Hussain faces the Pro-Batter
Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, faces Australia's fast bowlers but through a bowling machine at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, faces Australia's fast bowlers but through a bowling machine at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough. Read his column in the Daily Mail to see how effective an instrument it is in preparing England's batsmen for the Ashes.
But I must confess I have a few reservations as to whether, at this stage, Pro-Batter is really any better than the old bowling machines that I found such a useful practice tool in my day.
For a start it should be made clear that Pro-Batter is not the finished article and Hills pointed out that a lot more work will be done to refine it over the next year or so.
I know that my eyes and reflexes are not what they were but it is hard to pick the ball up. A red ball comes out of a black hole and, for an all-important split second, it is difficult to see what is coming at you. There is no sightscreen nor white background for the batsman to work with.
Siddhartha Talya is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo