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http://cricket.expressindia.com/fulliestory.php?content_id=19734

The recipe to get the swing back
 
         
 
Posted online: Sunday, December 31, 2006 at 0000 hours IST
 
 
Manoj Prabhakar
Let’s talk about Pathan and how he can get his swing back. If I were in his shoes I would head straight into the nets with a pack of new balls. I understand that the selectors want Pathan to play domestic cricket but practice is the key word. Just like batsmen love to get their V, fast bowlers love to work on their C — the natural with-the-arm-outswing.

It is the stock ball for most bowlers, and in Pathan’s case, his most potent weapon because that ball will come in to the batsman. Pathan should try and get the ball to pitch outside the off-stump and look to hit the middle-stump. It’s a process that needs hard work, and long hours at the nets.

With his action, Pathan needs to come closer to the wicket if he has to prove a threat to the batsman. His bowling action isn’t convertible like mine or that of Akram. Swing is all about talent and using the crease is an art.

I used to have a big-inswinger that forced batsmen to play all my deliveries and with one out-swing I got the batsmen to give the snick. It’s important to mix and match, just one type of delivery cannot buy you wickets at international level. And that’s why Pathan, without his natural in-swing to the right-handers is finding it difficult to get wickets.

But he first needs to decide what he wants to do — swing or pace. These are two different things — the pace will come only if you have a defined jump, your run-up generates rhythm and the arc or back-extension at the time of delivery is pronounced.

A few tips on perfecting the bowling run-up are also important — since rhythm is vital to get the swing back. I have always believed that to become a fast bowler, you need to be a good athlete. I used to run with athletes and ask them to wear shoes with wet soles. I used to match their footprints with mine. Or I used to run on rail-tracks and land on every alternate wooden plank to smoothen my run-up and develop my strides.

Another thing is confidence, and for that Pathan needs to sort out a few things in his mind. The confusion over the all-rounder tag I can understand. Even I batted at number 11 first and then went on to open for India in Tests and one-dayers. People spoke about me being a genuine all-rounder but I had kept my focus. I improved on my batting every day but derived my confidence from my bowling. Even at the nets I used to enjoy having a go at the batsmen, and try and get them to induce a snick. I would divert the confidence that I gain from there into my batting; I would take my batting seriously, but never did I forget what I was — India’s strike bowler.

Pathan did just the reverse —he derived his confidence from his batting and tried to sow it in his bowling. Fast bowlers in India can’t afford to relax. One slip-up can spell disaster. I would have looked foolish if I tried to fancy myself as a batsman first in the same team that had Azhar, Sachin, Ravi, Sidhu. Similarly, Pathan the batsman doesn’t stand a chance when there are Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, Sehwag. Not unless Pathan is a strike bowler, who can bat very well.

—(As told to GS Vivek)
 

[dextrous]

Actually a pretty good article by Monoj.

[keep-it-cool]

I agree. Prabhakar was easily one of the more talented guys to play for India.