Spin bowlers need understanding captains to bring the best out of them. Too many spin bowlers are lost due to poor captaincy decisions. This is especially true at junior level cricket during a player's formative years.

In modern cricket, the emphasis is all about scoring runs and big hits. Just look at the massive following of the Twenty20 form of the game. To satisfy this insatiable thirst for runs all the pitches are prepared flat and the boundaries are brought in.

All for the cheap thrill of a few more sixes.

The effect is terrible on young spin bowlers.

Shots that would have landed down the throat of deep mid on or deep square leg now ends up as a big six. Top edges go for six and batsmen get away with shots they previously never would have gotten away with.

The pitches also do not turn anymore and the young bowler is finding it very tough indeed to beat batsmen with turn off the pitch.

A captain needs to understand that spin bowlers will go for more runs. They are not strike bowlers. They need to out think the batsman over a few overs. If a batsman decides to have a few swings and connect the ball for a couple of sixes then he should not take the spin bowler off. He needs to decide first if it was poor bowling or simple a batsman getting away with a few big shots. If it is the latter then he needs to back the spin bowler and keep him on. The wicket can be only one mistimed shot away.

Take the example of Shane Warne.

He has an average much lower than that of great fast bowlers, yet he is widely regarded as the greatest bowler of all time. This is because the captain backed him when he went for a few sixes. He did not immediately take him off and brought a new bowler in. The captain had enough faith in him that he is a great bowler and the batsman just got lucky with a few shots.

Few captains understand just how many batsmen get lucky against spinners, only to take the bowler off and take the chance away for the batsman to make a mistake trying to hit the ball into the stands again.

A spin bowler is always more aggressive when he bowls with flight. It is important the when a batsman starts hitting him the captain backs the bowler by telling him to keep tossing it up, even if he gets hit for a few sixes. That will give the spin bowler all the confidence in the world.

Unfortunately few captains are so brave or understand spin bowling good enough to do this.

image credit: C.K.H.
 

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