Umar's reverse swing sparks new debate
Monday, June 15, 2009
From our correspondent
LONDON: Pakistan pacer Umar Gul on Saturday evening lit up the Oval with his accurate pace and an unmatched ability to reverse-swing the ball, leading Pakistan's cornered tigers to a big win over New Zealand.
But he also ignited a debate that has the potential to snowball into a major issue at the ongoing ICC World Twenty20. Is it legally possible for a bowler to achieve reverse swing after just twelve overs?
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori raised that issue at a post-match press conference at The Oval, saying that he hasn't seen this much reverse swing in the history of Twenty20 cricket.
"I've never, ever seen someone reverse the ball after 12 overs," said Vettori. "He (Gul) managed to do that and that made a real difference," added the bewildered New Zealand captain.
"He obviously bowled really well. He got the ball to reverse, and I don't think in the history of Twenty20 cricket anyone's got the ball to reverse. That made a massive difference today, and with his pace and his accuracy as well as the ball reversing he was a difficult proposition."
He didn't say it in as many words but Vettori sounded as if he didn't think it was possible to get a considerably new ball to reverse-swing. "I really don't know (how). It's the first time I've ever seen it happen."
Gul was the sixth bowler used by Pakistan captain Younis Khan and only came into action in the 13th over of the New Zealand innings.
He scalped Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan off his third and fourth deliveries before uprooting Nathan McCullum's leg-stump in his next over. He finished off the job with the wickets of James Franklin and Kyle Mills off consecutive balls. Gul finished with 5-6 in three overs.
Just minutes after Vettori left the press conference room, a beaming Younis Khan tried to explain the reasons why Gul manages to do what other pacers are unable to achieve: reverse-swing the ball.
"Gul has a perfect action for reverse swing," said the Pakistan skipper. "He also has enough pace and can get the ball to reverse-swing very effectively."
Younis did not share Vettori's feeling that it's surprising to attain reverse swing with a ball that is just 12 overs old.
"The ball goes into the crowd and hits the walls and when it is back it is rough," said Younis. "This is not the first that he has done it. He also did well really well in the last World Twenty20."
There was enough ammunition for sports scribes following the comments from the rival captains with Vettori appearing completely foxed and Younis trying to play down the entire issue.
However, Gul was just celebrating his latest success in T20 cricket. He attributed his match-winning show to Pakistan's pace legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
"I have really developed my yorker by watching videos of Waqar and Wasim," he said. "They have really helped me."
"In T20, you have to be able to bowl the yorker, bouncer and the slower ball. Now I want to be the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. My captain just told me to go and get wickets and that's what I did."
Pakistan introduced the art of reverse swing in international cricket through pacers Sarfraz Nawaz and Imran Khan in the 1970s and early 1980s.
A generation later, the skill of making an old and battered ball move in the air in the opposite direction to conventional swing was developed into a highly effective weapon by the two Ws - Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
Gul, who owns three of the best top 10 analyses in Twenty20 cricket, is now the latest torch-bearer of the mysterious art.
The pacer, meanwhile, is hoping that he would continue playing his part in Pakistan's title campaign. "It's very important for all of us to give our best because we are here to win the title this time," he said referring to Pakistan's defeat in the final of the 2007 World Twenty20 to India in South Africa.
Umar's reverse swing sparks new debate
