It is obvious I am a slow typist as I have tried unsuccessfully to get behind the computer with at least one update this year. I am however there now.
Last Monday I returned from a week in Mumbai where I spent time with my mate Shane Warne and the Rajahastan Royals.
To say I was well looked after during my stay would be understating the generosity of the management and coaching staff of the Royals.
Thanks to them I attended the opening night/game in an upmarket corporate area, having travelled to the venue by boat.
The crowd participation is unbelievable. So much noise and loud music it was like being at a disco...and at my age I don't attend disco's!!
I also attended the Royals first match where I was located with the players.
It wasn't a good result for Warnie's boys losing to Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians by 4 runs. The Royals were completely outplayed and were it not for Yusuf Pathan scoring a magnificent 100 in 37 balls, the loss would have been a large one.
It was a bit like old times, working with Shane in the nets. I also worked with a couple of legspinners attached to the Royals squad and that was most enjoyable as they were both very responsive.
One thing that came to me during the time there was the fact that 20/20 cricket is no doubt the only form of the game which allows, even encourages, spinners to be hit. Of course everyone gets slogged so spinners are no exception.
It is not the place for spinners to learn their craft but it is certainly the place for experienced spinners who know how to vary their pace and flight.
As I write the Royals have yet to win a game having lost three out of three.
They will need to find some batsmen if they are to turn that form around.
Ladies and Gentlemen, if you get a chance to attend the IPL for a week or two, don't miss the opportunity.
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A busy time
I am sorry for not blogging for so long. Since July I have been to England, Sydney, New Zealand, Singapore and, albeit only for a few days, Adelaide on coaching visits.
Currently I am in Singapore for the second of two weeks working with some quite talented spinners.
From next week my ECB program commences in Adelaide with two coaches attending for 10 days followed by two coaches and two very talented young leg spinners for a further 12 days, so October is also a very busy time for me.
I have been receiving quite a number of requests for coaching tips from all around the world which, because of my busy schedule I have not been able to respond to.
My intention is to answer as many of these queries as possible on this blog site so the information will be available to all and not just a few.
Please stay tuned as I will enlarge on my visits to England and New Zealand in the next few days.
After my return to Adelaide on the 28th September expect Singapore to also feature.
On the 8th of September I celebrated my 65th birthday with 40 special friends. The aches and pains commenced the following day!!!
That is what age does for/to you.
Currently I am in Singapore for the second of two weeks working with some quite talented spinners.
From next week my ECB program commences in Adelaide with two coaches attending for 10 days followed by two coaches and two very talented young leg spinners for a further 12 days, so October is also a very busy time for me.
I have been receiving quite a number of requests for coaching tips from all around the world which, because of my busy schedule I have not been able to respond to.
My intention is to answer as many of these queries as possible on this blog site so the information will be available to all and not just a few.
Please stay tuned as I will enlarge on my visits to England and New Zealand in the next few days.
After my return to Adelaide on the 28th September expect Singapore to also feature.
On the 8th of September I celebrated my 65th birthday with 40 special friends. The aches and pains commenced the following day!!!
That is what age does for/to you.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Why so few spinners?
Not for the first time recently the question is being asked in Australia "Where are all the spinners?" People in high places are also asking another question which, whilst it might sound the same, is different. That question is "Why are there so few genuine spinners in Australia?"
A spin summit is to be conducted this year to try and provide answers to those questions and probably more.
The thing about those two questions is the number of questions they create.
Is it the fault of coaches? There are a few who probably believe that.
Is it the fault of captains? There are plenty who feel that way, including Shane Warne.
Is it the size of grounds, or the size of bats nowadays? There is a strong push in that belief.
These are just a few of the questions doing the rounds, each of which creates more questions than we can find answers.
The game of cricket has changed so much over the last 15-20 years and in my view that is the major reason for the demise of genuine spin bowling, either by wrist or by finger.
If in fact those changes in the game eg; 20/20 and 50 over a side cricket is responsible for the decline in genuine spinners being given a chance to develop from junior level upwards. What can be done? Nothing because both forms of the game are here to stay.
Perhaps using proper sized boundaries is one way of encouraging spin, so mis-hits can result in wickets and not public pleasing sixes.
Will less people attend matches if the ball isn't sailing over the boundary like a tracer bullet?
People in high places will probably answer yes to that question. If that is so then please tell me how we, the spin coaches and lovers of the art can continue to promote spin ahead of dot ball bowling.
You see, more questions than answers arise from just a few questions!
A spin summit is to be conducted this year to try and provide answers to those questions and probably more.
The thing about those two questions is the number of questions they create.
Is it the fault of coaches? There are a few who probably believe that.
Is it the fault of captains? There are plenty who feel that way, including Shane Warne.
Is it the size of grounds, or the size of bats nowadays? There is a strong push in that belief.
These are just a few of the questions doing the rounds, each of which creates more questions than we can find answers.
The game of cricket has changed so much over the last 15-20 years and in my view that is the major reason for the demise of genuine spin bowling, either by wrist or by finger.
If in fact those changes in the game eg; 20/20 and 50 over a side cricket is responsible for the decline in genuine spinners being given a chance to develop from junior level upwards. What can be done? Nothing because both forms of the game are here to stay.
Perhaps using proper sized boundaries is one way of encouraging spin, so mis-hits can result in wickets and not public pleasing sixes.
Will less people attend matches if the ball isn't sailing over the boundary like a tracer bullet?
People in high places will probably answer yes to that question. If that is so then please tell me how we, the spin coaches and lovers of the art can continue to promote spin ahead of dot ball bowling.
You see, more questions than answers arise from just a few questions!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Grandad
I am sorry for not posting a blog for almost 3 months. I was quite shocked when I realised that fact. However, I am back on line and will again regularly provide items of interest.
A lot of you know already that on March 22nd I became a Grandad for the first time. My daughter Trudianne and her partner Damian provided Ann and me with a bouncing baby girl named Ashlea Sue. The excitement of the occasion took my mind away from all things until the arrival through out April of Asif, Saif, Rezza and Thomas for the Elite Wrist Spin Programme and Spin Doctor Clinics.
It was a very busy time until last Saturday when Thomas returned home to New Zealand.
You could say it was one of the most challenging months since beginning the live in Programmes in 1999. Why you ask? Because for the first time ever I cooked Halal for three of the boys.
It is not the first time we have welcomed Muslim boys into our home but in the past they have shared with non Halal boys which made it difficult. Now we have managed the challenge without too much trouble it will become a regular part of meals for those who require the special diet.
On a sad note we lost our special mate of more than 13 years. Our cocker spaniel, Te Be passed away on the 20th March, just two days before the arrival of our grand daughter.
Te Be was a friend to every spinner who spent time at our home. Even those who arrived with trepidation when faced by this bundle of joy. He always managed to win them over.
We still miss him so much.
A lot of you know already that on March 22nd I became a Grandad for the first time. My daughter Trudianne and her partner Damian provided Ann and me with a bouncing baby girl named Ashlea Sue. The excitement of the occasion took my mind away from all things until the arrival through out April of Asif, Saif, Rezza and Thomas for the Elite Wrist Spin Programme and Spin Doctor Clinics.
It was a very busy time until last Saturday when Thomas returned home to New Zealand.
You could say it was one of the most challenging months since beginning the live in Programmes in 1999. Why you ask? Because for the first time ever I cooked Halal for three of the boys.
It is not the first time we have welcomed Muslim boys into our home but in the past they have shared with non Halal boys which made it difficult. Now we have managed the challenge without too much trouble it will become a regular part of meals for those who require the special diet.
On a sad note we lost our special mate of more than 13 years. Our cocker spaniel, Te Be passed away on the 20th March, just two days before the arrival of our grand daughter.
Te Be was a friend to every spinner who spent time at our home. Even those who arrived with trepidation when faced by this bundle of joy. He always managed to win them over.
We still miss him so much.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Is spin old fashioned?
We all have different views on the development side of the game of cricket, a game steeped in history.
The game has changed in so many ways. Thicker and heavier bats that pick up like a tooth pick and shorter boundaries are the two most significent "dimension" changes in recent times.
Fifty and twenty over matches have played a major role in those two changes. The short form of the game is about 'sixers' being hit for the benefit of the crowds who flock to these games.
Spin bowlers are less successful in the fifty over game than in the twenty over run fest. That statistic surprises me greatly, but it is factual I am told.
Taking the pace of the ball forces the batsman to do all the work hence quick bowlers are in name only, as they grip the ball across the seam a lot of the time and present an array of slower balls. Clever stuff but you won't catch much of that bowling in four and five day cricket.
Likewise the spinners tend not to take the pace of the ball in the longer form of the game which leads to less spin.
Spin is one area where the game appears not to be advancing, as technology and mind set is working against it.
The ball is still five and a half ounces and the pitch is still 22 yards long so why are we not developing players who spin and flight the ball?
Part of the reason. I believe is that some (a lot) of coaches see flight as old fashioned.The coaches and the captains are more about economy than wickets hence the ever growing shortage of teen age spinners who actually spin the ball.
A former Australian player said to me the other day that there is no way the game will go back to "old fashioned" methods of coaching spin.
I don't believe it is going back, more it is continuing with tried and proven methods which have stood the test of time....until now that is.
In Australia there has never been such a shortage of wrist spinners. I believe the need to address the handling of these special bowlers requires urgent attention. There was a time when every Australian state boasted more than one wrist spinner of first class standard.
Currently there is not one playing in Sheffield Shield cricket apart from Steve Smith from New South Wales who is a batsman who also bowls.
It would be terrible to look back in 10-15 years and identify the lack of understanding of what spin is as the reason for the game being filled with quicks, seamers and diddly dobblers.
Yes the game continues to move forward but it must continue to take with it the successes of the past.
The game has changed in so many ways. Thicker and heavier bats that pick up like a tooth pick and shorter boundaries are the two most significent "dimension" changes in recent times.
Fifty and twenty over matches have played a major role in those two changes. The short form of the game is about 'sixers' being hit for the benefit of the crowds who flock to these games.
Spin bowlers are less successful in the fifty over game than in the twenty over run fest. That statistic surprises me greatly, but it is factual I am told.
Taking the pace of the ball forces the batsman to do all the work hence quick bowlers are in name only, as they grip the ball across the seam a lot of the time and present an array of slower balls. Clever stuff but you won't catch much of that bowling in four and five day cricket.
Likewise the spinners tend not to take the pace of the ball in the longer form of the game which leads to less spin.
Spin is one area where the game appears not to be advancing, as technology and mind set is working against it.
The ball is still five and a half ounces and the pitch is still 22 yards long so why are we not developing players who spin and flight the ball?
Part of the reason. I believe is that some (a lot) of coaches see flight as old fashioned.The coaches and the captains are more about economy than wickets hence the ever growing shortage of teen age spinners who actually spin the ball.
A former Australian player said to me the other day that there is no way the game will go back to "old fashioned" methods of coaching spin.
I don't believe it is going back, more it is continuing with tried and proven methods which have stood the test of time....until now that is.
In Australia there has never been such a shortage of wrist spinners. I believe the need to address the handling of these special bowlers requires urgent attention. There was a time when every Australian state boasted more than one wrist spinner of first class standard.
Currently there is not one playing in Sheffield Shield cricket apart from Steve Smith from New South Wales who is a batsman who also bowls.
It would be terrible to look back in 10-15 years and identify the lack of understanding of what spin is as the reason for the game being filled with quicks, seamers and diddly dobblers.
Yes the game continues to move forward but it must continue to take with it the successes of the past.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
End of an Era
A lot has happened since posting my last blog.
I have been doing lots of coaching but in many ways the most significent happening since the previous blog was our decision to end Test Brekkies after 18years. We received some lovely compliments per letter, phone and e-mail after the curtain came down on November 28th.
While we were aware our function on the Saturday morning of the Adelaide Test match was well supported over the years we didn't necessarily realise how important it had become as part of the Test match calendar for those who attended year after year,
Comments like "what are we going to do now? It has been a ritual for 10 years!!" were common.
In explaining the decision to end 'our' ritual which started in 1992 we simply felt it was time.
We had become to rely on the same people year after year and it was not fair on them.
With Brekkie tickets at $75 and Test match tickets at $70 it had become an expensive day for the majority of our loyal band of supporters.
Guest speakers at the finale were Sir Richard Hadlee, Michael Slater, Barry Jarman, Ian Chappell, Eric Freeman and Ken 'KG' Cunningham. Some say it was our best ever. If so it was a great way to finish.
I am 65 next September so perhaps age also had something to do with the decision!!
Ann and I are delighted and proud of the impact Test Brekkies had on the lives of the many supporters.
Some had come to almost all (19 or 20), some for at least the last 10 years or so but only Bob Day of Homestead Award Winning homes had been every year since inception.
It was only one day a year (occasionally two when CA played with our dates) but it seemed like each Brekkie lasted until the next one.
We will miss it.
I have been doing lots of coaching but in many ways the most significent happening since the previous blog was our decision to end Test Brekkies after 18years. We received some lovely compliments per letter, phone and e-mail after the curtain came down on November 28th.
While we were aware our function on the Saturday morning of the Adelaide Test match was well supported over the years we didn't necessarily realise how important it had become as part of the Test match calendar for those who attended year after year,
Comments like "what are we going to do now? It has been a ritual for 10 years!!" were common.
In explaining the decision to end 'our' ritual which started in 1992 we simply felt it was time.
We had become to rely on the same people year after year and it was not fair on them.
With Brekkie tickets at $75 and Test match tickets at $70 it had become an expensive day for the majority of our loyal band of supporters.
Guest speakers at the finale were Sir Richard Hadlee, Michael Slater, Barry Jarman, Ian Chappell, Eric Freeman and Ken 'KG' Cunningham. Some say it was our best ever. If so it was a great way to finish.
I am 65 next September so perhaps age also had something to do with the decision!!
Ann and I are delighted and proud of the impact Test Brekkies had on the lives of the many supporters.
Some had come to almost all (19 or 20), some for at least the last 10 years or so but only Bob Day of Homestead Award Winning homes had been every year since inception.
It was only one day a year (occasionally two when CA played with our dates) but it seemed like each Brekkie lasted until the next one.
We will miss it.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Leaving England
I am writing from Oslo in Norway having spent three days sightseeing with Ann and our friends Ian and Carol Berry. Tomorrow we move on by train to Copenhagen.
If I was asked what the high point of the Oslo stay was it would be not having to watch the Olympic games in England!!!
There is no doubt the Great Britain sportsmen and women have done very well indeed given the expectation of the media there.
There has been all kinds of Aussie bashing going on and I am not sure why really. Perhaps it is because in recent Olympics Great Britain has underachieved and in some way Australia has over achieved.
If so that is over now because the huge sums of Lottery money being pumped into the preparation of athletes in Great Britain has closed the gap.
What saddens me is the fact that by 2012 the gap between Great Britain and Australia will have widened because of the 600 million pound being given to athletes to train and not need to work at a job.
I will say however that no amount of money can make the difference between winning and losing an Ashes series. So to my English friends I simply say keep your feet on the ground. Enjoy the Olympic result but do not confuse what money can buy with talent and desire!!
If I was asked what the high point of the Oslo stay was it would be not having to watch the Olympic games in England!!!
There is no doubt the Great Britain sportsmen and women have done very well indeed given the expectation of the media there.
There has been all kinds of Aussie bashing going on and I am not sure why really. Perhaps it is because in recent Olympics Great Britain has underachieved and in some way Australia has over achieved.
If so that is over now because the huge sums of Lottery money being pumped into the preparation of athletes in Great Britain has closed the gap.
What saddens me is the fact that by 2012 the gap between Great Britain and Australia will have widened because of the 600 million pound being given to athletes to train and not need to work at a job.
I will say however that no amount of money can make the difference between winning and losing an Ashes series. So to my English friends I simply say keep your feet on the ground. Enjoy the Olympic result but do not confuse what money can buy with talent and desire!!
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