Batting really consits of
playing one ball at a time. The batsman must learn to gear himself
for playing each ball with all the concentration at his command.
Concentration can be improved if enough hard work is done to build
up a habit of mind. Attitude is vital. If you build yourself up to
the right frame of mind there is nothing you cannot do. charcter
plays a large part in this . Cricket is a game to be enjoyed.
Cricket is much more because it is a game that can help shape your
life. What you learn on the field will hold good for many things
in life too. A Straight bat and a stout heart are bound to take
you far. Confidence will come from doing things the right way as
matter of habit. To gain that habit, pay attention to the basics.
Practising in front of a mirror at home will also be a sort of
handy reference. ;
The grip Pick up the bat with two hands when the bat lies face
down on the ground with the handle facing you. Your hands should
be together in the middle of the handle when you wield the bat as
if you would a club. Here are two basic rules for you to check
whether you are holding the bat right: 1) Place the V (with thumb
well stretched out) of your right hand on the splice connecting
the handle the bat and pull you hand up close to your left hand on
the handle. This two-step process will probably give you the most
comfortable grip. The V's of the two hands should be on the same
line. the back of the lefthand will face between mid off and extra
cover. Remember that the left hand should always be firm. If you
strengthen your left hand by constant excercise you will find that
you are gripping the bat more firmly and that you have sufficient
control of the bat in every straight-bat stroke. The golden rule
of cricket is that the longer the full face of the bat is
presented to the line of the ball the better the chances of
meeting the ball. A strong left hand (for a right hander) is a
very side on game.
The stance
A balanced stance is
essential. The feet should be equidistant of the batting crease.
If you feel more comfortable placing them wider apart fo ahead
though if you keep them too far apart it will affect your
readiness of movement. The kness should be relaxed and slightly
bent. The bat should rest lightly on the ground behind the little
toe of the back foot. The top hand should rest gently on the front
pad against the inside of the left thigh. Pick up the bat as the
ball leaves the bowler's hand. The wieght should be equally placed
on both feet at the crease. It is wiser not to move your feet
until the possible lenght of the ball is judged. The body should
face point with the left shoulder pointing at the stumps at the
bowler's end. The head should be still with the eyes as level as
possible. Be relaxed as the bolwer comes in. You will be relaxed
if you are comfortable in your stance. Eyes should be level so
that they focus on the ball at the same time. See any picture of
Sunil Gavaskar at the crease and high. If it is not straight you
are likely to drag your bat across the line of the ball. A
straight backlift may not come naturally. The harder you practise
earl in your career the better off you will be keeping the
backlift straight. Remember the left hand should take complete
charge of the backlift with the elbow bent. A firm grip with the
left hand ensures that the bat comes down straight. Remember the
backlift is as much as part of your stroke as the follow-though
is.
PRINCIPLES
There are two principles of batting which are
equally important defence and attack. While defence is not an end
in itself, mastery of defence will help you at the right time. The
thrill of cricket lies in hitting the ball. To That extent, attack
should be the ideal. To be able to attack over a period of time
you must also be able to defend the good balls. But do aim to play
positively. When everyone is doing that, the game become more
enjoyable to all.
Footwork
and timming
Footwork is a vital part of
batting. If batsmen have their feet glued to the ground they
cannot play this game in the manner in which it is meant to be
played. To play any bowling, spin or pace, footwork is essential.
It is footwork that takes you and your bat to the right position
play every ball. Sunil Gavaskar, Javed Miandad and Azharuddin are
the best models for footwork. They move so easily from their
stance on assessing where the ball is going to pitch that they are
always that bit extra prepared to play. Gavaskar's back and across
movement - the shuffle on the right foot - is to be recommended
only when batsmen are facing bowlers of express speed. Otherwisee
it would be wider to stay still while anticipating and reacting
according to the length of the ball. Timming is everything in any
ball game. At times firm push can fetch a boundary while a
fullblocked shot may be msitimed to become a catch. Incorrect
timing is the cause of many a false shot. footwork will help your
sense of timing must be in you. This is what called ball sense.
Forward and back strokes
These strokes form the
basis of all batting Remember that great batsmen are equally
capable of palying forward as they are of playing backfoot will
give you that extra time to watch the ball off the pitch while
playing forward may give you the real edge in attack. But never
believe that all forward play is attack and all the backfoot lay
is defence. it is a possible to attack as well as defend off both
front and back foot. Remember defence is a platform for a batsman
must dominate the bolwing if he and his team are to profit from
his presence at the crease.
Forward defence
The forward defensive shots
is the basis of all forward play. it is played to the straight
ball not far enough up to the bat for drive. The objective is to
drop the ball dead in front of the bat. the left shoulder should
lead you out and on to the line of the ball. If you lead with the
shoulder and head your body weight will follow automatically. Your
eyes must always be on the ball. The left foot should take you as
must bend just a bit so that there is no gap between bat and pad
Forward drive
Going forward to drive
balls that pitch closer to you is natural extension of the forward
defensive shot. Remember that the left shoulder is the key to all
shots Remember that left shoulder is the key to all shots off the
front foot, particularly the drives. the wider you intend driving
to the offside the more should you shoulder go in the direction of
the shot. The left hand must be in total command of all drives. if
your left hand is slightly in advance of you right hand it will
ensure that the ball stays on the ground as you drive. In defence
there will be no follow through. When driving the bat should
follow through freely. Are you: 1) Leading with your left
shoulder? 2) Taking Your left foot as far forward as it will go
comfortably? 3) Bending the left knee? 4) Letting the left hand
take charge of the shot ? 5) Moving the full face of the bat along
the line of the ball? 6) meeting the ball in front of the left
foot ? Power comes from the acceleration in the swing of the
backlift to follow through wrist work and transferring of weight.
If you have the basics right there is no reason why you cannot
drive the ball hard. Remember to always keep the ball along the
ground
Back to defend
in backfoot play a batsman must be prepared to use the
distance between the popping crease and the stumps. the farther he
moves back the more time he gets to play the ball. Remember that
the right foot should not only move back but also across as far as
possible to the line of the ball. Also that this stroke is as much
a part of this side-on game and hence the left hand must be in
control all the time.
Back to drive
The principle of driving off
the back foot are nearly the same as those of driving off the
front foot. The left hand must be supreme and the left shoulder
should lead in the direction of the shot. Note how Azharuddin
plays these attacking drives off the backfoot and you will realise
how profitable it can be to be a firm back foot player. These
drives are probably the safest shots in the game. Also observe how
Azhar make use of his hieght by rising on toes as he attacks the
ball. All the ball short of a length are best played off the
backfoot. It is as easy to drive a short ball on the stumps off
the back foot as it is to learn forward into ball of fuller length
to driveT. The use of the wrists is also to be recommended for
additional power as well as changing the direction of the shots at
the moment of contact
Check List
1) Step far enouh back and move enough across to get to the line
of the ball. 2) keep the head and body balanced with the wieght
more in front 3) You must be side on when you play the shot. 4)
Make the left hand do the guiding work for you
On drive
This shot is treated
separately because beginners experience the most difficulty in
playing this. The drives into the offside with the head and left
shoulder leading the shot are easier to control and are more
natural shots. The on drive presents a problem in that the front
foot must be got out of the way if the shot is to materialise.
Also the body weight should be transferred towards the on side
with the right shoulder droping a bit to ensure that the left leg
is moved out to face mid on or wider on the onside. Don't panic if
youare unable to get this shot going early in your career. Some
experience is called for before the shot can be played with
control. When you do gain the mastery, play the shot as often as
you can. There is no greater thrill than playing this shot
correctly. Note all the movments when Dillip Vengsarkar, Sanjay
Manjerkar and Sachin Tendulkar bring off the on drive. They are as
near perfection as possible. Let us now take a look at other
shots.
Leg glance
Does the leg glance really
belong in the section on drives? Probably not but the initial
movment, forward or back, is the same as for the straight drive.
The forward leg galance is played in front of the pad with the bat
angled to steer the ball. Never choose the ball on the middle
stump or further to the off when you wish to play this shot. The
difference between the drive and the glance is that though the
latter is played with a virtual straight bat, at the vital moment
the bat is angled with the face of the bat being shut. The great
Indian cricket pioneer and batting giant Ranjitsinghji is credited
with the invention of this shot . So there is national tradition
to follow but please do not play it except when you are hemmed in
by much bowling that is directed at a fair length at your legs.
The most suitable ball to be glanced off the front foot is the one
on good length just outside the line of your front leg. the
shorter ball may be glanced by going well on to the back foot. But
if it is very short, you are obviously going to play strokes that
are better designed to dealing with the short ball. There are many
effective shots that are played profitably too, with the
horizontal bat. These shots, in the playing of which the right
hand dominates, may come more naturally to all players.
Sweep Shot
This shot is invariably
played against the spinner This should be played only to balls
pitching outside the line of the leg stump. The ball must be hit
along the ground. If you roll your wrists properly at the time of
execution of the shots you can keep the ball well down. Remember
that the front pad should be between the pitch of the ball and the
stumps. If you place your feet wrongly you might find yourself
bowled round your legs.
Hitting to leg
The full toss and the long
hop, of which much will be seen in junior cricket, can be nit very
profitably to leg provided that you follow these tips. It is said
that much of junior crickt is won by teams which bowl the least
down the legside and which hit most such balls bowled there by the
rivals. Check List: 1) Get you head on to the line of the ball
and keep looking at it. Don't take your eyes off it. 2) Make sure
that your elbows are free from the body so that the arms can go
all the way to hit the ball 3) Hit the ball early and aim to play
it square. 4) Don't try to hit too hard if you do you will find
your body is off balance and your head would not be still.
Hook and pull
The arguments over which is
a hook shot and which is pull shot may be many. But that should
not worry you so long as you are able to get the short ball racing
through the onside. The shots are also very similar exccept that
the hook is played inevitably off the short ball that rise
shoulder high and the pull is played to balls not that short. The
pull can be played effectively of the front foot too.
The
Pull
The pull is hot hard into
the ground. The shot is best played to the short ball that does
not rise too high. The back and across movement will position you
prefectly. When you size up such a juicy short ball coming up.
Remeber to roll you wrists before contact so that the ball is kept
down.
The
Hook
Hooking the short pitched
ball is one of the glories of the game. A good hook shot player
can make the most of fast, short pitched bowling. The back foot
should not only go back but also far enough across to the offside
so that the line of the foot is outside the line of flight of the
ball. It is extremely important to keep you eyes on the short ball
to be able to bring off this shot safely. The shot is dangerous to
play on fast wickets as a miss would mean the ball making painful
contact with your helmet or face. Do not attempt to play this shot
unless you have been in for a reasonable period of time and feel
well set to be able to meet the ball confidently Proper evasive
action bouncer and proper backfoot defence to short ball will
equip you better to deal with the threat of the coming at your
body. By all means hook but only when you are well prepared to
play the shot. Don't be fooled by the false confidence given by
the helmet. You must keep your eye focused on the ball all the
time. Your wrists must roll over. In short, you must be very good
batsman to play this stroke well. Watch srikkanth play the hook
and you will know how this shot must be played.
The Cut
A square cut is played to
a ball which is short in length on the off side of the wicket. The
back foot palys a vital role in the execution of the shot. To cut
well, Judgement of length, timing and flexiblity of wrist are very
important. Look at how well sanjay manjerkat beings of the shot.
Sometimes with both his feet off the ground to pack greater power
from the weight of his body. The most important thing to remember
is that the bat must come down on the ball from above. The cut is
a natural shot to play and a vauable aid scoring. practise it
regularly at the nets and you find it gives you a good feelings as
well as runs whn you bring off the shot in the match. The cut can
be played both off the front and back foot. But it is a far safer
shot when played off the back foot because you can see the short
ball for a longer distance and hit is harder. A cut off the front
foot. Check list 1) Get the bat up high so that it comes down on
the ball 2) Don't Jerk your head in any effort to get a lot of
power into the shot. 3) Meet the ball at the right time. The best
cut shot is the one that uses the pace of the ball to send it on
its way to the boundary. 4) let your right hand control the
execution of the shot. use all your wrist power to guide the ball
into the ground.
The late cut
This shot is played to a
ball outisde the off stump. playing late means excatly that.
Instead of hitting the ball square as it passes the body, it is
hit late. This shot can be very useful in limited overs cricket
but is not be readily recommended at your grade of the game.
Unless you are well in and wish to make use of gaps in the field,
it is best not to attempt to play the late cut. Approach The
thrill on the game lies in attacking the blowing Don't let the
bowling Don't let the bowler get on top just because you are
beaten once or twice outside the off stump. if the ball is there
to be hit, it must be hit. the more you practise the better you
will feel when playing shots in the match. Be modest when you
score runs. May be that way you will score more.
Bowlers win matches. That
saying holds good even in the modern age in which the
limited-overs game has taken such strong roots. Most boys tend to
believe that bowling is hard labour, particularly when they have
to bowl long hours at the nts, Since they do not gets to bowl long
spells in matches, they may get to feeling that the many hours of
practice are wasted. no wonder the tendency to concentrate more on
batting from a young age seen. It must be made clear to any
youngster that it is almost as much fun to bowl as it is to bat.
Defeating a batsman by bowling a crafty ball to a planned field
placing is a thrilling as getting runs. The battle aganist the
batsmen can be temendous fun if a bowler works hard enough at his
craft. Given some intelligence, much practice, more determination
and a will to succeed, anybody can become a good enough bowler.
Bowling is an art that demands utmost attention to detail. It can
be mastered provided hours of sweat are put into practice. Don't
forget that Kapil Dev is a glamorous a figure in Indian cricket as
Sunil Gavaskar. he has done as much service to the country in
taking wickets as Gavaskar has done in scoring runs. The prime
requisite of a bowler, of any type, is that he must be able to
command accuracy in line and length. Aby such command can be won
only by sheer persistence and practice. The basis of a good
bowling action is: 1) Correct grip 2) Smooth, comfortable and
physically economical run up 3) Fluent follow through Remember
that for all types of bowling tha ball must be held in the finger
and not in the palm. The runup helps retain balance while building
momentum to deliver the ball. the basics of the craft are: 1) Back
foot must be parallel to the bowling crease before delivery 2)
Eyes must be fixed on the spot where the ball is intended to land
3) The front arm must be straight - reaching for the sky 4) Look
at the batsman over your lead shoulder 5) Prefect the unwinding
of the body so that the wieght is transferred from the back
smoothly 6) The bowling arm must complete the semi-circle in one
fluent movement 7) The last stride of the runup is a jump off the
left foot. The lead arm will strat swinging upeven as you jump.
The turning movement is vital to the whole action. 8) The bowling
action must follow a gradual acceleration to the wicket 9) The
lead shoulder must not be opened too early. Otherwise you will
bowl open-chested 10) Don't allow the front leg to crumple 11)
Follow through smoothly
Fast bowling
Right from boyhood one trend
to take 10 to 12 steps before delivering the ball. This is a
natural tendency. It is only later that bowlers learn that the
ball can be sent spinning down the same length of the pitch. To be
a fast bowler is probably the dream of every youth. Lads willing
to bowl fasr must be encouraged in a country that is so short of
pace bowlers. Don't be disheartened if you are not able to knock
out ten batsmen the moment you start learning to bowl fast Pace
bowling is very hard work and needs tremendous commitment. Pace
bowling may be all about power, strength and aggression. But sheer
brute force is not likely to achieve much without the backing of
good runup, action and follow through. Rhythm is very vital to
this craft. You gain it only by going through the routine day
after day. The mere ability to move the ball in the air will not
help if there is no accuracy in line and length, Swing will help
even the fastest bowler vary his bowling from ball to ball. mixing
of pace will bring in subtle variations. A disguised slower ball
is as much of a suprise weapon as a super fast delivery.
Swing
Imran Khan float the
interesting theory that it is wrist action which determines the
swing of the ball and not the body action. Swing is the most
important weapon in the fast bowlers' armoury. There are only a
few bowlers of express speed who can also make the ball swing
Imran is one of them. The slightly slower men move the ball a lot
as Kapil Dev does.
Outswing
The ball running away to
slips late in flight is the most dangerous that a batsman can come
across early in his innings. To bowl the genuine outswinger, the
seam must be pointed towards slip. The first two fingers must be
alongside the seam with the thumb supporting the ball from
underneath. One side of the ball alone should be polished and this
side should be pointing towards the leg side if yopu are to bowl a
good outswinger. The closer you get to the stumps while you bowl
the prefect outswinger with the side-on action the more likely it
is that the batsman will be forced to play at the ball. In
general, Your target with the outswinge should be the middle and
off stumps. But if a batsman is showing the tendency to play to
leg you should aim at his leg and middle stumps so that he may be
induced to hit across the line of the outswinger. Check list 1)
Are you bowling straight enough to make the batsman play the ball?
2) Are you bowling up to the bat to force the batsmen to play
forward? 3) Don't waste the new ball by pitching beyond of stump
Good batsmen will merely let it pass
Inswing
The seam should point to
fine leg. The polished side should be on the offside. The first
two fingers are on either side of the seam. the inswinger is the
best bowled from wide of the crease with the ball angling towards
leg stump from off and middle. The higher the arm action is the
later will be the swing. You must push the ball out with you
fingers when you are releasing it. The idea would be to get the
ball to duck in between bat and pad or to catch the inside edge
and set up a catch for the close-leg fielders. An inswinging
yorker, as bowled by waqar Younus, can be really deadly ball.
The Leg Cutter
The leg cutter is very much
allied to the inswinger. By pulling the finger across the seam at
the moment of the delivery some leg spin is imparted to the ball.
Hence it runs away from the bat on pitching. Remember to pull
releasing the ball. It is advisable to concentrate on swinging the
ball one way to a set field rather than trying to mix both swings.
Master one swing first. Once you have established mastery over one
types of swing you can experiment with the other too but the line
is very important if you are going to try this in a match.
Approach
Fast bowlers should use a
lot of intelligence besides hard physical effort. Change of pace
is invaluable. A bouncer followed by a yorker can be weapon.
Sometimes, even a legbreak or offbreak bwled deliberately with the
new ball may prove a surprise. If you are a fast bowler, learn to
think like one. Concern yourself with bowling fast first and then
seek to establish the controls like variations of length to test
the batsmen. the medium pacer's accuracy is quite different from
the pace like fire of the fast bowler. if you are fast, bowl fast.
As a bowler, learn to stay on the offensive. To begin with, the
intiative is with the bowler. Don't give it away easily
Spin bowling
For slow bowlers the power
of spin is the basis of the basis of their craft. It may take many
years to mature as a spinner but only work is likely to bring
success. If a fingers and wrist must impart the spin. This will
come only with practice. Off spin may prove easier to bowl because
it is more closely allied to the first principle of running in
serval places to deliver the ball which is what comes naturally to
all. Leg spin is far more difficult to master, though because of
its rarity you may find wickets easier to get.
Leg spin
A proper pivot of the body
is vey essential if leg spin is to be imparted. The ball is
gripped in the first three fingers and spun off the knuckles of
the index and third fingers. The third finger is the key to spin.
The wrist should be bent forward until the moment of release. As
the ball is released the thrid finger flicks outward towards the
batsmen and the thumb downdards away from him. the wrist flips
forward. Put yourself through the motion while in front of a
mirror and you will get an idea of what is being said here Top
spin is imparted by the forward flip of the wrist beginning a
little earlier so that the spin imparted in directly down the line
of flight and not towards the slips. The googly is bowled by the
wrist turning over even earlier. the back of the wrist faces the
batsmen as the ball comes out. This is called back of the hand
spin. This may not comes easily. There is absolutely no substitute
for practice. The coaches would do well to advise their budding
leg spinners to first learn to spin the ball and then try to
attain some control over length.
Off spin
The first two fingers assume
greater importance off spin whereas it is the leg spinner's thrid
finger which does most of the worrk. The stock ball may be off
spin but the off spinner must have the arm ball, the floater and
the drifter and even the slow medium away swinger if he is to
dedicate terms to the batsman. The higher the action the more the
bite and higher the bounce off the wicket. Class batsmen concede
that it is bounce from a spinner which cause more problems that
the spin itself. The sideways turn of the body should be
exaggerated and the unwinding must be delayed a bit so that the
ball delivered with the maximum drag across the body.
Left hand bowling
The principles of bowling
spin with the left hand are the same as that of the off spinner
expect that everything is in reverse. the same techinques apply to
left arm spinners though their natural swing or swerve is into the
right hander and their natural turn is away from the right
hander. Bowling round the wicket has several advantages for the
left arm spinner, especially when he bowls with a slight shine
still on the ball. The ball tends to cmoe into the batsman in the
air and breaks away from him as it spins. Another weapon in the
left arm spinners armoury is the arm ball which comes in with the
arm and then goes straigh on after pitching. He can get leg before
victims easily with such a ball. The slight inswing to the right
handder does the trick. The left arm spinner is a valuable member
of the side because he can expect to be more economical than even
the right arm off spinner. The chairman is a legbreak as blowed by
the left arm spinner. It may be really worthwhile to view tapes of
Bedi's bowling to find out the nuances of this craft.
Approach
All the spin in the world
may be useless if it is not backed up by variations of flight. To
be able to properly flight the ball, the spinner must bowl slow
enough to set batsmen a problem in gauging where the ball is going
to come down. By bowling all the ball to a standard arc the
spinner will become so predictable that batsmen will
counter-attack rather easily. Variations of flight and pace will
come only with experience. Don't panic if at an early age any
experiment sends the ball as full toss or a a long hop to the
batsman. Strength of fingers is vital to bolwing spin. Learn alll
possible excersie from your coach so that you can toughen your
fingers early and make them extract spin oput of the ball. There
is strength to be had for fingers in squeezing a rubber ball
constantly. You must bowl a length on true pitches and await an
error from the batsman. Too many eperiments on a good pitch may
make you so expensive that the captain will switch back to medium
pace for containemt. You must wear down the batsman by accuracy
even as you probe his weakness by varying your trajectory. There
is absoutely no short cut to sucessful spin bowling. Ti will come
only with practice and experience. Learn to use the width of the
crease in varying the line. Modern cricket is loaded aganist the
spinners. The batsmen use such heavy bats today that they can club
you out of the game. Patience is the mother of all virtues. You
must have it in large quantities to successful as a spinner. But
then spin bowling is such an enjoyable craft which does not take
too much out of your body.
FIELDING
To field a ball and to catch it are the most natural human
activities. To throw it as natural too. The whole sphere of
fielding activity is most enjoyable. A team's efficiency is often
reflected in its fielding. All eleven can contribute directly on
the field, a catch well taken, a stinging shot stopped on the
square and a run out effected with a fine throw can well turn a
match around. Above all, fielding is fun. Modern cricket, with
the accent on limited overs cricket, demands fielding standing
standards of the highest order. If you are not a good fielder you
may no9t even fit into the scheme of one day things. Take heart in
the fact that almost anyone has the inbuilt capacity to improve
his fielding. Take Azahruddin as your idol. See how easily he
gets to the ball and whips his throw into the 'Keeper' See how
confident men like Kapil Dev and Azharuddin are when they are
about to catch batsmen off huge skiers.
Fundamentals
1) Keep your eyes on the
ball all times - whether you are fielding a ball on the ground or
you are catching it. 2) Move swiftly behind the line of the ball
and as far as possible towards it even as it is coming to you 3)
Make sure that your body gets in behind the line of the ball as
second line of defence to your hands 4) Whenever any fielder
throws the ball to the keeper or to the bowler's end, It is the
duty of fielders in suitable positions to provide a backup 5) if
you are not in a close catching position, You must walk in with
bowler when he is running in to bowl 6) Try to let your hand
give with the ball. Don't grab the ball. If you do, you will find
it will spill out almost as often as it stays in the plam. Bend
both hips knees so that your head is down when you are about to
field the bail 7) Get quickly into a side-on position so that you
throw the ball to either end for a run out or return it to the
keeper when you are sure the batsmen are not going to attempt a
run 8) Your backfoot should be side-on to the ball 9) As far as
possible, throw the ball on the full to the keeper or bowler 10)
Hitting the stumps to effect a run out may be thrilling but this
should be attempted only when there is no time for the keeper or
the bowler to reach the wicket. If you hit the stumps when it is
futile to do so you may give away overthrows or even see the ball
deflect off the stumps for more runs. 11) When you take a catch,
kepp the ball for a few seconds to show that you are in control.
Don't throw it permaturely in the air to celebrate the catch, you
might spoil the act by losing your grip on the ball 12) The
stance is importance for close-in fielders. The body should be
balanced and ready to take off in any direction. Stay down until
the ball has been well sighted and you are moving to take catch.
Keep your head still and watch the ball or when at first slip or
when 'keeping, watch the outer edge of the bat. Practice methods
A good coach can organise various practice sessions and also make
them as intersting as possible. A coach must impart the
importance of enthusiatic approach to fielding. A roller offers an
ideal angled surface to send the ball in suprising trajectories at
fielders. But there is nothing like a batsman in front of a slips
cordon edging full pitches to the catchers. This is the best
possible simulation. Don't let cricketers laze at the nets after
batting or bowling. Keep them occupied with intresting fieldings
Practice
Wicket-Keeping
The wicket-keepers is one of
the key members of the team. A good keeper can inspire confidence
in his team. Particularly in the bowlers. The wicket-keepers needs
more mental stamina than even the fastest of bowlers. He must be
ready to keep the whole if necessary Fundamentals 1) The weight
of the body should be evenly balanced on the heels. 2) The feet
should be apart an approximate distance of a foot and half from
each other. 3) Crouching should be comfortable with the head down
and the whole stance relaxed. 4) the fingers should be pointing
downwards or upwards in collecting high balls or, sometimes even
sideways but they should never point at the ball. 5) Concentration
should be total on every ball bowled because each one is a
potential wicket taker. 6) A good wicket-keeper should be fully
aware of his position in relation to the stumps. He should watch
the ball and not what the batsman is doing. 7) Never grab the
ball. Let your hands give with the ball. The hands must give a few
inches so that the ball has less chance of leaping out of the
gloves. 8) Rise along with the ball, not too early Stance The
stance should be comfortable. A good coach can demonstrate the
basic principles of wicket keeping and also the movement of the
feet. Remember that there are no halfway positions: either the
'Keeper stands up or stands back. Syed kirmani is the ideal
'keeper to watch in action Note the movement of his feet
especially when he goes down the legside to take. Footwork is a
essential to keeping as it is to batting. By moving his feet the
'keeper gets right behind the line of the ball. A good 'keeper' is
also the best adviser to the captain on what his bowlers are doing
and what are the possible weaknesses of the batsmen.
Equipment
The wicket-kepping pads
should be light and short Flexibility is everything. Golves are
extremely important. The face of the gloves should be in good
condition and must not be allowed to become too smooth. Wornout
gloves should never be used becayse this may hurt the finger.
Inner gloves of soft leather provide extra support.
RUNNING BETWEEN THE WICKETS
Call out often after every
ball. Say 'yes' and no' decisively, 'Wait is also a good call as
it wil;l put yoour partner on the alert for a possible run that
may not be there to begin with but may materialise if there is a
misfield back up immediately after the ball leaves the bowler's
hand. Run the first run as though it is the winning run. Remember
that over 25 percent of all runs scored come in singles. Slide
your bat from a few yards in front of the crease you are running
to. Kepp off the pitch. Note the position of all fielder
particulars the good ones. You must also know soon who are left
handed throwers in the side. Keep you eyes on the ball while
turning for the second or third run. Change your bat hand if
necessary to keep yourself in sight of what happening. Keep out of
the way your partner while running between wickets. The correct
order of doing things in running more than a single is run, turn
and call. Don't waste tiome by slowing sown in front of the crease
you have to reach. The coach should reach hsi pupils the
importance of running which is the best demostrated by getting
them to pad up and run the length if the pitch in paries after
calling. Remember the golden rule that no run is worth so much
that you can risk losing a wicket. The only exception may be in
the slog overs of limited-overs cricket.
For a young boy to learn the
art of batting, the choice of a bat, of suitable size and wieght,
is of utmost importance. It is best for the young batsmen to use a
bat which feel light rather than one which feels heavy. There is
little benfit to be had from using a heavy bat too early.
especially when one is just beginning. Don't get taken in by the
talk of heavy bats in modern cricket. You can use it but only when
you are sufficiently strong to be able to handle it.
Pads Careful instruction should be given by the coach the
importannce of selecting batting pads that will suitable to young
palyers. pads should provide adequate protection from injury, fit
comfortably on the legs, should not be cumbersome or too heavy and
must not impede or restrict quick and easy movement.
Players appearance players should always be neatly and correctly
dressed. All boots should be clean and properly sprigged, either
with spikes on the soles and heels or with spikes in the soles and
heels or with spikes in the soles and hardened ribbed rubber on
the heels. Bad sprigging may easily be the cause of a spilled
catch or a run out. A bowler will not be able to get a good
foothold on a hard or wet surface. No Player should be worn a
wrist watch or ring on the field. Nor should one carry a cap in a
pocket. A protector should be worn at all times by the batsmen
and the wicket-keeper and the fielders right near the bat.
Comfortable well fitting sock should be worn. In the case of fast
bowlers, it is quite often good policy to wear two pairs of socks.
It is recommended that batsmen and keeper wear only short socks.
Not only so they give a smarter appearance but are also more
comfortable. Fold the trousers in fromt of the legs and strap the
pads tight to them Batting gloves should be worn at all times in
all grades on the game. This gives the player protection as well
as comfort in gripping the bat. Bad equipment, or lack of
equipment in a match or the nets can often be very damaging to a
player's confidence. often players who are hurt in the nets would
have been spared the agony had they been wearing proper equipment
can also lead a player intop gaining the bad habit of not getting
behind the line of the ball. No bowler can do justice to himself
and his team if his noots are ill-fitting, if his toes are being
pinched, if the sprigs are piercing the material and keep getting
at his feet, if blisters are being caused by chafting and if
toenails are being compressed. A proper grip of the ground is also
vital. pay a lot of attention when you are buying your first pair
of cricket boots. Boots must be laced tight to give support to the
ankles. Blisters must be avoided. An additional inner sole is
often helpful. A little vaseline applied between the toes may help
avoid friction and stop the blisters. Aids to foot comfort are
not sufficient in themselves. Boots must fit well. Helmet may
become necessary at a later stage when young batsmen come across
bowlers who are really pacy. It would be much better to learn to
play the game without them. It is not too difficult to adjust to
the helmet once you go up the ladder and you need the protection
of this modern headgear.
SAFETY AND PHYSICAL
FITNESS Safety
The first task of a coach
should be the safe running of the practice nets. The problem of
injury to trainees should not occur because of poor safety
consciousness. The wicket should be well rolled and the grassness.
The wicket should nbot be so wet or damp that they cause injury to
batsmen by unpredictable bounce. Matting wickets must be watered
and rolled before every sessions. The surface should be even and
free of gravel. The mats should be hammered in tight. Otherwise
the ball will bounce awkwardly. All nets should be in good
condition. There should be no holes. Otherwise, batsmen in
adjacent nets may be injured. Never allow a batsman to apd up in
such a position on the field that his body is exposed to the ball
being struck by the batsmen in the nets. Those not batting should
keep their eyes on the ball unless they are secure behind the
nets. The bowler who walks back to the mark should be careful
about the balls being struck. While bending to pick the ball near
the bowlers runup area watch out for other bowlers who may be
running in. Physical fitness The importancem of itness can never
be overstated. The game can go on for several hours in a day over
several days. If a player is not fit he is more likely to commit a
mistakes from fatigue. Batsmen may commit silly mistakes after
scoring 30 or 40 runs because they are tried or are unable to
concentrate. If the wicket-keeper is not fit, he may lose
concentration and miss a vital catch or a stumping. A bowler may
send down loose balls because he is tried. It is rather important
for coaches to devise a training schedule. It is not good practice
for a player to turn up at matches while not being in regular
practice. Each player should choose a set of excercise, in
consultation with the coach, which are particularly suitable to
his game skills. These excercises will vary greatly in form and
contennt depending on wether the player is a batsman, a fast , a
spin bowler or a wicket keepers. As a mean of limbering up before
practice, some running floor excercise and short springs are
advisable for wicket-keeper situps are recommended.
Batsmen Endurance building is basic to any fitness programme.
This is best achieved by distance running say 3 miles a day the
speed varying from individual to individual It is very important
to consult a physical trainer on the schedule of exercises to be
followed.
Bowlers Endurance training should be more rigorous Exercises for
the hip, back shoulder arm and the groin are important. Fast
bowlers must run many miles in a week to a set fitness schedule if
they are to maintain their strength and fitness. Short sprints, of
50 to 60 meter, are also advised. light weight tranining for the
shoulders, arms and legs are highly recommended. Back and arm
muscle building excercises are essential for gaining extra power
and strength. Always warm up properly before trying to bowl flat
out. Don't be inflexible in field-setting Although there are
sensible field to set for all types of bowlers don't forget
batsmen too. have strengths and weaknesses to contain or exploit
and always remember the state of the game. If you have a lot of
runs in hand, you can afford to buy wicket - encouraging the
batsman to hit over the top in the hope that he will miscue and
keeping fielders in attacking positions Don't be proud. A bowler
might think a batsman shouldn't hit aganist the spin to deep mid
wicket, but if he keeps doing it sucessfully, put a man there. If
a batsman is sucessful with unorthodox methods. You've got to
response to them. Look on field-setting as a battle of wits
between you and the batsmen you and batsman - don't be afraid to
tempt him into indiscretion. Fields for one day games The object
of the one-day game is to stop the batsmen scoring ruuns. not
entirely of course, It is very useful to take wickets too,
particularly early in the innings because a steady start without
losing wickets can be the basis of heavy scoring later. And it can
be important to take wickets later on, because nothing helps to
slow down a batting side's momentum when they are preparing for an
onslaught more than the loss of wicket or two. But having admitted
those qualifications it is still true to say that the bowler is
required to keep runs down as his first priority most of required
to keep runs down as his first priority most of the time in
limited-over cricket. That of course also varies slightly from one
brand to another - 60 over games means that fast bowlers will
attack with the new ball more than they would in the 40-overs
match. Fields reflect this. Even in the start, the fast bowler is
more likely to have two slips and a gully with a third man firmly
on the ropes than a more attacking field with three slips. But the
introduction of the circle has changed things again. It means
captains can no longer push everyone back on the ropes, and that
ecourages them to be more attacking early innings because it means
that getting some wickets at that stage is more important thean it
used to be. This leaves us with a fairly attacking field in the
first illustration not that dissimilar of the ordinary field for
the fast bowler. It can soon change if the batsmen survive the
opening overs and begin to get on top. one day field for a seam
bowler. Long leg, is movable, as in mid wicket. Mid-on and mid off
are generally two of the four fields in the ring. along with extra
cover and fly slip, although one can push deeper if either square
leg or mid-wicket comes into the circle. For spin bowlers in the
one day game, line becomes all important. Off spinners will
generally bowl to six fielders on the legside, and aganist their
usual practice slow leftarmers, who generally have a five-four
off-side field will instead attack middle and leg with five-four
leg-side field. In the thrid illustration we can see the six-three
field for the off-spinner, deep point, mid-off square leg and
short mid-wicket are the four fielder in the circle Extra cover is
half-way, as in fine leg, and deep backward square leg, deep
mid-wicket and long-on pushed right back That is the basics of the
field for the slow left-armer, if he is also firing it on middle
and leg. One of the players behind the wicket on the leg-side is
the most likely to be sacrificed to move over to give him a ring
of four on the off with short, fairly square third man, cover,
extra cover and mid-off. If he is going to bowl in orthodox
fashion, the square leg will also move onto the off-side, with
deep backward square leg moving up to stand behind square but
saving one. The remaining leg side fielders are thus placed for
front foot shots.
