Quick Tip: Should You Bowl Pace or Spin?
Bonga is 12 years old and a friend of the site with a problem,
"I have a problem. I like bowling pace. My average speed is 90kph. My best bowling figures are 4-22 bowling pace and 2-20 bowling spin. What should I bowl?"
If Bonga can hit 56mph then that is a decent lick and it sounds like he can bowl well with either skill.
So what should he do?
I would advise Bonga, as I do all younger players who can bowl spin and seam up, to carry on with both.
It's still very early in his development time and there is no need to specialise just yet.
Sure, as he gets older and more successful there will come a a point where he does have to decide. It's tough to get to ninja level spin bowling if you are splitting your time with bowling quick.
But that can wait until he his 16 or 17 at least (maybe later).
By then he may already have a preference.
If he still needs guidance in 4-5 years time I would say this: unless he is really clocking some wheels or bending it round corners as a pace bowler look seriously at bowling spin. It's a harder road, but one that can be mastered.
Whereas real searing pace is something that requires a certain genetic potential that we don't all possess.
For now though, stick to being serious about both and see what happens.
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Comments
Agree completely. The more skills you learn at a young age, the more chance you find something you're good at later on.
I'd teach him to open the batting and keep wicket as well while we're at it.
You have to try these things. I'm surprised how few under-11 players I know about can keep wicket. And that is with 2 'keepers as coaches at rep level!