Fast bowlers need to keep bowling to improve: Srinath

By CricketCountry Staff

 

Former Indian bowlers Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad revealed that they were unsure of the fact that resting Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth during the West Indies tour was a right call by the selectors and feared that it would back fire.

 

By CricketCountry Staff

 

Bangalore: Aug 26, 2011

 

Former Indian bowlers Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad revealed that they were unsure of the fact that resting Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth during the West Indies tour was a right call by the selectors and feared that it would back fire.

 

Zaheer, who was one of the leading wicket taker in the 2011 World Cup was rested for the West Indies tour and had no match practice until three days before the Lord’s Test on July 21.

 

“Fast bowlers need to keep bowling, whether it is first-class or Test cricket. There’s no point in resting them exceedingly,” Prasad, who took 15 wickets during the 1996 tour of England, told an English Daily. “The key is to remain fit, keep bowling, and keep up that urge,” he added.

 

Srinath called for change in the mindset of young fast bowlers and believed that Indian pacers are par in quality with their English counterparts.

 

“Guys like Sreesanth and Ishant need to bowl at least 1200 overs a year with at least 500 or 600 of them in county cricket in England, Australia and other first-class matches. Both are quality bowlers and there’s no reason to believe they are not as good as English bowlers. There aren’t any technical flaws in them either. They must want to keep bowling which is the only way to play at the highest level for 10-12 years. England ensure that even their senior bowlers go back and play county cricket between Tests. Our bowlers need to embrace that culture,” he said.

 

“All these guys need to be treated differently. Someone like Zaheer can bowl just 300 overs in a year and can still turn out all guns blazing. On the other hand, someone like Sreesanth can’t do that. There’s no point playing ODIs and IPL (in India), and then going on a Test tour to England. It’s unfair to blame the bowlers alone,” added Srinath, who headed to Dubai on Thursday evening to participate in the ICC conference for umpires and match referees.

 

Bowlers’ first-class exposure from July 25-August 25, 2011

 

Tim Bresnan – 3725 balls

 

Stuart Broad – 4083 balls

 

James Anderson – 5677 balls

 

Zaheer Khan – 1540 balls

 

Ishant Sharma – 2808 balls

 

S Sreesanth – 2358 balls

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