'Comparison with Akram is putting Arshdeep under a lot of pressure' - Rhodes

Arshdeep Singh has fast risen as one of India's prime pacers. However, he has been under pressure of late, and Jonty Rhodes feels that comparing him to the likes of Wasim Akram could be the reason for it.

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Former South African superstar fielder Jonty Rhodes judges that rising Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh has developed tremendously as a cricketer and has excellent potential. However, he feels that comparing him to the legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram has apparently put him under pressure. The 23-year-old was one of the positives of India's unsuccessful ICC T20 World Cup 2022 campaign, which ended with a semi-final flop to eventual two-time champion England. Arshdeep, with his both-way swinging ability, finished as the side's foremost wicket-taker, bagging ten wickets from six matches at an economy of 7.80.

"It's putting him under a lot of pressure to compare him to the great Wasim Akram, the sultan of swing. Arsheep has certainly grown in the last two years, and that's been the case with the Indian fast bowlers. You look at a Bumrah; his progression was so quick, and Arshdeep has done the same," Rhodes answered to the media after being roped in as the mentor for 'Samp Army' globally.

"He [Arshdeep] is a young fast bowler willing to learn and listen and 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 good control and can come around the wicket like Wasim Akram effectively," added Rhodes.

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Rhodes, who worked with Arshdeep during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with Punjab Kings (PBKS) as fielding coach, deems that the youngster has superior potential. "He has great potential and the possibility of having a fantastic career. But, you start to compare players to the ones who played before them, which puts them under unnecessary pressure. He wants to be the best, Arshdeep Singh," he supposed.

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After blows in successive T20WCs, Team India is desired to undergo a transition, with the ageing players making way for youths. Questioned who are some of the youngsters the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should invest in, Rhodes enunciated, "The current crop that is in New Zealand is a relatively 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."

For India's three-game Twenty20 International (T20I) series in New Zealand, starting Friday, Shubman Gill, Umran Malik, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have been given an opportunity as senior players have been rested. "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 line-up without the senior players," measured Rhodes.

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Rhodes said that the English, Australian and South African players had profited enormously by playing in the IPL. "You spend a lot of time in India during the IPL format, and even if the players are not playing all the matches, they are participating in conditions that were difficult for them before. They work and train with some of the best players and coaches in the world. That sort of experience helps grow their game just by asking questions," he affirmed.

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Conversing about the T10 format, the South African said it could be suitable for multi-sport events, like the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games (CWG). "T10 is a shorter, more exciting format than even the T20 game that takes three and a half hours. We could see it at competitions like the CWG or Olympics, but the ICC, at this stage, with their FTP, can fit in another format. They are struggling as it is," concluded Rhodes.

(With inputs from PTI)