Kolkata Knight Riders bowling Coach Wasim Akram on Sunday said that Sunil Narine was a revelation the fifth season of the Indian Premier League.

“He (Narine) has been a revelation. Nobody could read him in this tournament and I don’t think anybody will do it in the next two years. It’s good for KKR.”

Akram was extremely proud talking about the bowlers in KKR.

“My bowlers are the best in the world and we can beat any team with this bowling attack. The variety and the wicket-taking ability are incredible. It’s good to be a part of this team,” he was quoted as saying by iplt20.com.

Akram makes no bones talking about the fact that the change in leadership has resulted in change of fortunes for the team.

“The leadership, the contribution from senior and the foreign players was the key. We’re a family, not a team. We supported each other through thick and thin, and that helped.”

“It was incredible. Credit goes to the captain and his team on the way they have fought throughout the tournament. My voice is gone and I am feeling the same when I did after winning the World Cup for Pakistan. It was worth the wait,” Akram concluded.

Courtesy: CRICKET COUNTRY

The Kolkata Knight Riders bowling coach, Wasim Akram, on Monday credited skipper Gautam Gambhir for his side’s successful IPL campaign so far this season.

The 45-year-old former left-arm Pakistan pacer lavished praise on the Gambhir for his individual form with the bat as well as his captaincy tactics, as the Knight Riders finished the round robin league stage of the ongoing 2012 IPL second on the standings, trailing table topping Delhi Daredevils by just one point.

“Gautam Gambhir has been the main reason for our success,” the former Pakistan skipper wrote in his article for a sports website, ahead of his team’s crunch game against Delhi daredevils on Tuesday.

“He has been an inspirational leader and handled the side well. His attitude has rubbed on to the players and his bowling changes have been brilliant. Gambhir has been a classic example of how a captain should be,” he added further.

After struggling in the initial three editions of the lucrative Indian Premier League, under former skipper Sourav Ganguly, KKR emerged as one of the big teams under Gambhir’s apt leadership. After finishing last season among the top four, the Knight Riders remained among the top three teams this season.

Expressing satisfaction over Knight Riders’ performance so far in the tournament, the KKR bowling mentor termed West Indian off-spin import Sunil Narine as the ‘trump card’ for the season.

“West Indian spinner Sunil Narine has been KKR’s trump card for the season,” said the legendary left-arm pace bowler, also known as the ‘Sultan of Swing’. “Narine continues to be a mystery to many a batsman. Even the experienced Sachin Tendulkar failed to pick his deliveries,” he added further.

The former Pakistan skipper also lavished praise on the experienced overseas duo of Jacques Kallis (South Africa) and Brendon McCullum (New Zealand), saying that their presence has been invaluable.

Wasim Akram, the veteran pace bowler, called the variety in KKR’s bowling unit as their strength. “The variety in the bowling department also makes Kolkata a cut above the rest,” said the former Pakistan pacer, who played 104 Tests and 356 ODIs for his country during an international career spanning 18 years.

Courtesy: BETTOR.COM