Copycat bowling actions

[Burgey]

I remember reading that Ray Lindwall mirrored Harold Larwood's action to a degree.

When Lindwall was bowling a fiery spell in 48, the crowd was shouting out "Larwood! Bodyline!" and Lindwall apparently turned and said "Why wouldn't I copy the Master?"

Walsh --> Merv Dillon

Very good shout IMO.

 

[straw man]

Trent Boult started off imitating Wasim Akram, but now there's more Chaminda Vaas to his action (which his build is definitely more suited to).

 

[subshakerz]

Vaas later in his career add a few styles (like hiding the ball with his hand at the last minute or having the bowling arm slowly creep up as he approaches the crease) that certainly look like they came from the Akram handbook.

Walsh in his early part of his career seemed to have a very similar action to Holding.

Phil Tuffnell and Vettori have similar actions a bit, not sure if thats on purpose.

Ntini I think also modelled his action after Marshall.

 

[smash84]

Ntini and Marshall? Didn't look very similar to me

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Trent Boult started off imitating Wasim Akram, but now there's more Chaminda Vaas to his action (which his build is definitely more suited to).

No-one should try imitate Akram's action, he was awesome despite his action rather than because of it.

Anyone else picked up on Kyle Jarvis being a pretty obvious McGrath imitator?

 

[sunilreddy]

Chris ZinZan Harris and Virat Kohli
Mcgrath and Awishkar Salvi

 

[smash84]

No-one should try imitate Akram's action, he was awesome despite his action rather than because of it.

I think Akram's action was very good in all aspects. What was wrong with it?

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I think Akram's action was very good in all aspects. What was wrong with it?

Relies purely on his naturally quick bowling arm, doesn't really make use of the rest of his body.

 

[weldone]

Quite an unfair comparison equating Holding with Akhtar.

I never made that comparison.

 

[weldone]

To casual appearances, I suppose he seemed like a spent force towards the end, but he was MUCH better than Kapil and Botham at the fag end. His stats aren't too shabby either.

Yes, and more importantly unlike most other fast bowlers with very long careers his speed didn't drop too much. That's why I think he is a unique case of longevity for fast bowlers in the modern era.

 

[smash84]

Yes, and more importantly unlike most other fast bowlers with very long careers his speed didn't drop too much. That's why I think he is a unique case of longevity for fast bowlers in the modern era.

Wasim Akram?

 

[smash84]

Can agree with this (yeah fitness and athleticism are two different things though there's a thin line between the two), but think that the qualities of Walsh are required more for a bowler.

Give me a Glenn McGrath over a Shoaib Akhtar (or a Kapil Dev over a Shane Bond, for that matter)...

.

I never made that comparison.

In the analogy aren't you equating McGrath to Walsh and Akhtar and Bond to Holding?

 

[sreeku7]

Well, yeah but there is a difference between Usain Bolt and your average long distance Kenyan runner. Endurance and explosive atheleticism are two different things. It's not just about Holding's pace; one look at his run up and you'd be hard pressed to say he wouldn't have made a pretty good track & fielder himself.

I think he was in contention as a 400 m runner for Jamaica before he turned his attention to cricket

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Holding was a well-known fitness fanatic. Apparently he had weights strapped to his lower legs during all non-game activities and trainings, theory being that when he took them off for game days running around would become comparatively easy. From that, you can understand how he made bowling look so smooth and effortless.

 

[MrPrez]

Ntini and Marshall? Didn't look very similar to me

Ntini has said that he modelled his action on Marshall.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Ntini has said that he modelled his action on Marshall.

Doesn't mean that they have to look particularly alike, apart from both being front-on.

 

[smash84]

Holding was a well-known fitness fanatic. Apparently he had weights strapped to his lower legs during all non-game activities and trainings, theory being that when he took them off for game days running around would become comparatively easy. From that, you can understand how he made bowling look so smooth and effortless.

LOL.........just NO.........that was Marshall and Holding narrated that about Marshall

 

[Kylez]

Anyone else picked up on Kyle Jarvis being a pretty obvious McGrath imitator?

I was just about to post about this.

Jarvis definitely has a Mcgrath like element in his bowling action, not to sure about his run-up though.

 

[thierry henry]

Walsh --> Merv Dillon

For a while around 1999 Dillon and Reon King took the new ball for WI and I remember thinking Dillon was an obvious Walsh clone and King was an Ambrose clone

 

[smash84]

clone minus the effectiveness of course