In an exclusive chat, India’s ex-bowling coach explains why Jasprit Bumrah is a “freak”, what makes Mohammed Shami magical and how County stint helped Arshdeep Singh.
Indian cricket team is on an extended break after the T20Is and ODIs vs Sri Lanka and will be back on the park for the first Test vs Bangladesh starting on September 19. While some members of the Test squad are likely to feature in the Duleep Trophy in the first week of September, it will be a long break for the rest before the start of a long season, featuring plenty of red-ball action.
The focus will be back on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami (when he regains match fitness) and even on someone like Arshdeep Singh, who is likely to be considered for Tests. In a very candid chat with News18 CricketNext, India’s former bowling coach Paras Mhambrey speaks at length about the Indian quicks, what makes Bumrah special, what’s next for Arshdeep, and more.
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EDITED EXCERPTS:
What makes Jasprit Bumrah so special? I know many have said so many things but you have had the best seat in the house in the last 10-12 months. Just what makes him special?
Skill wise, Bumrah is a freak. As a bowler, you know, just looking at it, it’s a little technical because he needs to run up, he needs to run up, you know, take that momentum through, you know, go through, but if you look at Bumrah right now, pretty much just walks in, doesn’t even run, you know, just the way he releases the ball just walks in four or five steps. Obviously, now his little length and the run up is, but it doesn’t make a difference. If you ask him to bowl for four steps, also he’ll be as quick as what he’s doing.
But just a natural ability right out here unlike any other fast bowler the way he releases if you look at just the way he releases he’s a good 20 centimeter ahead of any other bowl in the world. So if it’s a distance is covered a normal bowler will be kind of on in line with the crease boomerang from here yeah you just you gained out there. Hyper extension is other thing You know, so basically he’s just a freak.
Yeah, he is just born that way and I think It’s obviously a born with a skill, but damn he’s worked hard for it man Is he’s gone through the Ranji Trophy by bowling so much, played a lot of first-class cricket. He’s created the base is gone through tough phase. He’s tested his body again and again, and have gone through seasons without injuries. So obviously, he has mastered his skills there and over the period with the experience that he has is just the intelligence to look at the way he bowls.
He bowls the right ball at the right time. So he thinks about the game, right? He’s not just a run -in bowler who just comes in and just bowls, he’s a thinking bowler. And I think that’s one thing I believe that a greatness of a cricketer is always in his head and that’s where his strength is. He thinks about his game, he analyses the batsman.
He is injured right now, but Mohammed Shami is equally magical, right? And both with the new ball is probably the most dangerous bowling combination in world cricket?
So let’s talk about the combination. I think the most lethal combination you can ever get. Two different kind of bowlers. Obviously, Bumrah is something different. Shami is a unique ability to land the balls up seam upright consistently. And I think that’s where his strength is. Because if it’s so upright, it doesn’t know that it goes in or comes in or goes out as a batsman, and you’re struggling plus you add pace.
So in terms of combination, both are unique, both are different, but both are equally important, effective, you know, very different ways of approaching. But when you have kind of a variety like this, you know, as a batsman, you’re going to keep guessing. You have someone like Bumrah who comes in the short run, slow run, bowls yorkers consistently hit the deck, you have someone like Shami from the other end, then you can’t get away from either of them rolling together. Both are going to challenge you all the time.
So as a batsman, you’re going to be challenged each and every delivery. So that’s the combination.
As I said, in terms of if you look at the way he releases the ball. It’s pretty much upright right. I haven’t seen anyone with that ability that he has and that’s unique. The last time I had seen someone doing it is as good as him was maybe Sreesanth in Indian cricket.
I don’t think anyone had that ability to really have an upright seam very rare. And you are born with it. I think that’s a gift that you have
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Considering his age and also going through an injury, do you think Mohammed Shami should opt one or two formats to play?
I feel that you need to have that conversation with Shami and he needs to decide and have that real honest conversation.
What does he want to do? You know, obviously, and you have to give him that choice, talk to him saying they’re okay fine Lala, we call him fondly Lala. So Lala. What is that thing you want, right? What is your plan, what where do you look at? Obviously you have your trainers coming in fitness guys coming in and S&C guys coming in, your doctors coming in and they should be on boards.
Where do you look at? Do you want to play what format you want to play? You want to play why do you want to play red? You want to play all and just kind of have a conversation very honest conversation saying okay fine you looking at maybe two, three, four years whatever.
Have that conversation that okay fine with white ball and red ball this is the amount of games that we have, this amount of bowling you will have to do. The choice is his and you have to give him that.
I think the decision has to be taken by Shami, having that conversation and then you can create that path. But have that conversation. You may sometimes have to challenge him as well, saying that he may have a certain format in the mind or he may feel as a player, I feel like I can play all three format, but you’ve got to take realistic calls. Is it really beneficial? Is it how valuable you are for the team? And that Shami is a valuable player for the team, right? We need to make sure that he’s there for the next three, four years. So the purpose of, if we can have him for the next three years, and how do we create a path for him? So have that conversation with him.
That’s the only way. It’s a unique skill. Not many have that in the world, forget the country.
If you look at next 12-18 months, you think it is important to chalk out a proper roadmap for our fast bowlers? And slowly start injecting the bench strength to keep them ready for international grind?
The roadmap going forward is all about the support staff. I think the support staff should have a chat and how they want to take things forward. We had a certain roadmap and plans and I’m sure the other guys who come in will have a discussion. So, I would leave this to them completely.
Arshdeep has been very consistent in white-ball, is it time to finally have the left-arm quick in red-ball cricket we have been long waiting for?
I think the idea was to make sure Arshdeep plays a lot of first class cricket. I think with the red ball especially. He’s really doing well in the white ball. If you look at the way he goes about T20 format, he’s fabulous. One day cricket as well, he started playing one day cricket. He’s shown in South Africa that he played, he picked up a five-for everything he’s done. So you could see that with the white ball, he’s effective.
Obviously, the challenge is sometimes now taking forward to the red ball. I think that was the idea for us to make sure that in between where he was not part of the white ball team, he was given a break, made sure that when the Test cricket was going on, we made sure that he played Ranji Trophy. And I think that’s where you really get better. You challenge yourself mentally, physically. You’re a lot more bowling, you’re doing it. And the more you bowl, you can get a lot of control. So, the idea was to make sure that he plays Ranji Trophy.
When the county approached, I think that’s where we are, obviously Rahul was also on par with this, and said, “Okay go through that experience.” Because county cricket is challenging. You’re playing four days, you’re driving from one end to the other, get two days break and then you’re playing a game, so it’s constant travel bowling and you are challenged physically and mentally.
You play as a pro all. So, you have a lot of responsibility, expected to pick wickets, expected to win matches, so that added responsibility is always there.
So obviously you have to be on top of the game, you can’t be below par in any of the game, so you have to keep pushing yourself, right? I think that stint also has helped him because he’s come a very different bowler. He’s confident now.
