England

Over Easter I head to the UK for a brief period to conduct some Spin Doctor Clinics.

Dates and venues currently in place are as follows:

April 10-11...... Leeds ( yet to find a suitable venue)

April 12-13......Wimbledon (Kings College Wimbledon)

April 14-15.....Essex (Writtle Indoor Cricket Centre)

I can't head across before Easter as my daughter is being married on 28th March and I must be home on the 17th as Ann and our two friends Ian and Carol Berry are taking a trip up through the middle of Australia.

It would have been easy to delay the clinics until July/ August except some of my loyal followers requested the clinics and I couldn't let any of them down.

So, that is 2010 thus far.

Next time I blog I will give a few coaching tips based on the enquiries I receive.

Around the world

Prior to Mumbai, I spent 3 weeks in Pretoria and 10 days in Zimbabwe.
The Pretoria camp was most enjoyable. Working for the ECB has always been that way for me.
The squad of cricketers was made up of 6 spinners, 6 pace bowlers, 6 batsmen and 4 wicketkeepers.
Peter Such and I were responsible for the spinners and working with Suchy was a good experience. We are sufficiently different in personality but on the same wave length as spin coaches for the boys to get the same message told in a way that they should understand.
At the end of the three weeks in Pretoria I spent a couple of days in Jo'burg chilling out before heading to Harare and Bulawayo.
The chilling out was special as I was able to catch up with my old mate (met him in 97) Harry Shapiro and enjoy a meal with him and his wife Ruth.
For those who have Harry's e-mail address, Wednesday 25th March is his 70th birthday. He still runs virtually every day and maintains his passion for coaching cricket, including spin bowling.
Okay, Harare and Bulawayo presented me with another of those experiences one never forgets.
To say I didn't know what to expect would be an understatement.
Such was the experience, the welcoming way I was treated by players, coaches, administrators, staff and people in general that I hope an opportunity comes for me to return sometime soon.
The standard of pitches in both cities was very good...something I didn't expect.
So, it came as something of a shock to me when I heard New Zealand pulled out of their upcoming tour to Zimbabwe. I am unsure of the actual reason for their action.
It certainly isn't what the Zimbabwian players and coaches need at this vital stage of their redevelopment.
Personally I hope there are no more setbacks as they work toward re entering the big arena.

Back in Town

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.

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.

Spin Summit

On Thursday11th and Friday 12th June I attended a spin summit at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, organised by Cricket Australia.
Many would say it is a knee jerk reaction to the lack of genuine spinners playing in the Sheffield Shield competition. They might also ask what could a meeting achieve at a time when clearly there is no spinner on the horizon that gives hope in the immediate future.
I must admit I had my doubts about the outcome of a meeting with so many coaches, mostly holding different views.
The idea was not to work out a method of coaching but to work out a vision for spin bowling embracing captains, coaches, selectors and the spin bowler.
Around the table sat Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, Australia's most successful modern day spinners. Representing the older brigade was Peter Philpott, Ashley Mallett, Jim Higgs and me. Higgsy only does a little coaching but brought a wise head to the table. Gavin Robertson, David Freedman and John Davison presented the view of the spinners still in their 30's.
Chairman of Selectors Andrew Hilditch spent a day with the group which I believe he found beneficial even though he doesn't have a lot to choose from.
While it is not proper for me to outline what the Summit resolved as a future pathway, I can say we were all pretty pleased with the direction it appears spin will head in the future.
It was interesting to hear all the different views relating to the direction our learning should take. The older generation ( Philpott, Mallett and Jenner) felt the need to work from the junior level through to the senior level as we move forward. Some others felt if you get it right at the top level it will filter down.
I guess the difference of opinion comes from the fact that the older generation has been coaching for years and has witnessed first hand the impact dot ball bowling has had on the development of young spinners.
Whatever the resolution was it will not have an impact for 5-10 years. However, you have to start somewhere and Cricket Australia has.

overseas and local coaching

It is hard to believe we are almost half way through the year. The upside of of the end of June is it brings on July when I normally head to England for some clinics. This year is no different as I arrive into Heathrow on July 24 before embarking on a months coaching.
Before leaving I have 3 boys attending my "live in" clinics here in Adelaide during the first 3 weeks of July.
Coaching in England gets under way soon after I arrive in the Country.
July 27-29 I am conducting clinics at Chigwell School in Essex. It is a terrific venue and already one day after the mailout five boys have booked.
For the second time I am conducting clinics in Leeds. Dates are 17-19 August and one enrolment has already been received. The venue is Kirkstall Education Cricket Club in Headingly where there are 4 turf nets available for me if necessary.
The weeks in between I will be at Loughborough for the ECB.
It certainly is an exciting time for me. I might even get to watch a day or two of Test cricket at Edgbaston at the end of July.
After returning from England and a couple of weeks off it is probable I will head to New Zealand where apart from a few days coaching, I will catch up with John Howell, an old mate from the days when I did some coaching for NZ Cricket at the High Performance Centre in Christchurch. No rest, as I fly in from Auckland on Sunday 13th and leave for Singapore a couple of hours later for two weeks coaching there, thanks to Mahmood Gazznavi who is organising the program for me.
Life is worth living even if it is very busy some of the time!
Perhaps I will see you at one of the clinics some where, some time, some place? I hope so!

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!