vic_orthdox said:
I'd be interested to see Goughy's thoughts on the guy's action though...
He is someone I would be very careful with.
The things a number of coaches may not like are also what enables him to generate that swing.
The swing obviously comes from a great wrist position and his action helps him as his left arm splays towards the off side (forcing the right arm to be pushed towards the leg) and he has a pronounced bending of the back towards the offside and a lot of body rotation.
The left arm situation is generally a cause for concern as it leads to inconsisency of line and what he does with his body is a worry as it applies massive pressure and would lead to many players breaking down. However, I would not look to change that much as it is these aspectsthat help him swing the ball. He will be stuck with the fact that his strengths are also his biggest weaknesses.
If you try and change a swing bowlers action too much then you seriously run the risk of losing the ability to move the ball ala Jimmy Anderson.
Another thing, he gets his feet in a great position to enable him to bowl quick. He really generates a great deal of torque.
To conclude, I would only look to make minor changes as I would hate to change the aspects that make him the bowler he is. However, he will live with the fact that he will struggle for consistency and have a high risk of breaking down. With a guy like that, I think its better to take what he is rather than change him. If you try and change him you are gambling and could lose it all.