Akhtar’s pace, McGrath’s line & length: Kagiso Rabada mentions attributes of other fast bowlers that he would wish to have

Rabada was asked by a fan about qualities he would want to have from other fast bowlers and his answer showed the amount of respect he has for past greats and the ambition he has from his career.

Over the last 5 years, Kagiso Rabada has been one of the few bright spots in what has been a difficult period for South African cricket. The team has been in a transition phase and has found it difficult to find new stars who would take over from an extremely talented bunch.

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada bowls during the 3rd and final T20 cricket match between South Africa and Australia at Newlands Cricket stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. (AP Photo) (AP)

Rabada’s arrival helped South Africa cope with the Dale Steyn’s injury-hit last few years and the retirement of Morne Morkel. The youngster has now well and truly established himself as the leader of the fast bowling unit. His performance across format make him a special talent, who along with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins, are being seen as the men who will headline this generation of speedsters.

Rabada, who is an integral part of the Delhi Capitals franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently interacted with his fans via an Instagram live. He was asked by a fan about qualities he would want to have from other fast bowlers and his answer showed the amount of respect he has for past greats and the ambition he has from his career.

“If I had to become a bowler by combining the best of all fast bowlers of all time, I’d pick the pace of Shoaib Akhtar, the bounce, line and length of Glenn McGrath, the aggression of Dale Steyn, and the swing of Jimmy Anderson – that’s the bowler I would love to be!” the young paceman Rabada said.

Rabada has 197 wickets in 43 Test matches to his name. He has also taken 117 wickets in 75 ODIs and 30 wickets in 24 T20 internationals.

Known for not shying away from a verbal duel with the opponents, Rabada stressed that whatever happens between cricketers always stays on the field.

“A lot of people think I have a short temper. The thing is that sledging is a part of the game. No fast bowler is going to be nice to the batsman. But what we need to understand is that it’s never personal. After the game, you shake hands, respect each other’s crafts and move on,” he said.

About life under lockdown, the 25-year-old has been keeping himself busy with a podcast he has started with a friend. “I’ve kept myself busy creatively. I’ve been working on a podcast called The Viral Wellness, with a friend, where we get experts to come and talk about wellness – physical, mental, educational – and both of us just try and have some fun with the script,” he said.