Understanding fast bowling from Glenn McGrath
It is not new that fast bowling is one of the toughest roles to play in cricket. We've heard that from a number of players. It is also not new that India traditionally has struggled to produce top quality fast bowlers. Kapil Dev was an exception and after him there have been very few who have made their mark in international cricket. The MRF pace foundation was set up with an aim to correct this. Since then some of the best fast bowlers in India and from around the world have all had a stint at the MRF pace foundation in Chennai. The foundation has been instrumental in producing the likes of Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and many more. To quote the outgoing director Dennis Lillee, there has been a better understanding of fast bowling after the establishment of the academy. But, many problems still persist. For every Srinath and Zaheer there have been quite a few others who have impressed for short periods but that have disappeared as quickly. It is almost as if they struggle to take the second step after making a giant leap. The petering away of talent is a worrisome factor for a country which is looking to shed off its dependency on spin alone. Glenn McGrath, the foundation's new director, hints at ambition in answer to that, "Some people want to be leaders. A young guy could come into the team, bowl well and he gets an opportunity to lead the attack and he thrives on it. A lot of it depends on the type of person they are. A lot of it also depends on the base they've got and then the experience." The oft heard quote 'Leaders are born not made' springs to mind but does not find a subscriber in McGrath. He talks about moulding them into leaders. He talks about laying a base to make them think that they can be leaders. "I think you can (train them). You just have to make them physically and mentally as tough as possible. After that it's up to them on what they want to achieve."
Zaheer Khan who for a while seemed have joined that growing list is one guy to have made the leap. McGrath puts that down to experience. "Zaheer is very experienced. They say you cannot buy experience on a shelf and nor should you be able to. Hopefully, a guy like Zaheer can pass on his experience to a young guy coming into the team and as a youngster, even watching Zaheer can help him out."
Zaheer himself has not been without other problems. Injuries have been a bane to India's premier fast bowler. Much of it is believed to be due to the lack of proper training in the initial stages of his career. The need to have a proper build is something that the Australian plans to inculcate in his young wards at the MRF academy. "It will be about having a good strong base, being as strong as possible and being very technically correct. What I meant by that is, not putting stress on any one part of the body. That will minimize injuries and make them more efficient"
The obsession with speed is another recent development. Speed guns are watched like a hawk but facts suggest that it is not the only thing needed to be a successful fast bowler in India. Zaheer Khan is a case in point. Not many touring bowlers continue bowling very quick in games in India. The more successful ones have been the ones who have been able to mix things up. McGrath himself along with Michael Kasporowicz switched to bowling a lot of cutters when they toured India. The former Australia quick however believes that pace will still make a difference. "I think if I was able to bowl at 160 kmph here I would have done it. There's no doubt about that."
However he lays more emphasis on the need to switch tactics while bowling here "You've got to be smart. You've got to be adaptable. Over here, the wickets are a little bit slower. So, instead of bowling on off stump or just outside with a heap of slips in place like in Australia, you've to bowl a bit straighter here. Have a little bit of a defensive field and attack the stumps a lot more. It's about being adaptable and adjusting to the conditions."
The emergence of T20 cricket has had its impact on fast bowling as well. It is not easy for a bowler to play all three formats more so when there is so little time to make the switch. McGrath believes that we will be seeing specialists for each format. "I think that's the way it will go, batsmen being T20 batsmen or Test batsmen, bowlers being T20 bowlers or Test bowlers."
The man nicknamed the pigeon is also quick to point out that is not how he would have gone if he was still playing. He says and I quote " I would have loved to play all three formats. If someone is able to switch from being a Test bowler to a T20 bowler and back, I think he's an exceptional player."
Obviously, that is something easier said than done. The length ball that can be carted around in T20s is the same delivery that is needed to be repeated endlessly in Tests. A youngster would not be in a position to pick one format over another. The big question arises as to how actually a bowler could cope up with such varying demands.
Lille mentioned that he was not too impressed when he saw McGrath for the first time a couple of decades ago but expressed his surprise at McGrath's subsequent rise. McGrath had stressed on attitude as the one thing that set him apart at the international level.
"Whether you are playing T20 cricket or Test cricket, the challenge is to be able to execute what you want to do. I will be helping these young guys to get to know their game very well. There will be mental training on thought processes and how they should prepare for one type of the game or the other."
The answer for many things in cricket is put down to mental strength. Fast bowling, evidently, is no different and McGrath aspires to inculcate the same in building fast bowlers.
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