Panesar ‘back to basics’ before Ashes to save his career
By ANITuesday, June 30, 2009
LONDON - In an attempt to save his career, England spinner Monty Panesar, has turned to basics and is returning to what he does best, bowling the same ball six times an over.
The England management’s attempt to turn Panesar into a match winning combination of Bishen Singh Bedi and Shane Warne has been temporarily abandoned ahead of the Ashes series.
Over the last six months, England spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed has been working to add variation to Panesar’s one-note repertoire.
An arm-ball has been introduced, along with subtle changes in flight and trajectory. But the end result seems to have left Panesar more confused, when it was supposed to make him more confident, The Telegraph reports.
“Over the past couple of weeks I’ve changed myself and gone back to just trying to bowl my stock ball all the time,” Panesar said.
“I know that coming into this game against Warwickshire I’m looking to bowl my natural way. I’m not going to do any experimentation because I don’t think it’s the right time to do that.”
Panesar must also know that he faces strong competition from Adil Rashid, the young Yorkshire leg-spinner, who will be playing for the England Lions against Australia at Worcester.
If he keeps thinking about the bowler he might be in six months’ time, rather than the one who takes the field on Wednesday, he could come badly unstuck
“My strength is that I have a natural ability to bowl a certain pace, bowl lots of overs, and get a lot of maidens,” Panesar said.
“When I haven’t been a strike bowler I’ve been able to hold pressure on the batsmen, which gives respite to the seamers. Then, later on, I recognise that when the pitch deteriorates I’m able to come in and be a strike bowler,” he added. (ANI)
