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What happened to the flipper?

TheJediBrah

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Shane Warne's signature trick ball in the 1990s, until he stopped bowling it reportedly due to shoulder issues. I'm sure plenty of others utilised and mastered the delivery before Warne came along but he definitely made it famous during his time.

I feel like we very rarely see it bowled much anymore. Since Warne left the scene the only times I can recall seeing it used with success in international cricket were a couple of times by Brad Hogg in 2003, clean bowled disimissals of Andy Flower and Ganguly sticking in my mind. I haven't seen much Asian cricket in the last 10 years maybe it has been more common over there.

Am I just not seeing it as much or am I right in thinking that no one really bothers bowling it as a wicket-taking ball these days? And if so, why? Is it just too hard to bowl accurately? Not that good a ball anyway? Are batsman these days too clever for it?
 

the big bambino

International Captain
Appears to be difficult to master. Grimmett was reputedly the inventor of the ball and it took him years before he used it in a match.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
As everyone else says, hard. You'd think it would be a useful delivery in T20s but probably not enough advantage over a flat, quick slider, which is ten times easier to bowl and probably not much less disguised (especially as picking it out of the hand seems to be out of fashion).
 

PramodMn

Cricket Spectator
I remember watching a video where Warne sets up a South African batsman with the Ripper... It was brilliant...!!!
 

PramodMn

Cricket Spectator
Found the Video. It was 1993-94 South Africa tour to Australia.. And the Batsman was Daryll Cullinan

 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Warne's flipper was what really set him apart pre 1998. It was an amazing delivery which took oodles of wickets.
 

SillyCowCorner1

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During my youth crcket playing days i can recall Devendra Bishoo working on his flipper. He had a very good googly.
 

TheJediBrah

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Did Kumble bowl the flipper?
Not from what I saw. I don't imagine it would have been as useful for him anyway, given that his stock ball was generally flatter and quicker. What made Warne's so deadly was that his stock leg break was slow and loopy and when he threw the flipper in it looked like it was just a dragged down half-tracker. So the batsman would set up to cut or pull it expecting it to grip, turn and bounce slowly off the wicket but it just shot through low and straight and you were pretty ****ed.
 

smash84

The Tiger King
It is an extremely hard delivery to bowl and get right. From my own experience in trying to bowl it, it uses a lot of strength from the shoulder to push it through as well (which is why Warne couldn't really bowl it after his shoulder injury).

A few bowlers bowled it. Richie Benaud and Abdul Qadir come to mind among the exponents of the flipper. I think Mushtaq Ahmed would bowl it occassionally (although not very successfully).
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
It is an extremely hard delivery to bowl and get right. From my own experience in trying to bowl it, it uses a lot of strength from the shoulder to push it through as well (which is why Warne couldn't really bowl it after his shoulder injury).

A few bowlers bowled it. Richie Benaud and Abdul Qadir come to mind among the exponents of the flipper. I think Mushtaq Ahmed would bowl it occassionally (although not very successfully).

Mushy's action was very jumpy. Based on the few times I did try it (Warney himself advised how to bowl it, in person, during the 2004 test.. :) ) you need a more stable delivery point to get it right.
 

PramodMn

Cricket Spectator
Kumble..I'm bit confused.. was he bowling a Flipper or a Googly??? He used Bowl it extensively in IPL, especially in Powerplays...
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Flipper is basically one that looks like a drag down and so batsmen set up for the pull but never bounces that high and goes through faster than the batsman expects too. Kumble did bowl similar deliveries but I think they had more to do with pitch and his own subtle variations than an actual flipper per se.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
It’s not always the greatest bowlers that bowl the best flippers. Intikhab Alam in the 60’s and 70’s was as good as anyone.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It is an extremely hard delivery to bowl and get right. From my own experience in trying to bowl it, it uses a lot of strength from the shoulder to push it through as well (which is why Warne couldn't really bowl it after his shoulder injury).

A few bowlers bowled it. Richie Benaud and Abdul Qadir come to mind among the exponents of the flipper. I think Mushtaq Ahmed would bowl it occassionally (although not very successfully).
Interestingly I once saw one of Benaud's leg spin teaching videos and he said that he found the slider (didn't call it that, but described it) more useful than the flipper.

Flipper is basically one that looks like a drag down and so batsmen set up for the pull but never bounces that high and goes through faster than the batsman expects too. Kumble did bowl similar deliveries but I think they had more to do with pitch and his own subtle variations than an actual flipper per se.
The flipper is specifically backspun. Can't recall Kumble bowling such a ball though he may have bowled ones that behaved not too dissimilarly due to his normal pace, trajectory and release.
 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
Warne kept trying the flipper long after it deserted him and would invariably drag it halfway down the pitch, Finally gave up round about the turn of the millennium I think.
 

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