THE SLOW DEATH OF FAST BOWLING
By Nadeem
February 26 2005
A Pakistani Fan examines the death of true fast bowling in todays feature article at Pak Cricket Zone. He introduces us to his childhood heroes and contrasts them with today's show ponies!
February 26 2005
A Pakistani Fan examines the death of true fast bowling in todays feature article at Pak Cricket Zone. He introduces us to his childhood heroes and contrasts them with today's show ponies!
"Well done young man. Congratulations on your 400th test wicket in only your 73rd test with SR of 33 and average of 19. You're indeed the Bradman of bowling. What inspires you to sustain such a high level of intensity day in day out", Said Richie Benaud.
"Well Richie growing up I just wanted to be able to bowl like Imran Khan. I just wanted to give 110% for Pakistan and do my best for the country" I replied in a modest yet honest tone.
"Ooth jaa manhoos phir cricket ke khwaab dekh raha hai.You're late again Nadeem" I heard my dad screaming as a bucketful of water ended up on my face. I got up rubbing my eyes and there was no Richie. Instead there was my dad assuming a very attacking stance with his back to the wall that as covered with posters of Imran, Lillee, Holding, Roberts, Thommo and co.
Fast forward 22 years. I am now 35. A nephew of mine comes upto me and asks me about my favourite fast bowlers. Names like Holding, Waqar, Wasim, Roberts, Lillee, Thommo, Marshall, Garner etc start rolling off my tongue when the bamboozled kid interrupts me and says "Uncle who wants to be a loser? I want to be Shoaib Akhtar: phat action, phat lifestyle and phat bank account".
Cricket has changed and the one aspect to have undergone the biggest transformation is fast bowling. Gone are the days when Imran Khan would bowl 25 eight ball overs at 90mph+ for his country. Gone are the days when the passion of the Windian quartet won hearts, minds, matches, tournaments and cups for their country. Fast bowling used to be an art. Now its a businesss. Wickets, speed, movement mean commercial acclaim, insane amounts of money and the inevitable glamour. Waqar and Wasim used to reverse swing the ball from the 2nd slip to the base of the leg stump and it was beautiful to watch. Mcgrath puts the ball on one spot for hours. He gets his wickets for sure but my bum ain't on the seat when this guy apperars on my TV set trying to hypnotize me into deep sleep with his unique brand of metronomic, mind numbingly boring yet mighty effective "fast "bowling"
Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar locked horns in WC 2003 to win the unofficial title of the world's fastest bowler. It was a riveting watch of course. THe tournament was set alight by this mini contest within a contest. But let me ask you something. Who were they bowling for? Why can't the fast bowlers of today combine skill with passion for their country? Has commercialism deprived us of the toiling quick who would run in day in day out regardless of any circumstance just to put his country on top? Fred Truman, John Snow, Imran, Waqar, Wasim, the four Windians and countless others down the years had this passion and undying fervour to give their maximum for their country. However, blood, sweat and tears has changed to money, fame and glamour somehow. An injury meant a serious injury back then. People like Lille and Waqar mad it back from the worst kind of back injuries. Imran, Lillee, Hadlee would run in ball after ball in searing heat all day long. What were they running on? protein shakes or pride? Today a niggle means weeks out of the game. Why? Because passion to win for your country has been substituted by the need to perform as long as the body can cash the endorsement cheques.
In addition to the emotional aspect the functional and physical sides have totally changed as well. Windians dominated the game with a nver seen before brand of high bounce, deadly accurate, menacing, quick bowling. After a decade and a half of dominance the power-that-be had had enough. The bouncer rule was introduced. Consquently, not only the Holdings, Roberts, Crofts disappeared but the best hookers like Majid, Amarnath and Richards also became history. Waqar and Wasim then introduced a new brand of fast bowling that took the world by storm. Now you had to wear your helmet on your feet because everything moved in the air from 2nd slip to your feet at 95mph. Reverse swing was born. However, it was shot dead in its infancy phase because the protagonists were the two Ws. Ofcourse when Gough kinda started reversing it its status was again "reversed" from cheating to reverse swing.
Today the batsmen rule because the fast bowler has been reduced to a joke. No bouncers, no sledging and ofcourse no reverse swing if you happen to be brown. Where is this taking us? Read the scorecard below:-
AUS 679/2 declared
WI never came out to bat because ICC has killed the game.
"Well Richie growing up I just wanted to be able to bowl like Imran Khan. I just wanted to give 110% for Pakistan and do my best for the country" I replied in a modest yet honest tone.
"Ooth jaa manhoos phir cricket ke khwaab dekh raha hai.You're late again Nadeem" I heard my dad screaming as a bucketful of water ended up on my face. I got up rubbing my eyes and there was no Richie. Instead there was my dad assuming a very attacking stance with his back to the wall that as covered with posters of Imran, Lillee, Holding, Roberts, Thommo and co.
Fast forward 22 years. I am now 35. A nephew of mine comes upto me and asks me about my favourite fast bowlers. Names like Holding, Waqar, Wasim, Roberts, Lillee, Thommo, Marshall, Garner etc start rolling off my tongue when the bamboozled kid interrupts me and says "Uncle who wants to be a loser? I want to be Shoaib Akhtar: phat action, phat lifestyle and phat bank account".
Cricket has changed and the one aspect to have undergone the biggest transformation is fast bowling. Gone are the days when Imran Khan would bowl 25 eight ball overs at 90mph+ for his country. Gone are the days when the passion of the Windian quartet won hearts, minds, matches, tournaments and cups for their country. Fast bowling used to be an art. Now its a businesss. Wickets, speed, movement mean commercial acclaim, insane amounts of money and the inevitable glamour. Waqar and Wasim used to reverse swing the ball from the 2nd slip to the base of the leg stump and it was beautiful to watch. Mcgrath puts the ball on one spot for hours. He gets his wickets for sure but my bum ain't on the seat when this guy apperars on my TV set trying to hypnotize me into deep sleep with his unique brand of metronomic, mind numbingly boring yet mighty effective "fast "bowling"
Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar locked horns in WC 2003 to win the unofficial title of the world's fastest bowler. It was a riveting watch of course. THe tournament was set alight by this mini contest within a contest. But let me ask you something. Who were they bowling for? Why can't the fast bowlers of today combine skill with passion for their country? Has commercialism deprived us of the toiling quick who would run in day in day out regardless of any circumstance just to put his country on top? Fred Truman, John Snow, Imran, Waqar, Wasim, the four Windians and countless others down the years had this passion and undying fervour to give their maximum for their country. However, blood, sweat and tears has changed to money, fame and glamour somehow. An injury meant a serious injury back then. People like Lille and Waqar mad it back from the worst kind of back injuries. Imran, Lillee, Hadlee would run in ball after ball in searing heat all day long. What were they running on? protein shakes or pride? Today a niggle means weeks out of the game. Why? Because passion to win for your country has been substituted by the need to perform as long as the body can cash the endorsement cheques.
In addition to the emotional aspect the functional and physical sides have totally changed as well. Windians dominated the game with a nver seen before brand of high bounce, deadly accurate, menacing, quick bowling. After a decade and a half of dominance the power-that-be had had enough. The bouncer rule was introduced. Consquently, not only the Holdings, Roberts, Crofts disappeared but the best hookers like Majid, Amarnath and Richards also became history. Waqar and Wasim then introduced a new brand of fast bowling that took the world by storm. Now you had to wear your helmet on your feet because everything moved in the air from 2nd slip to your feet at 95mph. Reverse swing was born. However, it was shot dead in its infancy phase because the protagonists were the two Ws. Ofcourse when Gough kinda started reversing it its status was again "reversed" from cheating to reverse swing.
Today the batsmen rule because the fast bowler has been reduced to a joke. No bouncers, no sledging and ofcourse no reverse swing if you happen to be brown. Where is this taking us? Read the scorecard below:-
AUS 679/2 declared
WI never came out to bat because ICC has killed the game.
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