It's happening in Abu Dhabi
All the cricket action is not parked in South Africa with the Indian Premier League. Folks, connoisseurs and discerning viewers will tune in to the Aus-Pak one-dayers in Abu Dhabi. Why not, after all if there is a cricket style that can challenge the systems approach of Anglo Saxon Australian teams, it is the Asiatic, with Pakistan no lesser than the other subcontinent 'brothers.'
Sizzling Shahid
Shahid Afridi bowled a dazzling spell, for those who didn't tune in to Ten Sports, taking six huge wickets to restrict the Kangaroos to 130-40 odd. Now, a comparison must happen with Kumble who's bowling equally well in another part of the world, what with figures of 5 for 5 in the IPL. They're both tall bowlers and distinctively deprived of the good old loop (modern dayers say it's now the 'curve' because there is no scope to flight a ball ten storeys high). They render themselves near trundlers (medium pacers). While Anil is closer to that description, Afridi is nearer the spinner mould.
Bowling wider of the stumps
I must say that all successful leg spinners have bowled from close to the stumps (when bowling over the wicket) with the exception of Warne whose prodigious turn needed to be reduced, hence bowling wider. Afridi is no square turner of the ball, probably only as much as Anil, but it was breathtaking to see him get classical leg spinner dismissals : batsman caught at extra cover, caught at first slip and three dismissals off the unread googly!)
Difference in line is Warne's prerogative
Ian Chappell correctly remarked even in Warne's success days that he must not be treated like a model leg-spinner - his line is leg-stump or outside whereas a leg-spin bowler's must be between middle-and-off or off-stump so as to induce the drive. Of course he was not criticizing Warne whose awesome turn, reputation and guile would carry him even higher but merely giving batsmen around the world over a hint on how to play him.
Not everyone can be a Warne
A whole generation of teenagers tried imitating Warne's action (and therefore line) but not realizing how incredibly strong the man was to get such tweak over a walk-in as opposed to a run-up. Shahid yesterday displayed the line that usually loopy (and shorter) leggies in the classical mould of L Sivaramakrishnan, Qadir and Clarrie Grimett in the 1930s used to get wickets. Importantly, he does not have the loopy flight of these ideal-height wizards and would be deprived of the effect (inducing the drive etc), but it just shows how the classical line and length suits leggies. Well, you can argue that Shahid is a wickedly cunning bowler and those grey cells have something to do with his success yesterday instead of me towing the old line about classical line and length. But net-net he put the ball in the right place - the good 'ol place.
No real flipper or top-spinner
Yes, Shahid's use of the googly was not sparing, so the batters had to play at most leg-spinning balls for fear they might jag back. Also notice, Shahid does not have a particularly devastating flipper, so popularised by Warne and today Ajanta Mendis that it's now modern day folklore and a must have. Afridi may send down a 'back of the hand' variety ball but not really a practiced flipper. Nor do I see him employ the top spinner at will. And he's supposed to possess an off cutter. So folks, in the end we have it that a spinner is like a magician and every generation must throw up its own tricks or cease to be effective.
Afridi an uncredited inventor
Edison the telephone, Bosanquet the googly, Saqlain the doosra, all inventors. We have an unrecognized one, with Afridi, who must be credited for two inventions - the fast yorker (from a spinner!) and the off cutter (from a leg-spinner) neither of which we saw yesterday but they're in his arsenal. The paradox is that this unloopy bowler with no flipper or an exhibited top-spinner got six dismissals yesterday from conventional balls and bowling a conventional line. Well, looks like the batters played into Afridi's comfort zone with the though at the back of their heads - "In the least, let's play at these balls. They might be one of his innovative ones."
Moral of the story: It's good to invent balls and be wily. That way, even your conventional leg spin or googly balls get you wickets. Call it bench strength (of your balls).
The future for Shahid
Wasim Akram became a very mature and reliable batsman and even got his second test hundred at the fagend of his career. You don't need to be told what his primary skill and role was. In the same way, Shahid is now breaking in as a bowler. Yesterday, his inclusion in the team was as a bowling all-rounder as the commentators remarked, as opposed to his entire career thus far as batting all-rounder. Looks like his bowling all-rounder role will continue for some time.
Full fledged bowler
Really, yesterday brought forward a very important point - Shahid Afridi has been recognized as a partnership breaking bowler, but nobody really gave him credit for being a pure bowler in 'brain,' like a Saqlain Mustaq or other contemporaries. From now it, it seems ominous he will be recognized as one.
No comments:
Post a Comment