A guide to T20 bowling - by Wasim Akram

KKR bowling mentor cracks the T20 code; talks about his dream bowling attack

Wasim Akram

While watching a Twenty20 game, how often have you wondered how a cricketer from the yesteryears would have fared in this format? We imagine Sir Vivian Richards lording over hapless medium pacers and dibbly dobbly spinners with an absolute license to kill. More intriguing is the thought, whether or not some of the great bowlers from the past would have been just as effective in the format that is so cruel on the bowlers. When a bowler gets plonked mercilessly by someone like Chris Gayle, one wonders how one of his fellow West Indian pacers of the 1970s would have handled him.

Thanks to the ongoing IPL 2012, we got a golden opportunity to quench this inquisition by picking the brain of the man who had mastered both, the red and the white ball during his playing days. What made him the best person to talk to on the subject is that he’s closely involved in the Twenty20 format presently, as a coach.

We, at iplt20.com, put Wasim Akram – a magician with the cricket ball in his hand and the bowling mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders – in the hot seat. Akram said that he would’ve loved to play more Twenty20 cricket than he did, and gave priceless insight on how he’d have gone about it. The legendary fast bowler also spoke about his current favourite bowler in this format and a bowler from the past he’d have loved to watch bowl in Twenty20s.

Do you think you’d have enjoyed playing the T20 format?

I missed on playing Twenty20 cricket; I only played two games for Hampshire in 2003 when the format was just introduced. I believe this format would have suited my game – my bowling and batting. I think T20 has changed cricket a lot in the last six-seven years. The idea of T20 cricket is to generate interest among the younger crowd; to inspire them to take up the sport. And I believe it has worked.

What’s the first thing you’d look into while picking a bowling attack for a T20 game?

If I have wicket-taking bowlers, I’ll pick all of them because that’s how you win games in T20. It is an entertaining format, but it kills the bowlers, especially on the subcontinent tracks. According to me, in T20, getting wickets is the key. Generally, the batting teams look to get to 100-110 in 15 overs with wickets in hand, and then, have a go in the last five overs.

Who is your favourite T20 bowler?

Muttiah Muralitharan has still got the magic in his doosra. In fast bowlers, I like Dale Steyn. He runs in hard every ball and varies his pace. He’s got the yorkers, the bouncers, swing – everything a fast bowler should have.

How about Brett Lee – one of your wards at the Kolkata Knight Riders?

Even Brett Lee runs in, but he’s a bit expensive on the Indian tracks because he relies too heavily on pace. He doesn’t have as many variations as Steyn does, but he’s learning. He’s a quick learner.

Given how harsh this format is on the bowlers, sometimes, does mental toughness become more important than skills?

That’s right. More than pace, swing, talent, everything, it’s the mind that matters. It all depends on how intelligently you bowl. Sitting in the dugout, I can tell when the batsman is going to go after the bowler. At times, I wish I had a microphone through which I could tell my bowlers what to bowl next. In T20, if you bowl two dot balls in a row, you can be 100 percent sure the batsman will go after you, either over the fine-leg, or if it’s in the slot, he’ll hit it straight. That’s where variation comes into the picture, and that’s when you should bowl what the batsman is not expecting.

There are many successful T20 bowlers who struggle in the longer formats. Your take on them.

In T20, the bowlers bowl a lot of slower balls. These bowlers are T20 specialists and might not get wickets in the longer formats where you need to swing the ball, you need good pace. In T20, all you need to do is keep varying the pace. These are the guys who know their limitations and bowl within them. They’re not sharp and quick, and they don’t try to bowl quick. They concentrate on their strength, which is variation, and that’s the key to their IPL success.

Which bowler from the past you’d have liked to see bowl in the T20 format?

I’d have loved to see Joel Garner and Malcom Marshall. For me, Marshall was the best bowler ever in the history of the game. I rate bowlers who get wickets in subcontinent and Marshal got wickets everywhere in the world. He was a very clever bowler and what separated him from the others was that he picked the weakness of the batsman in a split second. These qualities would’ve made him interesting to watch in this format.

How do you rate the various IPL captains?

MS Dhoni has won the tournament twice, so obviously he has to be a very good captain. Gautam [Gambhir] has done well with KKR. He’s very much involved as a captain. Sourav Ganguly is a very good tactician. He’s a street-smart captain. Vettori has a very simple method. All captains have different styles. Gautam is quickly learning to play on the opposition’s mind. He’s getting the knack of the tactic that one should not do what the opponents are expecting him to do. Do something out of the box. That’s how captains make a difference.

Irfan Pathan IPL Statistics

Role	All-rounder
Bats	Left-handed
Bowls	Left-arm medium fast
Nationality	Indian

Irfan Pathan

 

2012 Season Statistics

Matches:  14

Runs     :  161

Wickets:   7

Overall Season Statistics:

Batting and Fielding

	Mat	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
2012	14	4	161	42*	32.00	112	143.75	0	0	12	6	4	0
2011	14	4	150	44*	18.00	138	108.69	0	0	12	6	4	0
2010	14	5	276	60	34.00	186	148.38	0	1	21	10	4	0
2009	14	2	196	39	19.00	158	124.05	0	0	17	6	4	0
2008	14	4	131	40	21.00	116	112.93	0	0	9	6	4	0

Bowling

	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w
2012	14	288	376	7	2-46	53.71	7.83	41.14	0	0
2011	14	275	344	11	3-28	31.27	7.50	25.00	0	0
2010	14	278	426	15	3-24	28.40	9.19	18.53	0	0
2009	14	302	390	17	3-35	22.94	7.74	17.76	0	0
2008	14	318	350	15	2-18	23.33	6.60	21.20	0	0

Profile

Birth Date	27 October 1984
IPL debut	2008

Irfan Pathan is a swing bowler and a very handy batsman who can fit into a variety of roles. Although primarily a lower-order batsman, coaches have even used him at the top of the order and as a pinch-hitter. His rapid rise to the top and his consistent contributions with bat and ball in the early part of his career led to the inevitable comparisons with Kapil Dev. However, excessive pressure, an unclear role within the team and too many changes to his bowling action, resulted in the Baroda all-rounder losing his place in the national side. Injuries only added his woes. However, he has recovered and is back doing what he does best – picking up wickets and scoring useful runs lower down the order. He was even recalled to the Indian team recently. He will turn out for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2012 after the franchise bid USD 1.9 million on him at the IPL Player Auction 2011. He was with the Kings XI Punjab during the first three seasons of the IPL and was the team’s leading wicket-taker.

Innovation is key in T20 bowling: Pathan

Irfan Pathan

DD all-rounder reveals what works best in the 20-over format for a bowler

Irfan Pathan has been an unsung hero for the Delhi Daredevils in many ways. The left-arm pacer might not have got as many wickets as he would have liked, but has been economical and kept batsmen on their toes while creating pressure from one end. The all-rounder has chipped in with useful contributions to help his team win in tight situations as well.

One such example was DD’s last game against KXIP when Irfan returned with figures of 4-0-24-0 and later, scored an unbeaten 19 to help in his team’s successful run-chase.

In a free-flowing chat with iplt20.com Irfan Pathan passionately spoke about plying his trade and the innovations that Twenty20 has brought into cricket.

Excerpts from his interview:

How has Twenty20 impacted bowling?

The way people sometimes criticize [and say] that T20 is not cricket, I would like to disagree with them because so much innovation in happening in T20 cricket. The batsmen have started playing reverse-sweep to fast bowlers; switch-hits. Batsmen like Kevin Pietersen hit sixes being a left-hander while people struggle to hit sixes with the right hand. I have seen a humongous six hit by David Warner in Australia with the switch-hit. Obviously then, the bowler has to innovate. That means you require the skill [to play]. Without the skill, you can’t innovate [...]. When you bowl 24 balls, it means that you need to be on the target all the time. [...] In T20, game one over makes a difference.

In the game against KXIP, one over from Parvinvder Awana went for 15 runs [and that made the difference]. Before that, the game was evenly poised. So a bowler has to be on the money and the batsman as well.

On innovating

Innovation and doing the right things at the right time is very very important. Basically you need to hit your target, [by bowling] yorkers, slower deliveries. I am trying to learn some new slower ones. I bowled a few yesterday, a different type of slower one because the batsmen get used to you as well. The one delivery, people know that if you bowl one slower one batsman knows that; the batsman is going to be ready, so you got to keep thinking. You need to keep adding things to your armoury.

There is so much technology [which helps others figure you out]. We have those tablets on which we keep watching the videos of batsmen and bowlers and get a bit of an idea of what they do. People keep watching you, so you need to get better and better all the time. Doing the basic [things right] is very important. Doing the simple thing is sometimes the best thing, but you need to have the armoury and that little innovation, little slower one, little different, which actually makes you special.

[Lasith] Malinga is so successfully in IPL because he is very different. Not everyone can bowl like Malinga because it is different, and therefore, it is very hard to pick. If you have a normal conventional action, you need to keep improving and keep adding something knew [to your bowling]. Even the smallest thing, which helps you keep in the loop, and batsmen will think, “Oh he can bowl some different slower one.”

On whether there are specific new deliveries that the pacers are developing

The bowlers are doing quite a few new things. They used just roll the fingers, now we actually [use] over-the-wrist slower one, back-of-the-hand slower one, [and there’s] rolling of the fingers. There are a lot of the things that they try to do. I am trying to do one thing as well, but it might take some time. I am trying to learn a new slower one, which might help me in the long term. But sometimes that [particular] skill and that something new [that] you are trying before you try in the match you need to work even more in the nets. But at the same time, every bowler does something or the other.

The use of the angle, the crease, bluffing the batsman sometimes, changing the field; those sorts of things you have to be doing it. [...] There are a lot of bowlers who try to bowl round-arm if they have high-arm action. There are one or two deliveries, which [we] try to bowl round-arm, just to catch the batsman off-guard. And trying to do something different might take away one run.

While bowling in T20 cricket, getting one run in one ball is like a win for a bowler. [...] I really think that innovation is going to keep happening in T20 cricket because it is a great skill in cricket. [...] [In batting there are] reverse slaps, switch-hits. [It’s] outstanding some of the cricket out there ; hitting straight, hitting over the covers also. But then, switch-hit… who would have thought but things have come in and people like to see it.

On motivating young bowlers after they are taken for runs

Being a senior [...] I have spoken to a lot Umesh [Yadav]; Varun [Aaron] has just started coming in. I [would] tell Varun to just look after [himself] and being fit and do a lot of core work; whatever little before he wasn’t playing [since] he was injured. To Umesh I tell, always aim for bigger things because he can achieve bigger things. I really believe that don’t be satisfied by small things; achieve, aim more and try and achieve at that level. If you are going to aim [at] that level, you are going to keep working harder and harder.

As far as motivating them goes, I keep checking their body language. If I find body language is in trouble that’s when I go and talk to them. Otherwise, I don’t say much because they are also very professional and sometimes leaving them be [is better]. [...] People understand that they are going to go for runs, but at the same time having that positive body language it is very important.

For me as well, sometimes, it is difficult because it being [given] a responsibility when you go for runs, it is tough. [...] Sometimes you get frustrated. There are one or two balls I have bowled being frustrated, and then, bowl a bad ball. But most of the time, I keep telling myself make sure that the next ball is important. If you are going for runs, make sure minimize that boundary or six as much as you can. Sometimes, it is difficult, but I keep telling myself keep in control. I think right now, especially in the last couple of games, I have been more relaxed. Very relaxed.

On the art bowling in death overs and powerplay overs

I have been working with [TA] Sekar sir and Eric [Simons] about bowling. But at the same time, I also try to think about variations, etc. Batsmen are going to pick you if you have only one variation, so am trying to work on that as well as making sure to try and be in the stumps as much as possible. [...] I would have liked to take more wickets, but I am happy [being economical and contributing].

At the end of the day, being an all-rounder, being in the team, batting at No. 6 and 7 sometimes float [in the line-up] as well. My job is to bowl well; if I get wickets, fine. If I don’t get wickets, make sure I don’t go for too many runs. There are two or three games where I have gone for runs, which can happen too, I have accepted that. But apart from that, I have been economical as well. It is God’s grace that has been working well for me so far this season. Chipping in with a few crucial runs lower down the order is my job also being an all-rounder. [...] Making sure that I stay till the end if I can, and try and take risk when it’s necessary in batting.

When it comes to bowling, my job is to make sure that first I don’t give that many runs. If I get a wicket well and good, because there are other bowlers there attacking and taking wickets as well. Sometimes your role changes as well, but it is always good to get wickets.
I want to make sure that I help my team in whatever little way that I can.

On whether he aims for wickets or a low economy rate

If I am bowling my first over with the new ball [then I] try and get wickets. And then obviously, when I am bowling in the middle overs or above ten, I make sure that I try and look for economy. [...] My job is to make sure that I bowl well. If I get wickets, well and good. If I don’t, I make sure that I don’t go for runs. I don’t mind shifting the job as well, try to be more aggressive. [...] But you have to make sure whatever team and captain requires from you be ready for the job.

On which format is most difficult

Test match is difficult. In terms of endurance, […] you have to go on for a long time. [...] So mentally and physically you get tired in that sense. [...] You have to bowl one line and batsmen won’t create difficulties. But I love bowling long spells and swinging the ball because you get to do a lot of things with the fingers. You use your fingers with the ball and swing the balls and do variations. Sometimes you tend to take one step back in T20 cricket and don’t use those fingers that much in terms of swing, but [bowl] slower balls, etc […]. In One-day cricket, you need to have to bowl two or three spells, but at the same time it goes till fifty overs. Each of the formats have some or the other challenges. But I just love playing cricket, doesn’t matter what format; I just want to keep playing. Each has one or two difficult things, but you have to be ready for everything if you want to be a professional international cricketer.

On whether bowlers play a bigger role in Twenty20

Yes, I really believe that the bowling unit is most crucial unit in any team. The batsmen are there and they will do the job; [that is] they [will] always hit. Nothing to take away from them because it’s a skill, [and] you need the skills to hit big shots or innovations and to be changing gears as well. [...] Bowling has become more important unit in T20 game. If you have five bowlers and they are doing their job, your team is going to do well more often than not. Even if you have skillful bowlers or bowlers who can do the basic things as well as some innovation at the right time in the right overs in right number of balls, you know you will do well; which is very important because the less runs on the board, the better it is for the batsman to chase it down.

Lots of people thought it is a batsman’s game. It is a batsman’s game, but that makes it even better for the bowlers to come good and feel more important.

On the challenge of bowling to RCB’s Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers

I am looking forward to that challenge because they have been wonderful cricketers. The way Gayle hits and the way de Villiers is batting… He is batting in the form of his life the way he is hitting [and] timing the ball. The way he took apart Dale Steyn in one over, not many batsmen could do that.

[...] I love challenges. I don’t mind bowling against the best batsmen. I have done that for a few years. I love that challenge.
I am excited about the game tomorrow.