Langer says Oz grade cricket batsmen lacking quality practice

SYDNEY - Former Australian batsman Justin Langer is concerned that his country’s next generation of batsmen could suffer from not getting enough quality time in the nets due to rules designed to restrict the wear and tear on fast bowlers.

“In grade cricket, the blokes who need to hit even more balls are lucky to get seven-and-a-half minutes in the nets twice a week. So, it means the batsmen who need to face more balls in the nets aren’t getting them, and the gulf [between the elite and others] is growing by the week,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Langer, as saying.

Langer further said that the only way to compensate for the lack of “resources” was for the batsmen to spend time in front of a bowling machine. In this day and age it is hard to get bowlers to bowl in the nets for a long period of time. And it is hard to get someone to throw balls [for throwdowns] at you for a long time, too,” Langer said.

“If you want to get practice and to gain the volume [of deliveries] you require to work on technique, the bowling machine becomes a great tool,” he added. (ANI)