Fast bowlers should not be sorry for the batsman

By A.C. de Silva

Sir Garfield Sobers - never used to give more than one chance - if dropped that was all that one would get

Bob Willis - the bowler who picked up several wickets because of some very good catches.

CRICKET: Fast bowling - that's the eye-catching aspect of bowling. The fast bowler will have to make a determined effort to get at the batsman from the first ball that he delivers. You'll never make a fast bowler if you start feeling sorry for the batsman when you've hit him. You've got to think and act aggressively all the time - the ones who fall by the wayside may have as much natural fast bowling talent as the ones who make it, but they lack that crucial aggressive, resilient, determined streak.

Many fast bowlers at times are split personalities - they'd spit fire and fury in the best Fred Trueman manner, yet be quiet and docile off the field. But they all wanted to be a success.

The fast bowler of any side should be resilient. When he's hit for a boundary he should try not to show how upset he is. You've got to have guts as well...... and the higher the standard the more guts are needed. They are needed when you've really shattered on a hot day and your feet are killing you.

A fast bowler must be optimistic. His job is to bowl sides out, not to keep batsmen quiet with the kind of nagging, medium-pace stuff that's such a feature of the modern game. And he should be happy to use the bouncers whenever it's needed. He should not allow himself to worry if his bouncers hit the batsmen. Of course, no one wants to see broken bones or blood on the pitch, but a fast bowler should be proud of his power within the rules of the game. There were times that when big-time cricketers like Brian Close and John Edrich had to suffer at Old Trafford in 1976 against the West Indies.

The well oiled cricketers should be prepared to face bouncers. There is difference of opinion with the code of conduct that means the tailenders should be allowed to build an innings that could prove decisive in the match.

Support from team

A top-class cricketer is basically a selfish person. It's a game after all where the individual shines, and often a cricketer can forget his responsibility to the team while he's looking after his own interests.

Often a bowler doesn't bowl all that well, but good fielding and catching rescues him and gives his analysis a flattering look. That kind of thing happens to all bowlers at some time, but it's at times like that when you realise how valuable team spirit is to your performance as the strike bowler. At a certain time the England team under Tony Greig and Mike Brearley was a classic case; the England team members used to enjoy the team talks on the eve of the Test.

Team spirit can be judged by the quality of the fielding. The England side of 1977 had a fine set of fielders and bowlers like Bob Willis picked up several wickets because of some brilliant catches being taken, particularly in the slips by Hendrick, Greig and Brearley. That kind of thing gives the quickie a tremendous life. He forgets he's shattered he thinks to himself: That was a bonus, because it wasn't a great ball. The fast bowler will think that he will sort out his length to run through the rest of the batting.

Fielding is one area that's common to all classes of cricket. The club cricketer may have trouble keeping his head still when bowling, or he may never master delivering the slower ball, but he should be a good fielder if he's keen on his cricket. Unlike a fast bowler, a good fielder can be manufactured.

Good catching is so vital for the fast bowler. At any level there are hardly any flawless innings. The good batsman normally gives at least a half-chance, and the match often turns on whether the chance is snapped up or not. Take Gary Sobers - normally one could bank on him giving a chance early in his innings, often outside the off stump. If it was dropped, that was normally all that one would get. He never used to give more that one chance. A fast bowler usually needs support from the other end. An accurate, nagging bowler like Brian Statham often helped Trueman get wickets because the batsman would have a 'go' at Fred Trueman after being frustrated at the other end.