SportsAre you a sports fan? Congratulations…you are at right place. Read articles OR get to know latest sports news. OR even enjoy thousands of games online.
When the conditions are not suitable for swing bowling especially in the subcontinent or when the ball is little older, bowler can rely on the movement off the wicket. All great fast bowlers have the mastery over swinging balls to seam further after pitching. The most important aspect here again is accuracy, variation in pace, use of the crease and sheer knowledge, to pick up batsman’s weakness.
(A delivery which cuts back after pitching from off to leg) Off cutters can be bowled with different grips holding the ball firmly like an off spinner or holding the seam horizontally with out swingers grip.
(A delivery, which cuts from leg to off and goes away from the batsman). A Leg-cutter can be bowled with either leg spinners grip or by holding the seam horizontally (cross seam) with in-swinger grip.
Its Simple:
Ideal delivery on a dry or turning tracks where there is a little bite in the pitch. Leg-cutters with variation in pace can be devastating. Concentrate on pitching the ball on the middle and leg stump, which will encourage the batsman to play against the direction of the ball.
(Fuller length delivery bowled at high speed pitching around the batting crease). Hold the ball with vertical seam pointing straight towards stumps aiming at batsman’s feet. Try and release the ball at highest point of action.
Its Simple:
Requires a great shoulder action. Cleverly bowled in-swinging Yorker will definitely bring good result. However, sheer hard work and practice is required for perfection in the art. The importance of mastery in Yorkers has increased in modern times due to the introduction of one-day cricket. According to Wasim Akram, Yorker takes the energy of his six normal deliveries. Aiming at the bails of the stumps is what Wasim recommends. Strong body and wrist action are essential to get this delivery effective. It needs to be quick in the air to be devastating. Watching the Batsman closely in his stance, especially his position in the popping crease, is important to adjust your length.
Lethal weapon of a fast bowler pitching short and rising chest high) Bouncer can be bowled with any action (out-swinger or in-swinger). It could be tried with cross seam too.
Its Simple:
Bouncer should be aimed at the batsman’s head. Bouncer takes the efforts of three normal deliveries, so passing well over the head is a complete waste. A bowl should be pitched as hard as possible, therefore release the ball later than normal with the aim of not being too short.
Pakistan’s gift to modern day cricket. The story says that the Pakistani stalwart Sarfaraz Nawaz, discovered the art and passed it on. Today it is one of the most important features in cricket. Mastery of this art can have prodigious effects on the game. Famous two Ws of Pakistan, Wasim and Waqar achieved miraculous wins this swing. Two grips are on display here to get movement with an old ball. Remember, some work should be done on the ball to keep one side glossy and the other retaining its natural roughness, then the ball starts reverse swinging in the direction of the shiny side.
It is common to see a more pronounced swing with reverse than normal swing. Very important to have a good, basic bowling action, and for best results you need to be quick in the air, hence a great body effort is required. The wrist again should be firm behind the ball. Pushing at the ball to achieve that speed in the air. Crucial here, is the direction in which the ball is released because the ball has a big late movement. In case of the incoming delivery, do keep the ball wide outside the off stump, so when the swing finished it should be hitting the stumps. Length must be very full. Waqar Younis is a master of this particular delivery. Off course, needs hard work and skill. But when you have it you have a trump card up your sleeve!
(A delivery bowled by a slow bowler from Off to the leg side for any right-handed batsman). Placing the ball between index and middle finger with wide gap between them, the other two fingers should be under the ball (refer to the diagram).
The first finger (index) is the main spinning finger. The idea is to give the ball a big rip with strong fingers. A common sight is a bowler just rolling the ball through. Although you are not bowling fast, remember bowling spin (quality spin) needs a great body effort and keeping that bowling arm high at the point of delivery is always an asset.
Doosra
The doosra is the off-spinner's version of the googly. It's bowled from the back of the hand with a lot of top spin, but the wrist still moves in a clockwise direction. It is a very difficult skill to master so you'll need plenty of practice if you want to learn how to do it.
The bowler bowls the ball with the same finger action as normal off spin, but holds the wrist turned so the back of the hand faces towards the batsman. This gives the ball spin in the opposite direction to an off break, causing it to spin from the leg side to the off side to a right-handed batsman.
(Delivery bowled by a slow spin bowler from leg stump to offstump). The ball should be gripped across the seam with first three fingers and thumb. A bowler should bring the wrist down heavily at the time of delivery.
Its Simple:
A lot of wrist action is required for a leg break. Leg spinners bring a lot of excitement to the game. It’s definitely a challenging art, which requires mastery and yes, also a big heart to be dominating. High level of accuracy with variations like googly flipper and a top spinner is a match-winning proposition. Unlike off spinners, Leg spinners can turn the ball on any surface. Again one should use the wrist and fingers strongly to spin the ball considerably. Try getting the bowling arm down quickly and close to the body to get a great loop. A spinners weapon!
A leg spinner released from the back of the hand to spin the other way is called Googly. The grip is similar to that of a leg spin only the release is different.
Its Simple:
Do keep the wrist supple and make sure you finish the bowling arm towards your back thigh like you would with an in swinger. Most effective if pitched on driving length outside the off stump, encouraging a right-hander to drive against the spin
1. Physical & mental toughness
2. Concentration - tend to loose concentration when tired
3. Use of the crease
4. To maintain the ball (Secret of Pakistan's success).
5. Positive approach.
6. Changing of under garments regularly, shirt, socks etc. to achieve that extra
7. Don’t be disheartened when a catch is dropped.
8. Good footwear to avoid injuries.
9. A light jog and some stretching is essential after a tiring day’s play to avoid stiffness in the body next day.
There are 2 popular techniques used to catch a ball. The two "cups" of hands. One cup is where the two little fingers are overlapping. This is to ensure that there is no "give or break through" when the ball hits the area. The other cup has no overlapping fingers. See Pic.
You could use either method but the important thing here is to make a big cup. This is for obvious reasons. One should let the ball hit the base of the fingers on the palm, which means on reflex the fingers close on the ball. Ensure that the palms are soft as the ball arrives near you and yes, look to receive the ball. Let the ball melt in your hands, so to say. Do not snatch! And yes, practice, practice and practice as Muhammad Azharuddin has advised. He always recommended at least 100 catches a day. Taking catches is directly related to practice. Hundred catches a day ensured a 100% result for Azharuddin.
__________________
HuM AuR TuM FriEndS ForEveR
Last edited by asjad_pisces : 25-04-2008 at 11:04 PM.
Once you have stopped the ball in the position shown above you are in an excellent position to throw. You have saved time and the body is also nicely balanced for an accurate throw. Throw over the shoulder with a vertical arm if the distance is long and go for the sideways throw when distance is short and time crucial. In cases of a run out it’s very important to keep the throwing wrist firm behind the ball. You will be surprised how much load it takes of your shoulder.
The misconception going around is the lesser you throw, longer the arm stays well. Kapil Dev has proved this theory to be completely false. Kapil used to throw frequently, even in net sessions, forget matches. He believed, by keeping that arm active you make it stronger plus, you also do not surprise your arm by suddenly throwing in a match. This in fact assures you of an injured throwing arm. Correct that throwing technique and keep throwing frequent
HuM 
AuR
FriEndS 
ForEveR
