Swann: Ban spinners who don't spin
Source: Agencies |
April 19, 2011, Tuesday
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GRAEME Swann has a simple solution for the age old problem of English spinners who, to adapt the biblical parable of the lilies of the field, toil but do not spin.
"They should be banished from the first class game. It winds me up, if you are a spinner, spin the ball," Swann said.
"I have never, ever seen the point of bowling without trying to spin the ball. It's been my bugbear that I have seen some young spinners come up who have got lovely control and land it nicely but don't try to turn it."
Swann has climbed to No. 2 in the world test rankings by giving the ball a fierce tweak from a vigorous body action.
"I really like watching the ball fizzing down," he said.
"That's why I always like watching Shane Warne bowl, (Muttiah) Muralitharan bowl, these guys who really try and spin it, these are the guys I really try to emulate."
Unlike Warne and Muralitharan, Swann is an orthodox finger spinner. "I'm certainly 10 times the bowler I was 10 years ago. The longer you play the game your body just gets used to it. Your rhythm comes naturally compared to when you were a kid when you have as many bad days as you do good," he said.
"I'm certainly bowling better than I was 10 years ago but hopefully there is more to come."
English spinners, though, have rarely prospered in Australia and Swann's role in a four-man attack attracted much interest before the last Ashes series. Swann was ready for the challenge in the midst of unsubtle hints in the Australian media that he might be targeted.
"It's not an easy place to bowl because the wickets don't turn," he said. "Sydney was famous for turning but it doesn't anymore. You need footholes to make the ball go. In Melbourne it was almost going the other way.
"Michael Hussey got after me in the first game in Brisbane but that was because I was bowling badly. A lot of people said he got to you and rattled you but he didn't at all, I just bowled like a drain, I just didn't bowl well. People can think what they like, I know what was going on."
England recovered after a shaky start to draw in Brisbane and Swann then took five wickets in Australia's second innings in Adelaide to set up an innings victory.
"They should be banished from the first class game. It winds me up, if you are a spinner, spin the ball," Swann said.
"I have never, ever seen the point of bowling without trying to spin the ball. It's been my bugbear that I have seen some young spinners come up who have got lovely control and land it nicely but don't try to turn it."
Swann has climbed to No. 2 in the world test rankings by giving the ball a fierce tweak from a vigorous body action.
"I really like watching the ball fizzing down," he said.
"That's why I always like watching Shane Warne bowl, (Muttiah) Muralitharan bowl, these guys who really try and spin it, these are the guys I really try to emulate."
Unlike Warne and Muralitharan, Swann is an orthodox finger spinner. "I'm certainly 10 times the bowler I was 10 years ago. The longer you play the game your body just gets used to it. Your rhythm comes naturally compared to when you were a kid when you have as many bad days as you do good," he said.
"I'm certainly bowling better than I was 10 years ago but hopefully there is more to come."
English spinners, though, have rarely prospered in Australia and Swann's role in a four-man attack attracted much interest before the last Ashes series. Swann was ready for the challenge in the midst of unsubtle hints in the Australian media that he might be targeted.
"It's not an easy place to bowl because the wickets don't turn," he said. "Sydney was famous for turning but it doesn't anymore. You need footholes to make the ball go. In Melbourne it was almost going the other way.
"Michael Hussey got after me in the first game in Brisbane but that was because I was bowling badly. A lot of people said he got to you and rattled you but he didn't at all, I just bowled like a drain, I just didn't bowl well. People can think what they like, I know what was going on."
England recovered after a shaky start to draw in Brisbane and Swann then took five wickets in Australia's second innings in Adelaide to set up an innings victory.
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