Bowling The Doosra & Teaching It To Kids

[OhhhhMattyMatty]

Morally questionable? Or the future?

My kid is desperate to bowl like a Saeed Ajmal or a Saqlain Mushtaq and as such I am pondering whether I should be teaching him how to bowl doosras. Am I risking his potential cricketing career, as eventually the English coaching system will almost certainly either dismiss him as a chucker or coach his action and his doosra out of him?

I spoke to Graeme Swann about it once and he said while he can bowl one, it hurts his wrist and he wouldn't recommend it to any youngsters!

I'm able to bowl a doosra (bowling it very slowly and inconsistently and with a discernible change in action though), but I would not call myself an expert in the intricacies and the techniques behind it. Are there any other doosra bowlers here who may be able to help? Or someone who has experienced having their action changed as they bowled a doosra?

Cheers!

[vic_orthdox]

I think the best way of going about it is teaching a carrom ball style delivery more than a doosra - less change of action, and if done from a young age will be more effective and will help develop stronger fingers.

From a doosra point of view, it's generally easier to deliver from a more front-on action, which goes against what you generally want your young off-spinner to do when bowling his conventional off-spinner.

[Migara]

Not morally questionable at all. People who brand doosra as a chuck are people who cannot bowl it or play it.

But doosra is very difficult to ball. If can bowl well them should bowl.

[OhhhhMattyMatty]

The problem I have with the carrom ball is that generally those who bowl it, Randiv, Mendis and Ashwin etc, have pretty mediocre off-breaks which aren't big turners. While those who bowl the doosra, also have a big turning off-break as well.

Whether that is just a coincidence, or the fact that if you want the carrom ball to a deceptive, disguised delivery, you have to just bowl almost slow off-cutters rather than off breaks. While the doosra, if you have a quick wrist, can look just like a heavy spun scrambled seam off break.

I'll start to teach the doosra and see how it develops.

[Dan]

The problem I have with the carrom ball is that generally those who bowl it, Randiv, Mendis and Ashwin etc, have pretty mediocre off-breaks which aren't big turners. While those who bowl the doosra, also have a big turning off-break as well.

Whether that is just a coincidence, or the fact that if you want the carrom ball to a deceptive, disguised delivery, you have to just bowl almost slow off-cutters rather than off breaks. While the doosra, if you have a quick wrist, can look just like a heavy spun scrambled seam off break.

I'll start to teach the doosra and see how it develops.

My coaching ideology has always been to get the basics down first, then work from there. If the bowler in question bowls the off spinner well - has control, can turn it and begin to variate pace and flight, then I would have no issue with teaching the doosra.

Similar to my mentality on scoop shots/reverse sweeps - if you're making runs with a good technique, you can try and learn it. Until you're consistently scoring runs with traditional shots though, its completely off limits.

[Migara]

My coaching ideology has always been to get the basics down first, then work from there. If the bowler in question bowls the off spinner well - has control, can turn it and begin to variate pace and flight, then I would have no issue with teaching the doosra.

Similar to my mentality on scoop shots/reverse sweeps - if you're making runs with a good technique, you can try and learn it. Until you're consistently scoring runs with traditional shots though, its completely off limits.

Agree with this. If a player has a very big off break, then the chances of needing a doosra is minimal. A normal arm ball will be enough to beat the other edge of the bat.

All the fancy deliveries are needed when the off break doesn't turn much (as I've found out). Then the arm ball does not beat the outside edge effectively unless it drifts and dips alarmingly (when that happens of course, off breaks will start drifting, dipping and splitting off the track, implying that you are in top bowling form). Then a ball which spins a bit away from the bat is useful.

[mahmoodsani]

Morally questionable? Or the future?

My kid is desperate to bowl like a Saeed Ajmal or a Saqlain Mushtaq and as such I am pondering whether I should be teaching him how to bowl doosras. Am I risking his potential cricketing career, as eventually the English coaching system will almost certainly either dismiss him as a chucker or coach his action and his doosra out of him?

I spoke to Graeme Swann about it once and he said while he can bowl one, it hurts his wrist and he wouldn't recommend it to any youngsters!

I'm able to bowl a doosra (bowling it very slowly and inconsistently and with a discernible change in action though), but I would not call myself an expert in the intricacies and the techniques behind it. Are there any other doosra bowlers here who may be able to help? Or someone who has experienced having their action changed as they bowled a doosra?

Cheers!

ok matt may be i could help u in this case regarding the technique of bowling doora..
as i am a club cricketer and play as specialist off spinner for my club and can bowl dosra aswell.
i also had some sessions with saqlain mushtaq.
let me tell u one thing it does not come over night....for bowling doosra u must have a solid shoulder.
i would just explain how i bowl doosra .
basically for bowling doosra u have to through ur left part of body that includes left arm and left leg outside more than normal.when u would do that ,that would help to rotate ur upper part of body on left side.and that rotation would help the right arm to bowl from the top and rotate the arm slightly as to help for doosra.and one more thing that i came to know from saqlain mushtaq that u need to lock ur wrist.
that means hold ball as ur palm should be facing the batsman.this makes it v easy.
and in begining teach ur kid to practice as i told in v slow motion so he knows what should be the actual position while delivering ball.....and then slightly keep increasing the distance towards wicket.m sure he does this he would eventually end up in balling a proper doosra.
if u need any more assistance,just dont hesitate to ask .i love to help

[Firstclass]

Hi dear, I am first class cricketer and off spinner .I do the doosra.
If your kid is doing doosra and he wants to bowl then dont stop him.
Where abouts are you in england.?

[mahmoodsani]

Hi dear, I am first class cricketer and off spinner .I do the doosra.
If your kid is doing doosra and he wants to bowl then dont stop him.
Where abouts are you in england.?

hi mate share with me ur technique ov bowling doosra

[Firstclass]

Hi mate, well ,,If you send me some video or bowling action then i can guide you properly because all depend on your bowling action. I am not trying to say that you may have to change your action .You can bowl the doosre with chest on or side on because i do. I was,nt natural doosra bowler but you if you control your brain then can do .

If you bowl chest on then threre are some chances to bend your elbow and if you dont then the pace will be much slower.If you practice then can improve a lot.

If you you bowl side on then you have to maintain your balence from jump to follow through.Also you will finish your right leg away from pitch after relese.doosre..If you manage to balance then the ball will have good pace turn and bounce.
So all i gave you the concept of doosra. Now forget about all above.

First thing ,,you have to concentrate your off spin and get the right seem position.
I do one to one coaching in england because its much easier for me to teach you practically and face to face.

I played few first class games with saqlain mushtaq and we shared few ideas but the common thing we found was the grip which is not in the cricket coaching manual.He may not remember me now because is international great player..lol..
Any way don,t worry its not the rocket science.
We comming back to seem position get right so when your bowl off spin the your seem should routate very cleanly (with the angle towards fine leg) and should hit the seem.
When you will have the control on it then we move forward.

[slowfinger]

Agree with this. If a player has a very big off break, then the chances of needing a doosra is minimal. A normal arm ball will be enough to beat the other edge of the bat.

All the fancy deliveries are needed when the off break doesn't turn much (as I've found out). Then the arm ball does not beat the outside edge effectively unless it drifts and dips alarmingly (when that happens of course, off breaks will start drifting, dipping and splitting off the track, implying that you are in top bowling form). Then a ball which spins a bit away from the bat is useful.

What is your method of extracting as much spin as poss? My quicker ball is a force to be reckoned with but my deliveries are just not turning enough

[Firstclass]

Hi dear. Well If you are not spinning then doosra does,t get much effect
(1) most of good batsman try to play with the spin (sort of between square leg ,midwicket and mid on),.depending how the pitch is behaving. If you spinning the even straight one becomes your doosra.If you bowl on lenth.
(2) But if you are not spinning then batsman will try to play (sort of from point to mid off ).Those bowlers gets mostly cought & bowled wickets.If you bowl on lenth.
How i spin ?
It depends on the pitch ..some time i bowl with index finger ,some time 2nd f and 3rd,f
But every time i try to hit the seam right.
Hows your seam position when you do .. If you do hit then give some flight..if still not then use the crease and bown near the stumps.Few more, then i bowl with 2nd finger,,
I have got lots of ideas. lol.
Send me your video.

[SFB]

All though this thread is 6 months old, I thought I'd chuck in my 2 cents.

I agree with rvd619323 that having the fundamentals down pat is the most important aspect of spinning.
I'm suprised no one has mentioned that to bowl the doosra like Ajmal for example, requires an open or chest on action which reduces the pivot in the delivery stride and the amount of revs you can put on the ball.

You also have to decide, based on your son's action, whether he should bowl the Ajmal doosra or the Saqlain doosra.

In my opinion, Saqlain Mushtaq is the best offie to master the doosra with a 'natural' action whereas Ajmal has to rely, much like Murali, on a strong wrist for his off break.

I would recommend two videos that may help in your decision and what technique to adapt.

The first is by All Out Cricket Coaching - Off Spin Variations - YouTube where he demonstrates the doosra and makes references to Ajmal's way off bowling it.

The second is called SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ - GENIUS OFF SPINNER - YouTube and has some great slow motion footage as well as an interview with Saqlain where he demonstrates the grips he uses for the offie, the toppie and the Doosra.