The former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has narrated a story related to the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he used to play for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while the Pakistan legend Wasim Akram was the bowling consultant of KKR.
Brett Lee recalled that he was bowling in the nets to the South African batsman Jacques Kallis who was a vital member of the KKR squad at that point in time and he was doing that under the supervision of Wasim, as Wasim was a part of the support staff and was keeping a keen eye on all the bowlers.
According to Lee, who was narrating the story on his YouTube channel, Kallis was in such good form that whatever he was bowling to him, he was middling that and he was at extreme ease against the other KKR bowlers as well. It didn’t seem as if anyone could dismiss Kallis in the nets.
Wasim Akram then took the matter into his own hands, even though he was long retired from the game. He also told Lee what he was going to do against Kallis. Wasim said he would swing four balls into Kallis and then would bowl a sucker delivery which would swing away from the right-hander and would lure Kallis into a false stroke.
Wasim Akram subtly changed the direction of the seam: Brett Lee
Lee further stated as Wasim bowled the first four balls, they did swing into the right-hander a little bit, but Kallis didn’t really have any issues in handling them and he kept them all out with solid forward defensive shots, but as Wasim was going to his bowling mark before the fifth delivery, he winked and told Lee “Watch now”.
Lee said Wasim just changed the direction of the seam as he ran into the bowl of the fifth ball. The seam was no longer pointed towards the fine leg in his hand, as it was pointed for the inswingers. Wasim pointed the seam towards the first slip this time and bowled it a little wider. The result was an outswinger, an outside edge, and Kallis was gone.
