Movement of the cricket ball is one of the things to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The topic has been a bone of contention in the fraternity, with quite a few bowlers questioning the context of their roles when the sport restarts in the future. Some even believe that banning the use of saliva will completely alter the outlook of the game.
Eric Simons, former bowling coach of India and South Africa, believes that reverse swing will still be possible. The bowling consultant of Chennai Super Kings also praises the Indian pace attack and MS Dhoni. Excerpts from a chat in which Simons spoke from Cape Town...
How is the situation back in South Africa?
So far it is fine, but like everywhere, there is uncertainty about how this pandemic will affect us in the future.
Will South African cricketers resume practice anytime soon?
They will start under strict guidelines and control protocols in place. We need to get back to some sort of normalcy as soon as possible.
Some former players are saying reverse swing can be achieved if players take care of the ball by shinning one side. Do you agree?
Bowlers can use sweat but I am not in favour of any foreign substance being allowed to shine the ball in the place of saliva. They can still get the ball to swing with the help of sweat, particularly in hot, humid conditions like India. Teams have to be extremely diligent in looking after the ball. But this could be a little more difficult in the cold months in England when players will not perspire much.
India players are yet to start having nets. After such a long layoff, what do you think should be the approach of the bowlers when they start bowling?
The irony of the break is that a lot of bowlers will recover fully from niggles they have probably been carrying with them for a long time. Hopefully, they have used the time to do physical conditioning and not allowed the body to grow weak. I would recommend a full month of drill bowling to get the body ready while slowly moving to longer run-ups. They need to be patient and not pick up injuries because of inactivity.
How long do you think it will take to get back in rhythm? Will clubs games be beneficial?
It will not take long to get back up to top control and bowling performance once they are at full effort because most of them are extremely talented with deep seated muscle memory. Once at full effort, I think most will feel back in control within four good practice sessions. Playing any match will help after a good period of practice, because while nets are crucial, nothing beats the competitive edge of a match to prepare again.
Who among the India bowlers you are impressed with?
All the seamers. Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav have all been impressive in Tests as a group. Ishant needs to be applauded for the way he has continued to grow and evolve as a bowler, especially after taking a lot of criticism for a long time. In T20s, Deepak Chahar continues to impress.
Glenn McGrath has rated Pat Cummins as the best fast bowler in the world. What’s your take?
He (Cummins) has been very impressive and his role in the team has shown his value. One needs to see him bowl more on flat wickets like the Indian bowlers to properly assess how good he is. I have felt the Indian seam group has been outstanding in home conditions where in the past they played just a support role to the spinners. They are now a real strike force even in conditions where seam bowlers traditionally struggle.
What is the mindset of South African players? Are they worried about the future post COVID?
Tough to say but I think cricketers and administrators have a mindset of trying to ‘find ways to play’ rather than decide ‘if we are going to play’. We need to find ways to get back to playing and not let this situation defeat us.
When will club and first-class cricket resume in South Africa?
We are in the winter at the moment so not missing any domestic cricket. It’s due to start again in October. Hopefully by then we are back to playing.
Will the virus outbreak affect the prospects of Mzansi Super League T20 tournament, which is supposed to be held later in the year?
It is planned for November-December, so everyone is hopeful it can happen.
The IPL is postponed and people are eagerly waiting for it. Your thoughts?
Everyone is hoping that it will happen. Planning authorities need to be trying everything they can to ‘find a way to play’ rather than deciding ‘if we are going to play'. I think there is a very good chance it will happen perhaps with all matches being played at a few venues and teams being housed in the same hotels with strict hygiene protocols.