“In my opinion, he has got the maximum lift from this surface and he also moved the ball most.

This boy has the potential to serve India for long,” remarked the former West Indian great who took 249 wickets from 60 Tests and was so quick that he was called “whispering death”, so smooth even the umpires couldn’t hear him approaching from behind.

“Indeed, I feel I have seen three boys in this Test who can have a long and productive career. In my estimation they are Irfan Pathan, Mohammad Asif and RP Singh.” Holding though is concerned about the drop in pace of Pathan who he feels is wrong with his grip on the red cherry. “He seems to bring his thumb completely under the ball. In other words he is holding the ball too deep. If you keep the ball too deep you wouldn’t be able to generate real good spead,” opined Holding.

Former Pakistan medium-fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz though advocates that Pathan should push the ball as deep as possible in his palm for him to gain control and swing.

“You try to push the ball as deep as possible in your grip. If you do it, your thumb will cover at least one third of the ball, your grip will be stronger and you would be able to hit the seam as you want and even bring greater accuracy,” remarked Sarfraz.

Holding though tends to differ.

“Sarfraz was never more than medium-pace. His speed never crossed 80 mph. Here we are trying to make the ball bowl quicker. It would require that he releases the ball without pushing it too deep in the palm.”

Holding has passed on his tips to Indian coach Greg Chappell because, as he said, Pathan is extremely talented. Pathan has picked up 74 wickets from 20 Tests but the last two games have yielded just one wicket. But it is not his lack of success which is a concern. His pace has dropped sharply and with competition for new ball hotting up and Zaheer Khan making an impressive return, even his place in the side could be under threat.

However, Mushtaq Ahmed, assistant bowling coach of Pakistan team and former Test leg-spinner who picked 185 wickets in his 52-Test career, feels that Pathan doesn’t need to do anything dramatic in his bowling style. He just needs to keep concentrating on his rhythm and claiming a wicket or two.

“I personally feel that wickets are not claimed by talent alone. You need to believe that you can take wickets. It is this ability which is the difference between success and failure. Sometimes your head is falling away. On other occasions you could be bending too back. Or you might by leaping too much at the point of delivery. These are little things which can come into your bowling.

However, if you feel good in your rhythm it really doesn’t make much of a difference. Sometimes bowlers tend to think more about such issues rather than concentrate on acquiring rhythm,” concluded Mushtaq.