Wasim Akram praises tall pacer Mohammad Irfan

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram on Wednesday praised tall fast bowler Mohammad Irfan for bowling a tight line against India in the first T20 international in Bangalore and said he would be difficult bowler to handle for the opposition batsmen.

"I am very impressed with his (Mohammad Irfan) performance. I was amazed to see him bowling around 142 and 144 (kmph) at his height, and he also maintained a good aggressive line. If he keeps on bowling like this and further improves he will prove to be too hot to handle for many of the world`s leading players," Akram said. Irfan came back to the national side after being dropped in 2010 and returned with the figures of 25 for 1 in his four overs in Bangalore. Akram said Pakistan displayed maturity and handled the pressure well in Bangalore -- a match they won by five wickets. He also praised contribution from captain Mohammad Hafeez and another senior player Shoaib Malik, and said the team composition should always be a blend of youth and experience players. "The way Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik batted it shows how important experienced players are for the Pakistan team. I am all for inducting new blood and younger players but a proper blend of youth and experience needs to be followed instead of just sidelining the seniors," he said. PTI