<strong></strong> <p style="color: #444444;">KARACHI: Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah is determined to make an impact at next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand having been inspired by great Shane Warne.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">“I started playing cricket because I idolised Shane Warne. He has been my role model and I’m keeping my fingers crossed I can make the World Cup squad,” Yasir said in an interview.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">Warne, who finished with 708 Test and 293 ODI wickets, is rated as the greatest leg-spinner in cricket history.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">“Warne transformed cricket with his approach and aggression as a spinner. I want to emulate him and it would be a dream come true if I can leave an impact in Australia,” Yasir, 28, added.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">Yasir is in Pakistan’s 30-man preliminary World Cup squad and, with experienced off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez suspended from bowling in international cricket due to illegal bowling action issue, is in line to spearhead Pakistan’s spin attack at the showpiece.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">Chief selector Moin Khan has already reassured Yasir about his prospects of making the squad, saying: “Certainly after his superb performances in the Tests against Australia and New Zealand he is in our World Cup plan.”</p> <p style="color: #444444;">Yasir, who hails from the small town of Swabi in Khyber Pakthunkhawa province, has been busy studying footage of Warne as he prepares himself for a bigger role in ODI cricket.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">“I have watched his videos and especially how he used to bowl on Australian pitches. I am working very hard on disguising my Googly and making it more effective,” Yasir stated.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">He is confident of playing well in Australia, where he says the extra bounce in the pitches will help him a lot.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">“The first thing I want to do on reaching Australia is to go and spend time in the nets with Warne. I have read that he wants to see me bowl and give me tips. It would be great,” Yasir said.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">Stocky-looking Yasir is the latest quality leg-spinner produced by Pakistan following in the footsteps of Intikhab Alam, Mushtaq Mohammad, Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed and Danish Kaneria, who had to quit the game after getting a life ban for spot-fixing in 2012.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">“I have a good leg-spinner and I modelled my flipper on Warne’s style. But I know I need to make my googly a wicket-taking delivery to be successful in the World Cup,” Yasir, who has claimed 310 first-class wickets at a very impressive average of 24.63, underlined.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">He played an ODI and two T20 matches against Zimbabwe in September 2011 without shining but he made a big impact when he returned to the national squad for Tests against Australia (two Tests) and New Zealand (three) recently in the UAE, taking 27 wickets at a striking average of 26.29.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">Although the selectors called him up for the final three ODIs against New Zealand, Yasir did not get a chance to play.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">He said that bowlers need to adapt to the three different formats of the sport but that he would love to follow the philosophy of Warne to dominate the batsmen.</p> <p style="color: #444444;">“If my captain and coaches want I am ready to play the role of attacking spinner in the World Cup. I want to take wickets for my team not just contain,” added Yasir.</p>
