Fast bowling legend Shoaib Akhtar is very sad that Pakistani pacers don't seek any advice from him or from any other retired great that the country has produced, something which Indian bowlers do time and again, whenever they feel the need, reports India Today.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar congratulated Mohammed Shami for his brilliant performance in the Vizag Test and went on to reveal that the Indian pacer had actually called him to seek advice on his bowling after the 50-over World Cup in England.
"After India's (50-over) World Cup disappointment, Shami called me up one day and said he was feeling sad that he could not do well for India. I told him not to lose heart but maintain fitness. I told him that the home series is coming and you will do well.
"I told Shami that I want him to become a tearaway pacer, running through batting line-ups. He has seam and swing, besides that he has reverse swing which very few bowlers in the subcontinent have. I told him you can become king of reverse swing.
"Now, you see what he has done, he has got wickets from a docile pitch (in Visakhaptnam). I am very happy for him," Akhtar said in the 10-minute long video.
Shami has in the past gone on record to thank Akhtar for his tips on fast bowling.
But Akhtar, who picked 444 international wickets and played for Pakistan from 1997 to 2011, rued the fact that Indian bowlers call him to seek advice on fast bowling but Pakistanis don't.
"I feel very sad that Indian fast bowlers keep calling us to take tips and seek advice but our Pakistani pacers don't ask. Nobody from the team has ever called me up to seek tips on how to increase your pace, arm-speed, run-up etc. Nobody is ready to ask.
"Very sad that they don't ask us on how to increase the pace. It is a sad scenario as far as my country is concerned.
"Newcomers like Naseem Shah, Musa Khan and Haris Rauf... they can become the fastest bowlers in the world. I really wish they would come to me for advice. I want to make them tearaway fast bowlers so that they can make their own name in international cricket," Akhtar said.