RAPIDS’ talented Pakistani leg spinner Usama Mir has revealed he’s studying video footage of the likes of the late Shane Warne, Imran Tahir and Rashid Khan to improve his own game.
Usuama was confirmed as a Rapid for the remainder of the Blast campaign last week as a replacement for injured Michael Bracewell and celebrated with 4-22 in the weekend win over the Leicestershire Foxes.
Speaking before Worcestershire kicked off the final third of Blast games with the visits of Lancashire on Tuesday (June 20) and Notts Outlaws on Thursday (June 22), Mir also said playing with the Rapids was a great learning process.
He has taken 12 wickets in his five Blast appearances and has also made several important late order contributions with the bat and his ability to clear the ropes.
Usama said: “I study every leg spinner. Shane Warne, brilliant, Rashid Khan, world class, a legend, I always love to watch him, Adil Rashid.
“Imran Tahir I also love to watch, Ish Sodhi the same. I also used to watch Shahid Afridi a lot. He is my role model, the way he bowled, the way he batted. I tried to copy his cricket skills.
“I know I’m not quite good enough like him but I try my level best to become as good as I can.
“Everytime I learn something from the top leg spinners, how to bowl a wrong one, a flipper, everything.
“I try to learn as much as I can as a cricketer. It is a learning process and wherever you have played, and however much you have achieved in your career, it is still a learning process. I watch a lot of YouTube videos of leg spinners and try to take in as much as I can.”
Usama is viewing his current spell with the Rapids in the same manner and he has been on the winning side in four of his five appearances.
He said: I’m enjoying my time here and happy with my performances. I always try best with bowling and batting.
“I enjoy hitting sixes and hopefully in the next games the crowds will see more sixes and more wickets as well.
“I try my best every day to give match-winning performances. I’ve worked really hard in the past and look to improve day by day.
“England county cricket is a great learning experience especially. When you share a dressing room with these talented players, good players like Adam Hose, Jack Haynes and Brett D’Oliveira, it is a learning process for me.”
Usama is looking for the Rapids to maintain their push for a spot on the quarter-finals.
He said: “We will give our best in the next game to give some happiness to the home crowd.
“The competition is wide open and we will try to come back even stronger.”