New Delhi: The Punjab-based pacer Arshdeep Singh has been making headlines with his extraordinary performances. In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, the left-arm speedster was one of the positives for the Indian team as he picked 10 wickets from six games at an economy of 7.80.
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes reckons that Arshdeep has grown a lot as a cricketer. He also spoke about his comparison to Pakistan’s great Wasim Akram.
"I think that's putting him under a lot of pressure, to compare him to the great Wasim Akram, the sultan of swing," Rhodes told reporters.
"Arshdeep has certainly grown in the last two years and that's been the case with the Indian fast bowlers. You look at a Bumrah and his progression was so so quick and Arshdeep has done the same, he is a young fast bowler, willing to learn and listen and he puts in the hard yards.
"He does swing the ball and has been a revelation at the death. He's great in the powerplay, has got good control and he can come around the wicket like Wasim Akram effectively," he added. Rhodes has seen Arshdeep closely when he was a fielding coach of the IPL side Punjab Kings.
"He's someone who has great potential and possibility of having a fantastic career. But you start to compare players to the ones who played before them, that puts them under unnecessary pressure. He wants to be the best Arshdeep Singh."
When asked about who are some of the exciting players, Rhodes stated, "The current crop that is in New Zealand is a fairly young team and there are some great players in the line up.
"And because of the success of the IPL, you certainly have an amazing platform to showcase their skill."
"You look at the T20 squad selected just after the T20 World Cup, that gives a good indication of the ability of some of the players. It's a strong lineup without the senior players."