Bob Woolmer Predicted Mohammad Asif's Bowling Success, Says Ramiz Raja
Zeeshan Mehtab
Published September 21, 2026 | 11:33 AM
Woolmer told me Asif's bowling speed, leaving me surprised; Asif later became an excellent bowler through his line and length, says former cricketer.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2026)
During commentary on the first day of the second Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's, Ramiz Raja made an interesting revelation about a prediction made by former coach Bob Woolmer regarding Mohammad Asif.
Raja recalled that when he first saw Asif, he was with Bob Woolmer, and Asif had not yet played a single match for Pakistan.
Woolmer introduced him to Ramiz and said that Mohammad Asif would become a great bowler in the future.
Raja's first question to Woolmer was about Asif's speed. Woolmer told him that Asif's speed at the time was around 130 kilometres per hour, which surprised Raja because Pakistan had always been known for fast bowlers, and he wondered how Asif could be a fast bowler at that speed.
Asif later became an excellent bowler because of his line and length, but they were accustomed to seeing speeds of 90 miles per hour, so watching this type of bowling felt unusual.
Raja said he had been part of teams that demolished opponents purely through pace. Reverse swing, yorkers, and bouncers at 95 miles per hour were the basic elements of their bowling.
He noted that the concept of bowling at a consistent length was relatively uncommon among Pakistani bowlers. They gave opponents no opportunity to settle and always played aggressively.