You may have a daunting 18-yard run-up, a pivot that needs tightening and a booming follow-through but as far as Geoff Lawson is concerned, only one thing matters.
“I will be talking to them about how we get people out; how we make winning teams. All the things that are just common sense. Often people get caught up in the technical side of it. We teach fast bowlers to get people out. We want to impart the practical side of it,” said the former Australian cricketer who arrived yesterday as the specialist fast bowling coach for the GP-BCB National Cricket Academy.
Listening to Lawson speak about fast bowling, hardly any conjecture thereafter can clutter your mind. His views on bowling in the sub-continent have been refined through years of experience as a coach. He was of course in charge of Pakistan and is also the current coach of Kochi Tuskers in the Indian Premier League.
“Growing up and bowling in these sorts of pitches makes you bowl in a certain way,” said Lawson. “Sometimes the bowlers get negative when they are operating in batting conditions and it’s a vicious cycle where the captain goes to spin, the bowlers don’t get enough work and they don’t learn, so it all goes downhill.”
“First of all, we reassure people that you can be successful and hopefully, they’ll put some grass in the pitches,” he said.
Lawson though isn’t just about taking wickets. He will take the best part of the next three weeks to cater to every Academy and A team pace bowler’s needs.
“Each individual will need something different. Someone needs more emphasis on fitness, footwear and some need to learn how to manage themselves through a day of cricket.
Some have technical problems while for others, there’s the tactical stuff. We’ll do a lot of tactical stuff: how do you get people out. But each bowler will have different requirements,” he explained.
He will focus the next few weeks on imparting his vast experience with the best fast bowlers in the country and Lawson is aware that he won’t have to work from scratch.
“They are Academy players so they do have skill and ability. We’re not starting from zero. A lot of the building blocks are already there. My job is to hopefully add strength to the building. The foundation is there. It is like giving them my experience as a player,” he said.
Years ago, a visit from Andy Roberts changed Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s bowling so whenever a fast bowling coach comes to town, it brings hope among the aficionados.
Lawson believes that a star who has playing experience at the highest level often gets through to youngsters better.
“When I was a youngster, I was motivated by watching Denis Lillee bowl. I was also very lucky that I got to play with him.
“The youngsters will think ‘we’ll listen to this guy because he’s been there and done it’. So, that’s just a little thing when they get back to their hometowns and clubs but in the end it is up to them,” he said/
-With The Daily Star input
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