'You must use your brains' - Imran tells Sami

Imran Khan advises Mohammad Sami on how to use the wrist position intelligently to control the new ball © Getty Images

Imran Khan took time out of a busy schedule as politician to come to the Pakistan team nets and work out with Mohammad Sami, the young pacer, in a bid to revive his flagging career.

Imran visited the Pakistan nets at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore on Friday and spent over an hour helping out Sami who is struggling to hold his place in the Test team in the series against India. "You must use your brains when you go back for each delivery. You are a wicket-taking bowler and your job is to take wickets. Think about how to get the batsmen out each time you go back to your run-up. Don't be defensive in your approach," Imran told Sami in the presence of Inzamam-ul-Haq and a strong security cordon for the Indian team which went to the gym at the Academy.

Imran, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup victory in 1992 and ended his career as one of the all-time great allrounders with 3807 runs and 362 wickets in 88 Tests, had promised to help out Sami last month on the request of Inzamam. The 53-year-old has, since his retirement in 1992, devoted his time to raising funds and running his Shaukat Khanum cancer research hospital. This, and his career as a politician, has generally kept him away from cricket affairs.

Imran also told Sami that unless he learnt to use his wrist position intelligently to control the new ball he would never be successful with the old ball. Sami, 24, has taken 65 wickets in 24 Tests but at an average of 46.12 and has another 105 in 74 one-day internationals. Imran later told reporters that he hoped Sami would achieve his true potential to help his team beat India in the forthcoming series. "There is no doubt that Sami has not achieved what he is capable of doing at the top level," Imran said. "I came today because I believe Sami has a lot of potential and if he bowls well along with Shoaib, Rana and the others, Pakistan has a very good chance of beating India," he said. Imran, during his coaching session, kept on repeating to Sami to focus on what he is doing.

"I think his session with Imran today will be a big help to him because Imran is greatly respected and looked up to by all the players. I think he passed on some very useful and practical tips to Sami," Inzamam said. Imran said the series against India would be tough but if Pakistan bowlers got hard tracks to bowl on they could win the series. "There will be winter moisture in the pitch and that helps the pace bowlers. I think after the win over England the confidence is there."