stephen
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The thought has occurred to me over the last few years on more than one occasion that modern bowlers are perhaps bowling five kms faster than they should. McGrath, certainly the most successful quick of the last decade bowled between 130 and 140 kms, occasionally getting marginally higher in this timeframe. However, he was so ridiculously accurate and moved the ball off the pitch.
Most other bowlers were faster than McGrath during this time, regularly staying over the 140 kph mark.
I just re-watched the "worlds fastest bowler" competition from the 70s. This competition had such greats as Lillee, Imran, Hadlee, Roberts and Croft. All of these bowlers were recorded as slower than today's bowlers. They all peaked around 140 (except for Thompson) and averaged in the mid 130s. Thompson was the fastest and he peaked at 147, with an average of 142.
I am wondering if the increase in speeds that we see today have had the dual effect of reducing accuracy and swing. Certainly the physics of swing gets severely effected by the speed of the ball. If so do you think it would be better for bowling coaches to focus more on accuracy than speed, or is it just that modern pitches are too flat and we don't have as genetically good fast bowlers any more?
Or alternatively, is it just that increased professionalism has helped batsmen more than bowlers? Or is it something else?
Most other bowlers were faster than McGrath during this time, regularly staying over the 140 kph mark.
I just re-watched the "worlds fastest bowler" competition from the 70s. This competition had such greats as Lillee, Imran, Hadlee, Roberts and Croft. All of these bowlers were recorded as slower than today's bowlers. They all peaked around 140 (except for Thompson) and averaged in the mid 130s. Thompson was the fastest and he peaked at 147, with an average of 142.
I am wondering if the increase in speeds that we see today have had the dual effect of reducing accuracy and swing. Certainly the physics of swing gets severely effected by the speed of the ball. If so do you think it would be better for bowling coaches to focus more on accuracy than speed, or is it just that modern pitches are too flat and we don't have as genetically good fast bowlers any more?
Or alternatively, is it just that increased professionalism has helped batsmen more than bowlers? Or is it something else?