Saleh Zaidi: Bats, Balls And Bouncers! (10 July 1997)

BATS, BALLS AND BOUNCERS!!!!!!!!

BY SALEH ZAIDI

When we speak of a fast bowler in any form of cricket, the image that forms in our minds is a frightful picture of a stupendously built Goliath with a massive mane charging towards the 3 stumps, taking a 3 feet leap into the air and pumping all his available energy resources into that one delivery; just one delivery! The ball pitching then launches off the wicket like a supersonic rocket aiming straight for the batsman's face.

Well, that is most definitely one of the dynamics of being a fast bowler, but let us talk for a while on the impact these type of cricketers have had on the game over the last 30 years or so.

With the emergence of genuine fast bowlers since the 1970's, batsmen have had to gear up in a proper fashion or else play with the risk of having their exteriors re-arranged on a permanent basis. Thus enter helmets, chest pads, thigh pads and elbow pads. Mind you, I am by no means questioning a batsman's ability nor talent by saying that it is improper for him to wear this protective gear; some of the worlds leading front line batsmen gear up while batting against quickies on unfriendly tracks. And rightfully so!! The name of the game is to bring out the best in a batsman or a bowler and if by wearing this protective gear helps a batsmen improve his game and gain an advantage over the bowler, then why not?

Who can forget that ugly incident with the New Zealand tail ender Ewen Chatfield who was hit on the chest by Peter Lever of England, and collapsed on the pitch. He had in fact swallowed his tongue and had to be revived by the doctors after he was biologically dead on the field.

The kind of significance fast bowlers could have on the game was noticed probably for the first time in the 1932-33 Ashes series, know more famously as "Bodyline". Under the instruction of the English captain Douglas Jardine, Harold Larwood began a ferocious attack on the Australian batsmen by continuing to bowl short-pitched and fast deliveries aiming straight for the batsman's body; hence the term "Bodyline". By taking 3 leg slips and a short midwicket the initial purpose was to stop Australia's run-making machine Don Bradman; but in effect Larwood had managed to change cricket history forever. At that time this form of cricket was termed as "unlawful", "illegal", and "against the spirit of the game", thanks to a lot of hoo-ha created by the Australian press. But like I said earlier, the name of the game is to bring out the best in a batsman or a bowler and if by intimidating the batsman by bowling short a bowler will improve his chances of taking a wicket, then why not? Unfortunately the ICC has been extremely unfavorable towards fast bowlers over the last few years simply because this time , there was a lot of hoo-ha created by the English press. And thus bowlers have to be content with just 2 bouncers an over from now on!

Let's not be unfair and isolate a fast bowler's technique strictly towards short-pitched stuff; over the last 20-30 years we have seen some unbelievable deliveries, overs and spells bowled by quickies which have left many batsmen in awe as to what hit them. Who can ever forget Michael Holding at the Oval in 1976 against England. On a tailor-made batting track he tore through the English line-up in both innings and took 14 wickets in total; a performance judged by many critics to be "legendary". Who can forget the duo of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson in the Ashes series of 1974-75, where they took 55 wickets between them. Who can forget Imran Khan at Karachi in 1982 against India where cricket enthusiasts witnessed one of the most devastating spells in test cricket! Well, the list goes on and on......

Arguably the fastest bowler in the world so far must have been Australia's Jeff Thompson who is still at present the world record holder for the fastest delivery ever to be measured electronically; in 1977 in a match against the West Indies he bowled a bouncer to Dereck Murray which clocked 160 km/h or 100 mph on the radar. It was also the only instance a bowler had given away a six on a leg bye because the ball hit Murray on his shoulder and zoomed straight over the fine leg boundary.

England have yet to produce a genuine fast bowler; the former England batsman Geoff Boycott was once quoted saying that, "the structure of the first-class cricket in England makes it very difficult for a fast-bowler to bowl at his respective best simply because in England cricket is played for over 200 days a year, hence any county player is likely to burn him self out before even making his international debut". After Harold Larwood, the only fast-bowler England have had who has made a mark in test cricket was Bob Willis; bowlers like Syd Barnes, John Snow, Ian Botham, Chris Lewis were all fast-medium at their peak. In 1990, the world saw Devon Malcolm, a bowler who could have developed himself into the likes of one of the "Greats", but unfortunately for the English, he had no control over his line and length. Malcolm's peak performance was against the South Africans in December '94, where he tore through their second innings taking 9 wickets, and a match haul of 11. He hit Jonty Rhodes with a bouncer which measured 90 mp/h on the speed-gun and thankfully for Rhodes he was wearing a helmet; had he not been so then that delivery would have ended his test career forever. Malcolm was once advised by Imran Khan that he should aim for one stump while practicing in the nets, that way he would rectify the problem he had with his line and length, but one would think that now it is too late for Malcolm to pay heed to that advise as he is no longer a member of the England side.

By far the most devastating attack cricket has ever seen was the "Fearsome Four" of the once mighty West Indies. With Roberts and Holding sharing the new leather and Marshall coming on at first change followed by Garner at second change, this was a lineup which would stay in the minds of critics, followers and participants of the game for ever. Unfortunately after the decline of these Four, West Indies was unable to produce a fast-bowler of their caliber ; however it did come up with some good and quick bowlers like Ambrose and Walsh but none had the efficacy of the 4. In 1990 the world saw a prospective destroyer in Ian Bishop who was undoubtedly the fastest at the time but he was too susceptible to injury and that was the cause of his demise as a fast bowler.

Injuries have been a constant factor with fast bowlers over the years simply because a bowler who charges for 30 yards to the crease and bowls a delivery over 90 miles an hour, and continues doing it for most of the day, will eventually break-down, until and unless he is super-fit. So far for Pakistan, the only bowler worthy of be called fit for most of his career as a cricketer was Imran Khan, who to this day after having retired 5 years ago, could still serve as a role-model for certain cricketers as far as fitness is concerned. One bowler who has realized the hazards of being a fast-bowler and not remaining fit is Wasim Akram, who has come up with an alternative; in his early days he used to have a long run up and used to bowl relatively quick . But for the last 6 years or so he has cut down on his run up considerably and still manages to maintain a deceptive pace and bounce in his deliveries. One remembers the most critical spell bowled by him at Melbourne in the '92 world cup final, where he bowled 2 absolutely unplayable deliveries. One cutting away and the other roaring into the batsman. One of the quickest deliveries we have seen from Wasim Akram was the one that bowled Alan Lamb out; the speed of that delivery was such that Lamb didn't even have enough time to go on his front foot, with his bat still half-way in playing the complete shot and before he new it his off stump was lying uprooted on the ground. Wasim Akram is by far the most penetrative bowler in the game today simply because he uses brains as a form of suppression rather than brawn.

Another bowler who has seen a decisive decline in pace and penetration over the last few years is Waqar Younis. Because of a constant re-occurrence of his spinal injury he has had to change his run-up considerably and we don't get to see that wicket-taking pivot in his action any more. His most destructive test-series was against the New-Zealanders in 1991 where he bagged a total of 27 wickets in 3 tests. Then after a return to cricket in 1992 against England we saw him clocking well over 90 mph in most of his deliveries, but since the 1994 tour to New Zealand, it has been slightly downhill for Waqar as far as pace is concerned. At this point in time it would be extremely difficult for Waqar Younis to bowl with the same sort of rhythm and venom as he did in his early days, but wonders never cease and cricket can be a wonder-worker.

The '90s have seen the emergence of new blood; the most noticeable one being the revival of South Africa as a powerful and complete cricketing side, which can arguably boast the best fielders, the best bowlers , the best batsmen and the best playing conditions in the world. One player which has picked up astounding form over the last 2 years is Alan Donald (known commonly as "white lightening"), who can consider himself to be one of the fastest with the leather on the international circuit today. After playing for nearly 3 years in the limelight as a mildly penetrative fast-bowler he finally got the lion within him roaring, and over the last couple of years he has been the most incisive specially in the one-day game.

Australia has discovered a genuine quickie in Glenn Mcgrath who seems to be getting quicker and quicker every day. But the name that has been inscribed in the history books forever, having become an international celebrity over-night is that of Mohammad Zahid, the rookie from Punjab who burst on to the international scene by taking 11 wickets in his debut against the New Zealanders.

Mohammad Zahid holds the distinction of giving the best performance by a Pakistani bowler on his test-debut and the seventh best over-all. He has a 30 yard sprint to the bowlers crease and with a quick and high windmill action generates blinding speed and bounce from wickets which don't need to be very bowler-friendly. He wasn't very successful in the recently concluded World Series Cup in Australia probably because of his lack of experience in the international arena, but in a match against the West Indies he did make a point when he beat Brian Lara's bat 5 times in an over and finally had him caught behind on the final ball. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aquib Javed all had the experience and ability of Imran Khan to guide them through their early stages and help them groom their cricketing skills; let's hope that Wasim Akram does the same for Mohammad Zahid and Shahid Nazir, (another new-comer who took 5 wickets in the first innings of his debut test-match against Zimbabwe). It would seem a great waste of talent and a career if Zahid and Nazir fail to make any impact on the upcoming tours to Sri Lanka, India and Canada and hence lose their places in the playing 11. It is extremely important for Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to groom and nurture these new bowlers because after these two, Pakistan will need to have an already well-established new ball attack with a substantial amount of experience and talent if it wants to continue to be a force worth reckoning with on the cricketing front.

Originally published in the "Pakistan Cricketer"