SJS
Hall of Fame Member
Okay, here is the bit I wrote on the subject alongwith Imran's changing of his action. I had some trouble locating it so I would think it would be tougher for others. So I am doing this cut and paste job from a thread that covers a lot of other stuff which some may find interesting.
I am putting it here in the hope that it contributes to the on-going discussion on the subject of bowling actions for fast bowlers. My views on the subject come at the beginning before the quotes from Imran's book
PS These are from the thread The Fast Bowler's fast Bowlers
I am putting it here in the hope that it contributes to the on-going discussion on the subject of bowling actions for fast bowlers. My views on the subject come at the beginning before the quotes from Imran's book
The action and swinging the cricket ball
A lot has been written about why the cricket ball (for a long time it was mainly the newer ball) swings. I am not going to fill up this post with those scientific details. Anyone interested could read the many places where you find explanations. I still consider the one in Bradman's 'fabulous' cricket manual "The Art of Cricket" the finest writing on it. (Did I hear someone say, "what did Bradman know of swing - he never saw it"
But one thing everyone agrees upon is that the position of the seam (besides several other factors amongst which the atmospheric conditions are paramount) is a HUGE contributor. The bowler needs to ensure that the ball leaves the hand with the seam straight and continues on its flight trajectory with the seam position intact. The longer it does that the more the chances of the ball swinging.
The direction of the seam at the time of delivery and during its trajectory determines the direction of swing.
There is NO disagreement on that. If anyone thinks that is so. Dont bother to read further for this is trash.
Now the problem is how to ensure that the ball leaves the hand with the seam position intact and continues like that.
For leaving the hand the grip (on the ball) is the first thing that needs to be taken care of. The bowler holds the seam straight and parallel to the first two (index and middle) fingers. Then to ensure that the ball does not change position at the point of release, he tries to ensure that his fingers do not move laterally or across (even ever so slightly) to change the seam integrity. Hence the need to let the two fingers, kind of, slide over the seam as the ball leaves the hand with the tip of the fingers being the last part of the hand to remain in touch with the ball before it is fully released.
However, the action is dynamic and the hand and wrist are not the only moving parts of the engine that propels the ball. Their is the arm and the body which too are moving and have a momentum and direction of force imparted of their own. Hence the need to ensure that the arm also moves in an arc which brings the ball down in a line, more or less, parallel to the line of the wicket. and continues towards the direction in which the seam is facing - slips in the case of out-swing and leg-slip in the case of inswing.
Hence while for outswing the side-on action action facilitates the body motion in the direction of the seam, for the inswing, it is difficult for you want the right arm, in this case, to come up even straighter, brushing against your right ear almost and then in the follow through fall away towards the right side of the body instead of outside the left side as for outswing. This puts tremendous strain on the body of the bowler bowling in-swing particularly if he is truly fast. Hence for inswing-a square on action puts a much less strain on the body and the player is still able to swing the delivery with practice and control.
The problem in the case of an inswing bowler with a square on action is control over direction. There is a tendency for the ball to be sprayed down the leg side for obvious reasons. But great bowlers have been known to overcome that.
For out-swing the side on action does not put any great strain by the very process of being side-on though other strains on the body of the fast bowlers remain. It must be mentioned that those who bowled both out-swing and in-swing (a rare but great combination) at real speed, put their bodies to fantastic strains.
You do not, except in the rare case of someone like Malcolm Marshall, bowl the outswing with a COMPLETELY side on action. Simply because the possibility of retaining consistently and on purpose the integrity of the seam - straight and angled towards the slips - is so very remote. THAT is why Marshall was such a phenomenon. His action is an exception that proves the rule not disprove it.
That he swung the ball away from the right hander is no reason why a youngster should waste his time trying to swing it away, with a square on action, by claiming "if Marshall could do it why not me".
Barnes bowled both types of swing, at a fair pace, by spinning the ball. Try doing it.
GETTING SIDE ON
Both batsmen and bowlers are taught early (if coached) to be side on - the batsman in the stance and the bowler at the time of going into the delivery.
Most of us will recall the coach telling us to stand at the wicket with feet on either side of the batting crease and parallel to it (pointing to point). This automatically gives the body a reasonably sideone orientation. Keeping the shoulders also side-on takes a bit more work.
The bowlers are told to land their right foot almost parallel to the bowling crease which would turn the body sideways again. Now here is where the problems start.
It is easier for the spinners or even some medium pacers who amble in to the wicket, to turn slightly and plant the right foot parallel to the crease but its not easy at all if they are faster and running in at speed. The sudden change in the body orientation from what is essentially a front on run with feet pointing roughly down the wicket as he runs in, to suddenly plant the foot pointing approximately to midwicket is very tough indeed. You see many bowlers running in with the left shoulder leading so that even when running forward the body is kept slightly sideways during the run up.
An easier option to turn the body around, without disturbing the flow and momentum of the run up is to take a slight jump/leap in the air at the last stride, turn the body as you jump and land sideways as proscribed. Quite a few bowlers in history have managed to remain sideways using this method and many others have adopted the jump later in their careers. Imran is also one such bowler.
IMRAN KHAN ON HIS BOWLING ACTION
Excerpts from Imran’s autobiography reproduced in chronological order as they appear in different chapters in his autobiography “IMRAN” (Pelham Books 1983. You can tell the break in narrative by the successive periods ….). As can be seen he had quite a few problems with his action early on viz, being square-chested, being a slinger, no proper run up etc. I include all of it since it is a fascinating study of someone who turned into a fabulous bowler – one of the greats – and was admired later for his classic action!
First Class Debut (5th September 1969) :
. . . my huge in-swingers brought me a harvest of easy wickets. The average club cricketer in Pakistan doesn’t know much about the forward defensive stroke, preferring to play across the line
Selected for Pakistan’s tour to England (summer 1971) :
. . . My action in 1971 was roughly similar to the sling-shot-style of Jeff Thomson except that I was more chest on than Thomson. There the similarity ends as I was never as fast or as devastating.
. . . One day an umpire summed up my bowling beautifully. As I took off my sweater to start a new bowling spell, he shouted down the wicket to the batsman;”Right arm over, anywhere”
Test Debut (Edgbaston 3rd June 1971)
. . . the ball was swinging like a boomerang in the cloudy atmosphere and I hadn’t a clue how to control the swing
The turning point (Selkirk, Scotland – 30th June 1971)
. . . I was so angry and humiliated that I vowed that I would prove them wrong; I would go back to the drawing board and sort out my bowling action
Worcester Grammer School – 1972
. . . I told him about my problems, he suggested that I should take a jump just before I delivered the ball – this would turn my body around and get my footwork right
Oxford (1973 to1975) - Pakistan’s tour of England - 1975 World Cup
. . . This was the very first time that I watched genuine fast bowling of such high caliber and I found it very exciting…..
My cricket continued to improve at Oxford and the mental challenges involved in studying helped me in my attitude to cricket. I became more logical and analytical about my game....
* refers to Pakistan's close defeats at the inaugural World Cup in 1975
Back in England - stronger/faster (1976)
. . . I have always hated taking a beating lying down - something essential to a medium pacer. Consequently I would find myself on various occasions being hit, forgetting about swing, line and length and just seeing blood in front of my eyes
New Zealand at home – Australia away (1976-77)
. . . To my intense embarrassment, favourable comparisons were being made between the pace of Lillee and myself – a travesty and an insult to a great bowler – but I must admit I felt very good in that test…. I got quickly into rhythm and felt very much in control. In those days, I relied heavily on rhythm in my run-up, much more than I do now. If I struggled to run-up properly, I would look very ordinary indeed. In Sydney that day, it all fell into place as I bowled non-stop for almost four hours.
The Kerry Packer "academy" - Professors Snow and Proctor and Imran finally graduates (April 1977 to April 1979)
. . . The injury convinced me that my action was changing for the better
A lot has been written about why the cricket ball (for a long time it was mainly the newer ball) swings. I am not going to fill up this post with those scientific details. Anyone interested could read the many places where you find explanations. I still consider the one in Bradman's 'fabulous' cricket manual "The Art of Cricket" the finest writing on it. (Did I hear someone say, "what did Bradman know of swing - he never saw it"
But one thing everyone agrees upon is that the position of the seam (besides several other factors amongst which the atmospheric conditions are paramount) is a HUGE contributor. The bowler needs to ensure that the ball leaves the hand with the seam straight and continues on its flight trajectory with the seam position intact. The longer it does that the more the chances of the ball swinging.
The direction of the seam at the time of delivery and during its trajectory determines the direction of swing.
There is NO disagreement on that. If anyone thinks that is so. Dont bother to read further for this is trash.
Now the problem is how to ensure that the ball leaves the hand with the seam position intact and continues like that.
For leaving the hand the grip (on the ball) is the first thing that needs to be taken care of. The bowler holds the seam straight and parallel to the first two (index and middle) fingers. Then to ensure that the ball does not change position at the point of release, he tries to ensure that his fingers do not move laterally or across (even ever so slightly) to change the seam integrity. Hence the need to let the two fingers, kind of, slide over the seam as the ball leaves the hand with the tip of the fingers being the last part of the hand to remain in touch with the ball before it is fully released.
However, the action is dynamic and the hand and wrist are not the only moving parts of the engine that propels the ball. Their is the arm and the body which too are moving and have a momentum and direction of force imparted of their own. Hence the need to ensure that the arm also moves in an arc which brings the ball down in a line, more or less, parallel to the line of the wicket. and continues towards the direction in which the seam is facing - slips in the case of out-swing and leg-slip in the case of inswing.
Hence while for outswing the side-on action action facilitates the body motion in the direction of the seam, for the inswing, it is difficult for you want the right arm, in this case, to come up even straighter, brushing against your right ear almost and then in the follow through fall away towards the right side of the body instead of outside the left side as for outswing. This puts tremendous strain on the body of the bowler bowling in-swing particularly if he is truly fast. Hence for inswing-a square on action puts a much less strain on the body and the player is still able to swing the delivery with practice and control.
The problem in the case of an inswing bowler with a square on action is control over direction. There is a tendency for the ball to be sprayed down the leg side for obvious reasons. But great bowlers have been known to overcome that.
For out-swing the side on action does not put any great strain by the very process of being side-on though other strains on the body of the fast bowlers remain. It must be mentioned that those who bowled both out-swing and in-swing (a rare but great combination) at real speed, put their bodies to fantastic strains.
You do not, except in the rare case of someone like Malcolm Marshall, bowl the outswing with a COMPLETELY side on action. Simply because the possibility of retaining consistently and on purpose the integrity of the seam - straight and angled towards the slips - is so very remote. THAT is why Marshall was such a phenomenon. His action is an exception that proves the rule not disprove it.
That he swung the ball away from the right hander is no reason why a youngster should waste his time trying to swing it away, with a square on action, by claiming "if Marshall could do it why not me".
Barnes bowled both types of swing, at a fair pace, by spinning the ball. Try doing it.
GETTING SIDE ON
Both batsmen and bowlers are taught early (if coached) to be side on - the batsman in the stance and the bowler at the time of going into the delivery.
Most of us will recall the coach telling us to stand at the wicket with feet on either side of the batting crease and parallel to it (pointing to point). This automatically gives the body a reasonably sideone orientation. Keeping the shoulders also side-on takes a bit more work.
The bowlers are told to land their right foot almost parallel to the bowling crease which would turn the body sideways again. Now here is where the problems start.
It is easier for the spinners or even some medium pacers who amble in to the wicket, to turn slightly and plant the right foot parallel to the crease but its not easy at all if they are faster and running in at speed. The sudden change in the body orientation from what is essentially a front on run with feet pointing roughly down the wicket as he runs in, to suddenly plant the foot pointing approximately to midwicket is very tough indeed. You see many bowlers running in with the left shoulder leading so that even when running forward the body is kept slightly sideways during the run up.
An easier option to turn the body around, without disturbing the flow and momentum of the run up is to take a slight jump/leap in the air at the last stride, turn the body as you jump and land sideways as proscribed. Quite a few bowlers in history have managed to remain sideways using this method and many others have adopted the jump later in their careers. Imran is also one such bowler.
IMRAN KHAN ON HIS BOWLING ACTION
Excerpts from Imran’s autobiography reproduced in chronological order as they appear in different chapters in his autobiography “IMRAN” (Pelham Books 1983. You can tell the break in narrative by the successive periods ….). As can be seen he had quite a few problems with his action early on viz, being square-chested, being a slinger, no proper run up etc. I include all of it since it is a fascinating study of someone who turned into a fabulous bowler – one of the greats – and was admired later for his classic action!
First Class Debut (5th September 1969) :
. . . my huge in-swingers brought me a harvest of easy wickets. The average club cricketer in Pakistan doesn’t know much about the forward defensive stroke, preferring to play across the line
I made my first class debut for Lahore against Sargodha. I was sixteen and a half. …. I realized my first class debut was not a reward for outstanding play, more a recognition that there were no fast bowlers around and that the top Lahore players had left…leaving a lot of vacancies. There was another eason for my selection….The Chairman of selectors was my uncle, the side was captained by my cousin … and Javed Zaman (another cousin) was also in the side. My performance hardly matched that of Majid on his debut….
For a time things got worse, I pulled a back muscle through trying to bowl fast and for a year I could’nt bowl properly…..
By the time my back injury cleared up I was seventeen-and-a-half and a totally different bowler – my stock ball was now the in-swinger and I had lost the ability to move the ball away from the bat. Without realizing it I had become more open-chested in trying to take the stain off my back. All I could do was bowl huge in-swingers that might go anywhere….
Javed Burki told me that I wouldn’t last very long as a fast bowler because of my un-natural action and I accepted that. Javed asked Billy Ibadulla – a test batsman, respected coach and player with Warwickshire – to take a look at me and I well remember Billy’s advise; ‘You’ve got a really bad action – but don’t change it’. Perhaps Billy was hinting at something that I learned later in my career- you don’t have to have a beautiful action like Dennis Lillee to be a top fast bowler. Today it amuses me when people compliment me on my bowling action. If only they could have seen what it was like a few years ago!
In the short term, my huge in-swingers brought me a harvest of easy wickets. The average club cricketer in Pakistan doesn’t know much about the forward defensive stroke, preferring to play across the line… as a result I bowled many batsmen…Although I often struggled with my line and action, I managed to click and get it right on occasions…
For a time things got worse, I pulled a back muscle through trying to bowl fast and for a year I could’nt bowl properly…..
By the time my back injury cleared up I was seventeen-and-a-half and a totally different bowler – my stock ball was now the in-swinger and I had lost the ability to move the ball away from the bat. Without realizing it I had become more open-chested in trying to take the stain off my back. All I could do was bowl huge in-swingers that might go anywhere….
Javed Burki told me that I wouldn’t last very long as a fast bowler because of my un-natural action and I accepted that. Javed asked Billy Ibadulla – a test batsman, respected coach and player with Warwickshire – to take a look at me and I well remember Billy’s advise; ‘You’ve got a really bad action – but don’t change it’. Perhaps Billy was hinting at something that I learned later in my career- you don’t have to have a beautiful action like Dennis Lillee to be a top fast bowler. Today it amuses me when people compliment me on my bowling action. If only they could have seen what it was like a few years ago!
In the short term, my huge in-swingers brought me a harvest of easy wickets. The average club cricketer in Pakistan doesn’t know much about the forward defensive stroke, preferring to play across the line… as a result I bowled many batsmen…Although I often struggled with my line and action, I managed to click and get it right on occasions…
Selected for Pakistan’s tour to England (summer 1971) :
. . . My action in 1971 was roughly similar to the sling-shot-style of Jeff Thomson except that I was more chest on than Thomson. There the similarity ends as I was never as fast or as devastating.
My first stint in the nets made me realize that things were going to be a little different from my preconceptions….. My first delivery missed Aftab’s Gul’s nose by a matter of inches. Unfortunately, he was batting in the adjoining net….I prepared for my second delivery on English soil. It was no trouble to the batsman, but perturbed a spectator. It hit him on the head. He beat a hasty retreat from the side of the net he’d deemed a safe place to watch us. By now it had dawned on me that something was wrong. I realize now that I was bothered by the difference between the hard grounds of Pakistan and the soft turf of Lord’s… I was sent into a net by myself to sort things out. In just a few deliveries I had brought the entire net practice to a standstill.
For a long time I couldn’t get the ball anywhere near the stumps; when I managed to do that I kept overstepping the crease. Eventually I just ambled upto the crease and more or less stopped in my tracks before I bowled.
My action in 1971 was roughly similar to the sling-shot-style of Jeff Thomson except that I was more chest on than Thomson. There the similarity ends as I was never as fast or as devastating.
Bowling to Englishmen in England - 1971For a long time I couldn’t get the ball anywhere near the stumps; when I managed to do that I kept overstepping the crease. Eventually I just ambled upto the crease and more or less stopped in my tracks before I bowled.
My action in 1971 was roughly similar to the sling-shot-style of Jeff Thomson except that I was more chest on than Thomson. There the similarity ends as I was never as fast or as devastating.
. . . One day an umpire summed up my bowling beautifully. As I took off my sweater to start a new bowling spell, he shouted down the wicket to the batsman;”Right arm over, anywhere”
I wasn’t selected to play for the first two games of the tour as I tried to sort out my bowling. By the time I’d patched it up a little, I was ready to play against Northamptonshire and ready for another shock to the system…. I was shattered to see how comfortably they coped with my big inswingers that had proved too good for the reckless Pakistani batsmen. The English simply played forward with bat and pad closer together and smothered the swing….I refused to accept my limitations and kept pegging away.
Luckily for my analysis I retired from the match with a strained thigh muscle. By this time the my only chance of getting a wicket was by element of surprise; the batsmen didn’t know where the ball would go and sometimes they’d be astonished to find one pitching on a good length. One day an umpire summed up my bowling beautifully. As I took off my sweater to start a new bowling spell, he shouted down the wicket to the batsman;”Right arm over, anywhere”
Luckily for my analysis I retired from the match with a strained thigh muscle. By this time the my only chance of getting a wicket was by element of surprise; the batsmen didn’t know where the ball would go and sometimes they’d be astonished to find one pitching on a good length. One day an umpire summed up my bowling beautifully. As I took off my sweater to start a new bowling spell, he shouted down the wicket to the batsman;”Right arm over, anywhere”
Test Debut (Edgbaston 3rd June 1971)
. . . the ball was swinging like a boomerang in the cloudy atmosphere and I hadn’t a clue how to control the swing
Altaf and Sarfraz were ruled out of the first test due to injuries so the selectors had to turn to me…. On the first morning of the test….. I mentioned to Majid that I was having trouble with my run up. He offered to help and took me out to the nets. Majid told me to go and organize my run up and watched as I strode out, turned and marked the start of my run. Majid looked puzzled and said, “Didn’t you count your steps when you walked back?” I told him that all I ever did was walk back a few yards, then look back at the stumps and stop there if it felt long enough. Majid gave me a very strange look… He simply muttered something like, “Just play the match and we will sort it out afterwards”
The first four deliveries were all full tosses and Cowdrey was so startled that he failed to score of either of them…… the ball was swinging like a boomerang in the cloudy atmosphere and I hadn’t a clue how to control the swing. At the other end Asif masood was bowling beautifully while I kept everyone on edge, wondering where the next delivery would land….Intikhab my captain; finally came up to me and explained that an in-swinger should start outside the off stump, not outside leg….After our little chat, my first ball of the next over landed straight into the hands of a bewildered Asif Masood – at leg slip! Soon I was put out of my misery and taken off.
…..that test match was a nightmare for me….
The first four deliveries were all full tosses and Cowdrey was so startled that he failed to score of either of them…… the ball was swinging like a boomerang in the cloudy atmosphere and I hadn’t a clue how to control the swing. At the other end Asif masood was bowling beautifully while I kept everyone on edge, wondering where the next delivery would land….Intikhab my captain; finally came up to me and explained that an in-swinger should start outside the off stump, not outside leg….After our little chat, my first ball of the next over landed straight into the hands of a bewildered Asif Masood – at leg slip! Soon I was put out of my misery and taken off.
…..that test match was a nightmare for me….
The turning point (Selkirk, Scotland – 30th June 1971)
. . . I was so angry and humiliated that I vowed that I would prove them wrong; I would go back to the drawing board and sort out my bowling action
While the reputaion of our side rose, that of Imran Khan sank without a trace, I am convinced that had the tour ended after the Edgbaston Test, I would have given up serious cricket. It had suddenly dawned on me that I was a bad player…
The turning point came at Selkirk, Scotlan. Asif Iqbal and Aftab Gul sat talking about me, aware that I could hear them. The verdict was that I would be lucky to get into the second eleven of an English club side….I was so angry and humiliated that I vowed that I would prove them wrong; I would go back to the drawing board and sort out my bowling action.
….
The home truths of Selkirk earlier that summer made me obsessed with being good enough. I would never make myself available for selection until I was good enough to be in the team….. Many players in Pakistan like me have been destroyed after just one test. English County cricket was to help me in my cricket rehabilitation.
The turning point came at Selkirk, Scotlan. Asif Iqbal and Aftab Gul sat talking about me, aware that I could hear them. The verdict was that I would be lucky to get into the second eleven of an English club side….I was so angry and humiliated that I vowed that I would prove them wrong; I would go back to the drawing board and sort out my bowling action.
….
The home truths of Selkirk earlier that summer made me obsessed with being good enough. I would never make myself available for selection until I was good enough to be in the team….. Many players in Pakistan like me have been destroyed after just one test. English County cricket was to help me in my cricket rehabilitation.
Worcester Grammer School – 1972
. . . I told him about my problems, he suggested that I should take a jump just before I delivered the ball – this would turn my body around and get my footwork right
The school gymnasium housed my evening cricket matches with a tennis ball, as I strove to improve my action. I had watched the great Graham McKenzie during the 1971 season and I tried to model myself on him; that was fine as long as I bowled slowly, but as soon as I tried for some extra pace, I ended up with my usual wayward action.
Try as I might I couldn’t get out of my slinging action. I was near to desperation when a chance encounter on the street gave me new hope. John Parker had joined the Worcestershire staff at the same time as me…. He was a walking, talking MCC coaching book who knew a great deal about technique.
When I told him about my problems, he suggested that I should take a jump just before I delivered the ball – this would turn my body around and get my footwork right.I already knew the importance of getting side-on, so that I could be in a position to bowl the out-swinger, rather than my predictable in-swingers.
During my sessions in the school gymnasium I tried to incorporate my run-up with the bowling action, rather than as separate entities.. One evening John Parker came down to view my new action. He looked worried and told me to think very carefully about changing my style, otherwise, I would lose what little natural assets I had. In fact, he told me that I should go back to my original action but I had decided that I would stick to my new method, incorporating the jump. I was in a great dilemma; I desperately wanted to improve on the existing model, which wasn’t good enough. I thought my original action had no potential for improvement and a radical overhaul was necessary. For the rest of the winter I practiced hard with a tennis ball, searching for rhythm, turning my step into a jump.
By April…. The action felt satisfactory to me. School cricket proved the ideal vehicle…. I simply bowled twenty overs on the trot from one end. This helped stabilize my action; I now had a measured run up, and with body movement that was a little more side on, I could bowl the ball that went away from the bat on occasions .
Try as I might I couldn’t get out of my slinging action. I was near to desperation when a chance encounter on the street gave me new hope. John Parker had joined the Worcestershire staff at the same time as me…. He was a walking, talking MCC coaching book who knew a great deal about technique.
When I told him about my problems, he suggested that I should take a jump just before I delivered the ball – this would turn my body around and get my footwork right.I already knew the importance of getting side-on, so that I could be in a position to bowl the out-swinger, rather than my predictable in-swingers.
During my sessions in the school gymnasium I tried to incorporate my run-up with the bowling action, rather than as separate entities.. One evening John Parker came down to view my new action. He looked worried and told me to think very carefully about changing my style, otherwise, I would lose what little natural assets I had. In fact, he told me that I should go back to my original action but I had decided that I would stick to my new method, incorporating the jump. I was in a great dilemma; I desperately wanted to improve on the existing model, which wasn’t good enough. I thought my original action had no potential for improvement and a radical overhaul was necessary. For the rest of the winter I practiced hard with a tennis ball, searching for rhythm, turning my step into a jump.
By April…. The action felt satisfactory to me. School cricket proved the ideal vehicle…. I simply bowled twenty overs on the trot from one end. This helped stabilize my action; I now had a measured run up, and with body movement that was a little more side on, I could bowl the ball that went away from the bat on occasions .
Oxford (1973 to1975) - Pakistan’s tour of England - 1975 World Cup
. . . This was the very first time that I watched genuine fast bowling of such high caliber and I found it very exciting…..
My cricket continued to improve at Oxford and the mental challenges involved in studying helped me in my attitude to cricket. I became more logical and analytical about my game....
Worcestershire didn’t think enough of me during that 1972 season. By the end of it I was only marginally better as a cricketer – my new action was an improvement in my eyes. Though not to everyone else, and I could now actually bowl the out-swinger on occasions. I was slower but more accurate and all the experienced players at New Road had dismissed my chances of ever bowling fast. Their verdict was chastening to me because my ambition to bowl fast had been fuelled by the sight that summer of two of the greatest of their kind – John Snow and Dennis Lillee. During the England-Australia series my eyes were glued to Snow and Lillee. About that time it became an ambition of mine to bowl fast. This was the very first time that I watched genuine fast bowling of such high caliber and I found it very exciting…..
In my first season with Oxford…. My bowling was for the most part, only medium-pace; partly because I had to do a lot of bowling. Indeed I used to complain bitterly if my captain tried to take me off! Now and then, I would slip myself and let one or two fast deliveries go – despite being a medium pacer, I had the temprament of a fast bowler and hated being hit to the boundary – and when it all clicked for a couple of overs, the effect was exhilarating. My team mates always egged me on to bowl fast and although I sprayed it al over the place, I was encouraged enough by my progress by the time the term ended.
….elected the 1974 Oxford captain and…responsibility made me a better player. At least I managed to bowl fast for constant periods…….. my good friend Guy Waller, kept urging me to bowl quicker and after the brainwashing I’d experienced at Worcester, I had my misgivings. I felt that I gave away too many runs by tearing in like Lillee, and using too many slips and gullies but other considerations swayed me – I got bored bowling tightly at county batsmen who came (to Oxford) to just polish up their batting averages and we needed a strike bowler to retaliate after our batsmen had been given the bouncer treatment. I also knew that I had the temperament of the fast bowler rather than the cunning ‘line and length’ stuff, so I kept attacking….
My form with Oxford was sufficiently impressive to earn a recall to the Pakistan side in the latter part of the 1974 season.
His (Majid’s) advice on fast bowling was invaluable to me on that 1974 season. He told me I now had a perfectly good action and to take no notice of the Worcester attitude of just bowling line and length. His advice was to put more emphasis on pace and to remember that batsmen didn’t get out to accurate medium pacers all that often especially outside England. I also knew that Pakistan lacked a genuine pace bowler and that just possibly I could fill that gap.
The following year I was still raw and wayward in my bowling, When I occasionally took the advise of the older players at Worcester, I bowled accurately and managed to swing the ball – yet I was extremely sharp sometimes, even though I wasn’t tight enough and sometimes lost my swing. Gifford and D’Oliviera were happy enough with the improvement in my bowling but were much more enthusiastic about my batting…
Although sadness accompanied the end of my time at Oxford*, I shall always look back with fondness to those three years….My cricket continued to improve at Oxford and the mental challenges involved in studying helped me in my attitude to cricket. I became more logical and analytical about my game and the discipline of scholastic work stood me in good stead later on when I later needed to sit down and sort out where my cricket career was going.
At the end of that 1975 season I went back to Pakistan for the first time in four years….The cricket was very competitive, partly because our national side had been faring well in recent years and also because all the top players were playing in Pakistan in the absence of a Test series that winter. Initially I was written off by most journalists….Eventually I bowled fast and straight on the hard wickets and managed to swing the ball enough to claim 33 wickets in the four Pentangular matches. I realized that I would get nowhere bowling on the hard, wickets by bowling English style medium pace to a defensive field; the only way I was going to get men out was through sheer speed. That trip to Pakistan made up my mind – from then on, I would be a fast bowler or nothing at all. The days of compromise were over. I would continue to work on my action, to modify it in certain areas, but it would all be geared towards blasting the batsmen out.
In my first season with Oxford…. My bowling was for the most part, only medium-pace; partly because I had to do a lot of bowling. Indeed I used to complain bitterly if my captain tried to take me off! Now and then, I would slip myself and let one or two fast deliveries go – despite being a medium pacer, I had the temprament of a fast bowler and hated being hit to the boundary – and when it all clicked for a couple of overs, the effect was exhilarating. My team mates always egged me on to bowl fast and although I sprayed it al over the place, I was encouraged enough by my progress by the time the term ended.
….elected the 1974 Oxford captain and…responsibility made me a better player. At least I managed to bowl fast for constant periods…….. my good friend Guy Waller, kept urging me to bowl quicker and after the brainwashing I’d experienced at Worcester, I had my misgivings. I felt that I gave away too many runs by tearing in like Lillee, and using too many slips and gullies but other considerations swayed me – I got bored bowling tightly at county batsmen who came (to Oxford) to just polish up their batting averages and we needed a strike bowler to retaliate after our batsmen had been given the bouncer treatment. I also knew that I had the temperament of the fast bowler rather than the cunning ‘line and length’ stuff, so I kept attacking….
My form with Oxford was sufficiently impressive to earn a recall to the Pakistan side in the latter part of the 1974 season.
His (Majid’s) advice on fast bowling was invaluable to me on that 1974 season. He told me I now had a perfectly good action and to take no notice of the Worcester attitude of just bowling line and length. His advice was to put more emphasis on pace and to remember that batsmen didn’t get out to accurate medium pacers all that often especially outside England. I also knew that Pakistan lacked a genuine pace bowler and that just possibly I could fill that gap.
The following year I was still raw and wayward in my bowling, When I occasionally took the advise of the older players at Worcester, I bowled accurately and managed to swing the ball – yet I was extremely sharp sometimes, even though I wasn’t tight enough and sometimes lost my swing. Gifford and D’Oliviera were happy enough with the improvement in my bowling but were much more enthusiastic about my batting…
Although sadness accompanied the end of my time at Oxford*, I shall always look back with fondness to those three years….My cricket continued to improve at Oxford and the mental challenges involved in studying helped me in my attitude to cricket. I became more logical and analytical about my game and the discipline of scholastic work stood me in good stead later on when I later needed to sit down and sort out where my cricket career was going.
At the end of that 1975 season I went back to Pakistan for the first time in four years….The cricket was very competitive, partly because our national side had been faring well in recent years and also because all the top players were playing in Pakistan in the absence of a Test series that winter. Initially I was written off by most journalists….Eventually I bowled fast and straight on the hard wickets and managed to swing the ball enough to claim 33 wickets in the four Pentangular matches. I realized that I would get nowhere bowling on the hard, wickets by bowling English style medium pace to a defensive field; the only way I was going to get men out was through sheer speed. That trip to Pakistan made up my mind – from then on, I would be a fast bowler or nothing at all. The days of compromise were over. I would continue to work on my action, to modify it in certain areas, but it would all be geared towards blasting the batsmen out.
* refers to Pakistan's close defeats at the inaugural World Cup in 1975
Back in England - stronger/faster (1976)
. . . I have always hated taking a beating lying down - something essential to a medium pacer. Consequently I would find myself on various occasions being hit, forgetting about swing, line and length and just seeing blood in front of my eyes
I returned to England a much better all round player.... I was top of the bowling averages and at last Basil D'Oliviera and Norman Gifford had stopped nagging me about keeping things tight - every now and then I managed to bowl a genuinely fast spell and I could see that they were impressed! The hot dry summer meant that I could bowl on some fiery wickets and I sent down many bouncers that season.... I must admit I overdid the bouncer those days, I would regularly bowl four in my first over of a new ball spell just to let the batsman know that I was quicker than before. I wouldn't have been able to do that a year earlier.
One of the reasons I was changing from a medium pacer to a fast bowler was my temperament. I have always hated taking a beating lying down - something essential to a medium pacer. Consequently I would find myself on various occasions being hit, forgetting about swing, line and length and just seeing blood in front of my eyes. It was during such moments of anger that an increase of adrenalin would add an extra yard or two to my pace. Somehow my action began to change to accommodate that extra pace.....
Yet I knew I had much to learn. My bowling action was not yet properly co-ordinated...but... I knew I had improved as a cricketer.
One of the reasons I was changing from a medium pacer to a fast bowler was my temperament. I have always hated taking a beating lying down - something essential to a medium pacer. Consequently I would find myself on various occasions being hit, forgetting about swing, line and length and just seeing blood in front of my eyes. It was during such moments of anger that an increase of adrenalin would add an extra yard or two to my pace. Somehow my action began to change to accommodate that extra pace.....
Yet I knew I had much to learn. My bowling action was not yet properly co-ordinated...but... I knew I had improved as a cricketer.
New Zealand at home – Australia away (1976-77)
. . . To my intense embarrassment, favourable comparisons were being made between the pace of Lillee and myself – a travesty and an insult to a great bowler – but I must admit I felt very good in that test…. I got quickly into rhythm and felt very much in control. In those days, I relied heavily on rhythm in my run-up, much more than I do now. If I struggled to run-up properly, I would look very ordinary indeed. In Sydney that day, it all fell into place as I bowled non-stop for almost four hours.
Looking back I would love to bowl on that Melbourne wicket again it was seaming and swinging all over the place, and I didn’t know whether to go flat out and risk wasting the new ball or slow down, pitch the ball up and try to control the swing. In the end I fell between two stools and was hopeless
The New Zealand series was a one-sided affair.... I dismissed my old mentor, John Parker, four times out of six and he was kind enough to remark on the improvements in my bowling - a far cry from the winter evenings in the school gym at Worcester with a tennis ball!....
By now I was quick enough, although I seemed to specialise in in-swingers and bouncers. My run up was getting better and every now-and-then it slipped into place. I now had the desire to dominate batsmen - that killer instinct I had picked up from Sarfraz - and my body was fit enough to with stand the burden of fast bowling. I learnt a lot from bowling on those dead Pakistani wickets and the experience set me up for the tough assignments in Australia and West Indies.
The 1976 tour to Australia was the most exciting one I've ever been on. I've never felt my adrenalin flow so much, either before or since....
Initially I bowled the wrong line; I was used to bowling at the stumps in England and Pakistan, but that just went straight on and was played away through the legside by the Australians…. I was murdered. I needed to bowl outside the off stump, make the batsmen play at the deliveries and hope that the extra bounce would get them caught in the slips…..
By the time of the Melbourne test we were all under pressure…The Australians chose to bat first….we bowled very badly in helpful conditions. The ball swung a great deal but I just couldn’t control it and with each successive over, I felt under extra pressure because I was letting the team down. I finished with 0 for 115 …. Looking back I would love to bowl on that Melbourne wicket again it was seaming and swinging all over the place, and I didn’t know whether to go flat out and risk wasting the new ball or slow down, pitch the ball up and try to control the swing. In the end I fell between two stools and was hopeless.
(The) second innings was one of the major turning points in my bowling career. I had been so disappointed with my efforts so far that I vowed to go out and risk being taken apart. In the absence of Sarfraz. I was the main strike bowler in the team, so I gave it my all. After all I had been thrashed while striving for line and length in the first innings, so I had nothing to lose. ….in the absence of cloud cover, I somehow found it easier to control my swing and length. I managed to hit on the off stump line and felt aggressive towards the batsmen… I gave Rodney Marsh a fright with a bouncer that hit him on the forehead.
Where did you get that extra yard of pace from” he asked me…
It’s a funny thing how such insignificant reamarks have such significant effects; after that innings, I was an authentic fast bowler in my own eyes. It had all come together and I would spend the rest of the tour striving to regain that rhythm and control…. I was driven to all-out attack by my own desperation and the fact that the match was out of our control – sure enough we collapsed tamely in the second innings…
…the match against Queensland proved to be a significant one for me. I took five wickets and bowled faster than at any previous time in my career. Admittedly the Brisbane wicket was fast, but I got into such a good rhythm that my confidence was boosted immensely. I bumped into Geoff Boycott and he gave me some good advice; he said that I must bowl fast in Australia when the ball is hard and new, because it soon gets soft and the batsmen flourish, when the shine has worn off. He said that I definitely had the capacity to bowl fast and I set out to prove him right.
I had decided that fitness has to be a crucial element in my efforts to be a fast bowler at the highest level, so I doubled up on my training programme before the final Test. To me the issue was a simple one…. I had to be supremely fit…..
Sarfaraz and I proceeded to bowl almost all day in sultry conditions (in the second innings) but my extra training had paid off. I managed to get a lot of bounce from the wicket and several of their batsmen got out to the hook shot against my bouncers. My reward was twelve wickets in the match and we won by eight wickets…
To my intense embarrassment, favourable comparisons were being made between the pace of Lillee and myself – a travesty and an insult to a great bowler – but I must admit I felt very good in that test…. I got quickly into rhythm and felt very much in control. In those days, I relied heavily on rhythm in my run-up, much more than I do now. If I struggled to run-up properly, I would look very ordinary indeed. In Sydney that day, it all fell into place as I bowled non-stop for almost four hours.
West Indies (1976-77)The New Zealand series was a one-sided affair.... I dismissed my old mentor, John Parker, four times out of six and he was kind enough to remark on the improvements in my bowling - a far cry from the winter evenings in the school gym at Worcester with a tennis ball!....
By now I was quick enough, although I seemed to specialise in in-swingers and bouncers. My run up was getting better and every now-and-then it slipped into place. I now had the desire to dominate batsmen - that killer instinct I had picked up from Sarfraz - and my body was fit enough to with stand the burden of fast bowling. I learnt a lot from bowling on those dead Pakistani wickets and the experience set me up for the tough assignments in Australia and West Indies.
The 1976 tour to Australia was the most exciting one I've ever been on. I've never felt my adrenalin flow so much, either before or since....
Initially I bowled the wrong line; I was used to bowling at the stumps in England and Pakistan, but that just went straight on and was played away through the legside by the Australians…. I was murdered. I needed to bowl outside the off stump, make the batsmen play at the deliveries and hope that the extra bounce would get them caught in the slips…..
By the time of the Melbourne test we were all under pressure…The Australians chose to bat first….we bowled very badly in helpful conditions. The ball swung a great deal but I just couldn’t control it and with each successive over, I felt under extra pressure because I was letting the team down. I finished with 0 for 115 …. Looking back I would love to bowl on that Melbourne wicket again it was seaming and swinging all over the place, and I didn’t know whether to go flat out and risk wasting the new ball or slow down, pitch the ball up and try to control the swing. In the end I fell between two stools and was hopeless.
(The) second innings was one of the major turning points in my bowling career. I had been so disappointed with my efforts so far that I vowed to go out and risk being taken apart. In the absence of Sarfraz. I was the main strike bowler in the team, so I gave it my all. After all I had been thrashed while striving for line and length in the first innings, so I had nothing to lose. ….in the absence of cloud cover, I somehow found it easier to control my swing and length. I managed to hit on the off stump line and felt aggressive towards the batsmen… I gave Rodney Marsh a fright with a bouncer that hit him on the forehead.
Where did you get that extra yard of pace from” he asked me…
It’s a funny thing how such insignificant reamarks have such significant effects; after that innings, I was an authentic fast bowler in my own eyes. It had all come together and I would spend the rest of the tour striving to regain that rhythm and control…. I was driven to all-out attack by my own desperation and the fact that the match was out of our control – sure enough we collapsed tamely in the second innings…
…the match against Queensland proved to be a significant one for me. I took five wickets and bowled faster than at any previous time in my career. Admittedly the Brisbane wicket was fast, but I got into such a good rhythm that my confidence was boosted immensely. I bumped into Geoff Boycott and he gave me some good advice; he said that I must bowl fast in Australia when the ball is hard and new, because it soon gets soft and the batsmen flourish, when the shine has worn off. He said that I definitely had the capacity to bowl fast and I set out to prove him right.
I had decided that fitness has to be a crucial element in my efforts to be a fast bowler at the highest level, so I doubled up on my training programme before the final Test. To me the issue was a simple one…. I had to be supremely fit…..
Sarfaraz and I proceeded to bowl almost all day in sultry conditions (in the second innings) but my extra training had paid off. I managed to get a lot of bounce from the wicket and several of their batsmen got out to the hook shot against my bouncers. My reward was twelve wickets in the match and we won by eight wickets…
To my intense embarrassment, favourable comparisons were being made between the pace of Lillee and myself – a travesty and an insult to a great bowler – but I must admit I felt very good in that test…. I got quickly into rhythm and felt very much in control. In those days, I relied heavily on rhythm in my run-up, much more than I do now. If I struggled to run-up properly, I would look very ordinary indeed. In Sydney that day, it all fell into place as I bowled non-stop for almost four hours.
As soon as I arrived in the West Indies, I realised the folly of the comparisons between Lillee and myself. In the Carribean, a club bowler is quicker than the fastest from Pakistan, and I took my time to find a proper rhythm. The great Sir Gary Sobers took one look at me and announced dismssively; "If he is as quick as Lillee, then Lillee must have been bowling at half pace!"
I was reasonably happy with my bowling during the three test series of 1976-77. I had taken 57 wickets in eleven test matches and fared well against some of the world's best batsmen....it seemed my main value to the team was as a strike bowler. Once and for all I decided that my strength lay in my bowling, not my batting. Now I had to improve my bowling to survive at the highest level.
I was reasonably happy with my bowling during the three test series of 1976-77. I had taken 57 wickets in eleven test matches and fared well against some of the world's best batsmen....it seemed my main value to the team was as a strike bowler. Once and for all I decided that my strength lay in my bowling, not my batting. Now I had to improve my bowling to survive at the highest level.
The Kerry Packer "academy" - Professors Snow and Proctor and Imran finally graduates (April 1977 to April 1979)
. . . The injury convinced me that my action was changing for the better
My two years with World Series Cricket turned me into an infinitely better fast bowler. When I signed in April 1977, I was still fairly raw, able to generate pace at times but with a predominant in-swing and an over-reliance on the bouncer. By April 1979, I had more or less got it right - I was getting closer to the stumps, which made me more side-on at delivery, enabling me to move the ball away from the right hander. I now used more discretion with the bouncer and had more variety,
In county cricket during that period, I experimented most of the time with minor alterations to my action. I went round the wicket, which helped me stand up straighter at the moment of delivery to avoid falling in front of the umpire's line of vision. ..... Now my action was more stabilised and my run up smooth. I felt more confident of putting the ball where i wanted it.
Without World Series Cricket, I probably would never have been able to improve so dramatically. It gave me the chance to observe atclose quarters the classical bowling styles of men like Lillee, Snow, Roberts and Holding and to analyse why they were great technical performers. The superb quality of Channel 9 coverage also allowed me to dissect my action, thanks to those superb close-ups and excelent slow-motion sequences. I would sit for long periods watching where my feet landed at the crease, examining the position of my body at the time of delivery.
The competition for places in the World XI was so intense that I just had to improve, otherwise I would be an also-ran.
I was lucky to have the advise of two great fast bowlers, John Snow and Mike Proctor. I respected their achievement and was gratifyed to learn that they were ready to offer advice and encouragement. I still had an inferiority complex about appearing alongside so many great fast bowlers, knowing that I still had much to learn, despite my encouraging performances in Tests.
Proctor worked on my run-up, telling me that I must make it more fluent and less of a strain, while Snow emphasised the necessity of getting side-on and closer to the stumps, thereby making the in-swinger more effective. Snow told me that it took him a long time to get into the side on habit; in his early days, he used to be open chested.
I was determined to do the same and the first signs that I was achieving this came in the English season of 1978. I tore a side muscle when bowling - it was very painful but the consolation was that it had resulted from my efforts to get side-on. The injury convinced me that my action was changing for the better; I then had to toughen up the muscles that hadn't been stretched very much in my old action.
In county cricket during that period, I experimented most of the time with minor alterations to my action. I went round the wicket, which helped me stand up straighter at the moment of delivery to avoid falling in front of the umpire's line of vision. ..... Now my action was more stabilised and my run up smooth. I felt more confident of putting the ball where i wanted it.
Without World Series Cricket, I probably would never have been able to improve so dramatically. It gave me the chance to observe atclose quarters the classical bowling styles of men like Lillee, Snow, Roberts and Holding and to analyse why they were great technical performers. The superb quality of Channel 9 coverage also allowed me to dissect my action, thanks to those superb close-ups and excelent slow-motion sequences. I would sit for long periods watching where my feet landed at the crease, examining the position of my body at the time of delivery.
The competition for places in the World XI was so intense that I just had to improve, otherwise I would be an also-ran.
I was lucky to have the advise of two great fast bowlers, John Snow and Mike Proctor. I respected their achievement and was gratifyed to learn that they were ready to offer advice and encouragement. I still had an inferiority complex about appearing alongside so many great fast bowlers, knowing that I still had much to learn, despite my encouraging performances in Tests.
Proctor worked on my run-up, telling me that I must make it more fluent and less of a strain, while Snow emphasised the necessity of getting side-on and closer to the stumps, thereby making the in-swinger more effective. Snow told me that it took him a long time to get into the side on habit; in his early days, he used to be open chested.
I was determined to do the same and the first signs that I was achieving this came in the English season of 1978. I tore a side muscle when bowling - it was very painful but the consolation was that it had resulted from my efforts to get side-on. The injury convinced me that my action was changing for the better; I then had to toughen up the muscles that hadn't been stretched very much in my old action.
PS These are from the thread The Fast Bowler's fast Bowlers
