Although the Delhi Capitals have won their first two games without Mitchell Starc, bowling coach Munaf Patel believes there is “no bigger bowler than him in the IPL” and wants his speed spearhead to join the team as soon as possible.
Former India bowler Munaf claimed that Starc’s contributions are only comparable to those of Jasprit Bumrah.
Starc is recovering from a shoulder injury and has not yet received the NOC from Cricket Australia.
Before the match against the Gujarat Titans, Munaf told reporters that he enquires about Starc’s arrival every day.
“We have won two games so it has not been felt. If we don’t do well, it depends. He is one of the best in the world. There is no bigger bowler in the IPL than Starc. Bumrah is the only one I can think of. He has so much experience, he swings at 140kmph plus with the new ball. I follow up with the team every day. Cricket Australia will update us. We need him as our main bowler,” PTI quoted Munaf as saying.
Munaf enjoys working with bowlers like Aquib Nabi, T Natarajan, and Lungi Ngigi at DC. Munaf had a clever answer when asked about bowlers who frequently break down at speeds of 150 kmph and higher.
“The guys who bowl at 150 are not playing. If they don’t play they will stay injured. We have come from a system that the more you bowl the more rhythm you have. When you are injured and not in rhythm, you will automatically get injured,” he said.
Munaf was all praise for Ngidi, who has recently amazed everyone with his variations.
“Lungi with his limitations, he is a very good bowler. He is a good man, he is an easy man to handle unlike other foreigners. He has a good idea of how to bowl on these wickets. He doesn’t try to bowl at express pace. He uses his yorkers and slower ones effectively.”
On Nabi, he added: “He is fond of bowling, has a great work ethic. IPL kee hawa nahi lagi hain ab tak (He has not got the hang of IPL yet). He took 60 wickets in Ranji Trophy, it is a big deal. He is ready to play for us. He could play anytime including as an impact player.”
