Brisbane, May 6 (ANI): Australia’s shortage of quality spin bowlers has prompted the game’s custodians to call for a “spin summit” at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence (COE) in Brisbane later this year.
Some of the nation’s best thinkers on the art of spin, including Shane Warne’s mentor Terry Jenner and COE spin bowling coach John Davison, will meet in June to try to resolve why Australia’s tweakers are struggling to make an impact in all levels of the game.
The anticipated wave of talent inspired by Shane Warne’s career hasn’t materialised, with spin bowlers struggling to assert themselves in the national side since his retirement.
Spin experts have suggested the problem lies partly with individuals lacking perseverance and also with captains not knowing how to use them.
Australia’s approach to this year’s Ashes series in England is likely to take a similar path, with Nathan Hauritz the likely touring spinner because he is the most steady, allowing captain Ricky Ponting to set a suffocating field.
When national chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch was asked whether Australia would use attacking spin in England or rely more on containment to create wickets, he said the concept of attacking was “overrated”.
“The word attacking is a bit overrated really, to assert pressure from one end is attacking cricket,” Hilditch argued.
“Some spinners you regard as more attacking might spin the ball a bit more, they might be a bit more erratic, but really it’s about asserting pressure and performing the role the captain wants.” (ANI)
Swann’s spin may be England’s secret weapon against the Aussies
Melbourne, May 13 (ANI): Cricket observers in Australia have admitted for the first time in 16 years that England possesses the most threatening spin bowler, off-spinning extrovert Graeme Swann.
Spin coach Terry Jenner is very impressed with Swann, who used to front a rock group called Dr Comfort and the Lurid Revelations.
Eight years after he was set adrift by former coach Duncan Fletcher, Swann is the leading wicket-taker in world this year with 25 Test victims, ahead of Australians Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle and South African spearhead Dale Steyn (all on 20).
“He’s a breath of fresh air because he is continually trying to change his pace, he gets above the eyes, and the ball that got (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul in the first Test was a pearler because it brought him half forward, half back, next thing it’s history. Whereas Monty Panesar bowls very accurately but very predictably, Graeme Swann takes predictability out of it a bit and that is one of his plusses,” The Age quoted Jenner, as saying.
“He got three wickets in each innings and there was no doosra to be seen, so all those people are infatuated and think we should increase the flex to 20 degrees to allow these blokes to ping the doosra, as far as I’m concerned Graeme Swann shows that so long as you’ve got some spin and you’re willing to take a risk or two, you’re in the game,” he added.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if England plays two spinners because spin is our Achilles heel,” Jenner added.
To England’s immense relief, Warne will be confined to the commentary box four years after taking 40 wickets in a losing series. This time, the spin duties are to be handled by Nathan Hauritz, a containing rather than attacking finger-spinner.
“It might be the first time England have a better spinner than us, but whether an offie can run through us I’m not sure,” said Damien Fleming, the former Australian pacer. (ANI)