Allan Donald gives reverse swing lessons to Kiwi bowlers ahead of 2011 World Cup
By ANISaturday, January 22, 2011
WELLINGTON - Legendary South African fast bowler Allan Donald, who took over as New Zealand bowling coach, unraveled the mysteries of reverse swing in his first lesson to Kiwi bowlers at the Basin Reserve nets.
Captain Daniel Vettori said they were keen to explore reverse swing, heading into the dry, abrasive subcontinent grounds for next month’s World Cup.
Their Pakistani opponents, notably Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul, have tasted success with the not-so-secret weapon in recent seasons, Stuff.co.nz reports.
“There’s been initial discussions about Allan’s way of getting the ball to reverse. Everyone has their own notion within acceptable practices. We’ve just got to make sure we can nail it before we get to the World Cup,” Vettori said.
“It remains one of cricket’s great mysteries how some bowlers can achieve it and others can’t. Some methods were within the rules and others weren’t,” Vettori said.
“If you scratch the ball up, anyone can reverse it. It’s how you get the ball to that condition. Your action allows you to do it earlier but if you get the ball in the right condition then most people can do it,” he said. (ANI)
