Mohammad Amir is the latest in the lineage of quality fast bowlers from Pakistan © Getty Images

Watching young Mohammad Amir make Ricky Ponting dance to his tunes was both a sight and a statement. Despite the turmoil in Pakistan cricket, the crop of quality fast bowlers has rarely, or never, seen a downswing. Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar -- the lineage is potent and the character entrenched in their cricket.

Pace bowling continues to absorb Pakistan like nothing else. So what is it about Pakistan that ensures their supply line is never dry? After all, fast bowling is one of the most gruelling aspects of the game.

It ought to do something, or a lot, with their genetics. They come across as a tough race with an aggressive streak, which is an indispensable factor to bowl quick. They are born fighters and that streak ensures that they keep coming back at you. If cricket is just the expression of your true self, fast bowling exposes that vein better than anything else.

Then there’s a strong culture of playing tennis-ball cricket in Pakistan. But unlike the usual tennis ball, they tape the ball to make it slightly heavier. Now, you can either be a fast bowler or a batsman to survive in that format, for spinners would be ineffective with a tennis ball. And if you choose to bowl quick, then you must develop a quick arm action, strong shoulders and an even stronger back to generate pace with a ball as light as a tennis ball. That’s their first lesson in fast bowling but one which keeps them in good stead in the future.

Another thing that I have observed while playing with them in England is that fast bowlers from Pakistan are an extremely confident lot. Perhaps bordering on over-confidence, but I’d rather err on that side if I’m a fast bowler, because that very nature, at times, makes you vie for a comeback when all seems lost.

If all of these factors do their bit, this seals the deal - the legacy. Their fast bowlers have always been larger-than-life figures who’d inspire millions to be like them. Their persona and flamboyance is what a 10-year old kid would want to emulate when he grows up. The respect that a fast bowler gets in his community, village and town is beyond compare. And that respect is what a sportsperson craves for and its pursuit drives him for months and years.

The credit cannot and should not be given solely to the infrastructure or the system, for their meteoric rise is part of a sustained campaign by the nation as a whole. Respect and legacy are much bigger incentives than the technical support. Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet, doesn’t run for Jamaica but for his village. And guess what, he never had the proper shoes to train, in fact he would run barefoot on the beach all the time. The same goes for Sansarpur, the ‘Mecca’ of Indian hockey which boasts of producing more hockey players than the entire country put together. And yes, even they lack the high performance facilities.

Resources can surely help but only if there’s a genuine concern for the talent. As long as Pakistan can feel proud in the achievements of their faster men, they would keep producing Amirs by the dozen.

Aakash's Twitter feed is here http://twitter.com/cricketaakash

Ravindra Jadeja's critics seem to be mixing his T20 failures with his showing in ODIs © Getty Images

“Who should be playing at No.7 for India?” – That question qualifies to be the single-most popular point of debate looming large on everyone’s mind. Cricket pundits, media, blogosphere and discussion forums are thinking aloud while the selectors are keeping a close eye on the contenders. Of course, one doesn’t need rocket science to decode the answer – the player at No. 7 has to be an ‘allrounder’ for it’s too low for a pure batsman and too high for a bowler to bat. So who is an ‘allrounder’? No, he isn’t a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’. Kallis, who’d walk into any team purely as a batsman, and yet deliver with the ball, or Flintoff, who’d be the spearhead of any bowling attack, and yet be able to flash his bat, are the ones who win the title hands down.

Let’s go over the probables to see who fits the bill best - there’s been a lot of debate to bring Irfan Pathan back into the mix. This debate has potential; the guy has shown enough talent and temperament to become a genuine allrounder. With his batting abilities, he could be your ideal No. 7 for he has both the sense to farm the strike and the guts to use the long handle to good effect. Unfortunately though, his bowling has put him off the radar. He seems to have lost a bit of pace and swing lately which means that he must bowl with the new ball and stay away from the death overs. But don’t we already have Praveen Kumar with the same job profile? The Indian team can’t have both Praveen and Irfan in the playing XI for both of them can’t be bowling in tandem with the new ball. More importantly, you can’t expect your spinners to be bowling in the batting Powerplay and the death overs. Irfan may be a better batsman but only three quick bowlers can play in the XI which means Irfan must bowl his quota of 10 overs, which seems difficult in the sub-continent, or so the team management believes.

Since the World Cup is slated for the subcontinent, good thinking says, we would need a spinning allrounder rather than a fast-bowling one.

So now the toss-up is between Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja. Ideally the No. 7 batsman should be a big hitter who could hit sixes at ease and going by that criterion Pathan Sr. fits the bill perfectly. And that’s why the selectors put him on trial initially but his inability to hit consistently and more importantly his inability to bowl 7-8 overs on a regular basis cost him his place in the side.

Now the only available and promising option left for India is Jadeja. Jadeja may be the last choice but not necessarily a bad one. The only thing that goes against him is that he’s a grafter and not a big hitter and you’d seldom wish for a grafter at No. 7. But he’s bringing enough to the table to make up for that shortcoming. He’s bowling his quota of 10 overs on a regular basis at a miserly economy of under five runs an over. He also chips in with a wicket or two to add value. And he’s one of the best outfielders with extremely quick legs to cover the ground and a rocket-like throw even from the deep. Though he hasn’t set the world alight with the bat, he still averages in the mid-30s in ODIs which isn’t poor; keeping in mind that No. 7 is the toughest spot to bat in an ODI. His critics seem to be mixing his T20 failures with his showing in ODIs which is not fair on the guy.

I, and presumably the Indian team too, would go with Jadeja for the World Cup. Once they have identified Jadeja as their ideal No. 7, it’s only just to persist with him especially when he’s doing his job just fine.

Aakash's Twitter feed is here http://twitter.com/cricketaakash

Virender Sehwag averages 34 in ODIs compared to 54 in Tests © Getty Images

Sample this - Malinga bowls a barrage of well-directed bouncers, Viru looks right through and refuses to bite. He either ducks or simply moves away from the line almost every single time. Malinga keeps him quiet for a few deliveries but Viru persists and rejects the temptation to go for the kill, instead waits patiently for the ball to pitch in his area of dominance. And just when the moment arrives, he abandons restrain and flings the ball in style. He does so not because he has played a few dot balls but because the ball ought to be hit and he obliges. That’s Virender Sehwag for you in Test cricket.

Change the colour of the ball from red to white, the clothing from white to blue, and Sehwag would not only bite but might also succumb in the process. Viru boasts of scoring a mammoth 7000 runs in both Test and ODI cricket, yet his lack of consistency in the shorter format continues to be a bane. Ironically, though, his batting seems to be tailor-made for the slam-bang shorter format. So, what’s the logic behind such patchy performances in ODIs?

Lets first make sense of what makes Viru tick in the longer format, because it is the exact opposite of this that somewhat explains his instability in the shorter formats. Sehwag’s game is built around hitting boundaries for he’s definitely not one who’d happily rotate strike for a few overs without finding the fence. Regardless of however defensive the fielding captain is, it’s imperative to start with attacking field positions which means all bad balls and good shots reach the fence. Contrary to the popular belief that Sehwag follows the simple formula of seeing-and-hitting, in Test cricket, he not only has a specific plan but also the discipline to follow it to the T.

Delhi had lost an early wicket in an inconsequential Ranji trophy game against minnows Orissa. The track was wet and had plenty in it for the quick bowlers. In came Viru, he danced down the track and played a wild slog, missing the ball by a mile. I, at the other end, went down to reason it out with him. To my utter disbelief he said he’d missed the ball on purpose because the chances of connecting cleanly were minimal. Instead, he wanted the bowler to pitch it short the following delivery. The bowler fell for it, obliged and Viru smashed him for four. That incident, followed by quite a few like it, gave me an insight into Viru’s mind. After all, he doesn’t keep it as simple as it looks, at least not at the planning level.

But an inverse logic is brought into action every time Sehwag goes for an outing in the shorter format. He doesn’t have the same planning in place or the patience to follow it, for he believes that it’s almost mandatory to up the ante all the time. Even if he’s already hit two fours in an over, he believes he must go for the third one. His success in Test cricket lies in choosing the right balls to hit, and not in hitting every single ball, which he tries to do in an ODI. He plays shots like the pull and hook, which don’t come naturally to him. He would take the aerial route not because it was the need of the hour but because that’s what you must do in shorter formats, or so he feels. Little does he realise that if you’re already driving at 150kmph, there’s only so much faster you can go and be safe. If you’re driving in the fifth gear, you must be ready to apply the brakes. And regardless of the format, Sehwag always bats in the fifth gear with the only option of slowing down available to him.

The shots which find the boundary ropes in Test cricket don’t reach the fence in the shorter format due to defensive field placements and that, perhaps, forces him to raise the bar even further. Whatever the reason for his not climbing the summit in the shorter formats, he must find a way out of it. For the average of less than 34 in ODIs doesn’t do justice to the talent this man possesses.

Aakash Chopra's Twitter feed is here: http://twitter.com/cricketaakash

MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara did not attack during crucial phases of the Test series © Cameraworx/Live Images

With the exception of the drab draw at SSC, the recently concluded Test series did produce some high-quality cricket – Murali weaving his magic at Galle, Malinga constantly making the ball talk, Sehwag taking the attack to the opposition, Sachin’s resilience and Laxman’s gritty match-winning innings, to name a few. While these exhibitions would keep the critics at bay for a while, another aspect of the game, hitherto of no great concern, has sprung up to be a potential alarm for both sides. It was the quality of leadership, or the lack of it, from both Dhoni and Sanga, which left a lot to be desired.

Let’s go backwards. While it was an exceptional knock from Laxman, which sealed the day for the Indians, Sanga’s tactics were baffling to say the least. He started the day with four men on the fence even when Ishant was on strike. Then he made the culpable error of having both long-on and long-off on the fence for Laxman, early on in his innings, knowing rather well that Laxman rarely takes the aerial route. Laxman obliged by rotating strike with ease to find his groove. And then how could you explain not having a slip for Mendis when only wickets could win you the match? These were only a few of the many such glaring errors he made throughout the series.

If Sangakkara bungled up, Dhoni too was in the wrong for being too defensive. Yes, he was impaired in the bowling department but that’s exactly when you need to take the initiative. For a good captain can make an ordinary line-up efficient. Instead of taking the gamble of playing one extra bowler, he took the safer option. Then we repeatedly saw field placements for bad balls. Or else, how could you explain a deep point in the first over of the Test match? How could you explain not having a single slip in place when the Sri Lankans needed only a handful of runs to win the first Test match? And so on.

The real test of a captain’s leadership skills is to lead a depleted unit. Steve Waugh didn’t have to be imaginative with regards to fielding positions and bowling changes whenever he needed a breakthrough. All he needed to do was to throw the ball towards either Warne or McGrath or perhaps both in tandem. But when you have to deal with the likes of Mithun, Ishant and Ojha, you need to make them look more effective than they may be on a particular day by employing different strategies along with some smart field positions. A good captain, contrary to popular belief, is not as good as his team but the one who makes the team punch above its weight.

Dhoni’s USP, until now, has been to think out-of-the-box and his willingness to punt. For me, the defining moment in Dhoni’s captaincy was when he put his money on rookie Joginder Sharma and picked him to bowl the last over of the World Twenty20 in 2007. And voila, it paid off!

Captaincy is a lot about instinct and having the guts to go with the feeling. Dhoni showed both, and in heaps, but if he abandons it for safety, which he seems to be doing, he would cease to be the maverick of a captain we all believe that he is.

Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh looked quite listless, which in turn made the Indian attack look rather pedestrian © Live Images

MS Dhoni has hoped for a bigger pool of fast bowlers to choose from. Most captains, selectors and critics have craved for the same for a long time in order to improve India’s performances overseas. They believed, and rightly so, that one of the main reasons for India’s dismal showing abroad was the paucity of good quick bowlers, for our spinners weren’t half as effective on seamer-friendly surfaces. Ergo anyone who could bowl quick was fast-tracked to first-class level and eventually to international cricket - Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Sudeep Tyagi to name a few. Jaydev Unadkat and Jaskaran Singh are the new names in that ever growing list.

In due course of time, we got so obsessed with the fast bowlers that we completely ignored the spinners. We believed that our legacy of great spinners would ensure the regular supply of quality spinners in dozens. We even asked our curators to prepare sporting tracks (which means green-tops) at the first-class level to encourage the quick men. On such surfaces, the role of spinners changed radically from being aggressive to defensive. They were no longer expected to take wickets regularly, but were asked to hold one end up till the seamers get a breather and are raring to go again.

Inspite of such obvious attempts, some might argue that we still don’t have the expected pool of fast bowlers. It isn’t because of a dearth of fast bowlers but a bungled logic that believes in fast-tracking and not nurturing, the two being diametrically opposite.

As unobvious as it may appear, what’s hurting India right now and would in a bigger way is the paucity of good spinners. A closer look at our resources might tell you the true picture. Three spinners picked for this Test series, literally picked themselves in the squad, for they are the best we have at this moment. Some may still argue about Murali Kartik, but since the endeavour seems to be to build the team for the future, I’d, with slight reluctance, go with their ‘no-looking-back-policy’.

In the first two Tests, both Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha made no impression whatsoever. In fact both of them looked quite listless, which in turn made the Indian attack, look rather pedestrian. A good spinner is not the one who runs through a side on a crumbling surface but the one who makes his presence felt even on the flattest of tracks. In fact, such tracks demand a bigger contribution from the tweakers because you can push your fast bowlers only so much. For them, length becomes the non-negotiable factor while they must keep varying the lines, angles and speed. If you can’t take wickets, try creating pressure by keeping the batsman quiet. If you can’t breach his technique, challenge his ego. What we saw in the first two Tests was everything but this. Harbhajan may not have liked to be singled out but that’s the price you must pay for your success. People criticize you because they expect you to deliver, for who would talk about a show pony?

Yet the situation at the top may not be as alarming, but the scenario a step below is quite disappointing. Would you believe me if I were to tell you that there’s not a single spinner in the country who’s got what it takes to succeed in the longer format? A glance at the highest-wicket takers in the first-class season would validate my point. Eight out of top 10 are fast bowlers in a country which boasts of a rich history of spinners. Most spinners at the first-class level prefer to bowl quicker and flatter instead of tossing the ball and adding revolutions to get the dip, drift and spin. They have already sacrificed spin for accuracy and guile for economy. And believe me it has a lot to do with the advent of T20 cricket. The longer version of the game has paved the way for the shortest format even at the school and age-group level cricket, which means kids, from a very young age, are encouraged to bowl quicker in the air and shorter spells. Even if they aren’t told to do so, the survival instinct doesn’t allow them to flight the ball. For they pay a heavy price for every ‘flighted’ delivery.

My suggestion, though radical, would be to keep T20 cricket out of bounds for young spinners. Once spotted the talent to flight, drift and more importantly spin, they must be nurtured till they mature. For once they mature, they would develop the knowhow to succeed in all conditions and formats without forfeiting their basic craft.