lot of games for the Vipers last season with the bat.
“His slower ball is a ball to make batters make mistakes, it is coming out with a dip at the end and with no change in arm speed. It is a great addition to his armoury.”
Explaining his philosophy as a bowling coach, Azhar added: “Sometimes in the T20 format you can go for runs but it is really important how you bounce back.
“Every bowler has different requirements and I need to see what each of them needs. Some may need a technical tweak and some may want a tactical chat.
“It is all about confidence and how bowlers bounce back in this format – both after a good performance and a bad performance.
“My philosophy as a bowling coach is simple: you cannot control the ball you have bowled already but you can control the ball you are going to bowl next. That is what is most important.
“Stick to your basics and keep it simple.”
Azhar said he was delighted to return to the franchise and was positive what the season ahead had in store.
“It is great to be back with the Vipers again and it feels like home to me,” he said.
“I went away for international duty with Pakistan but now an opportunity has come for me, I am back here and delighted to be back.
“The franchise is all about great people and a great environment, the franchise has a very professional way of working and a strong culture here. I have worked with these (Desert Vipers) coaches before; I know a lot of the players and so it is very good to be back.
“As a team, we have experience and we have a lot of skills in this dressing room but we have not won this tournament and, for me winning the tournament is the most important thing this year.
“What we need to win is calmness, focus and bravery – and, under pressure, how we cope with tough situations.
“If we stay calm and do our basics well then I think we will be fine.”
