bowling fast - injury free

One of the questions I get asked a lot is how one can keep injuries at bay as a fast bowler. In my opinion, there are various aspects to being able to bowl fast without injuring oneself. Essentially, they come under four headings:

1: body type
2: action (run-up, stride and delivery action)
3: practice
4: preparation for bowling

BODY TYPE: This may sound a bit harsh but I believe that one has to have the body structure to bowl fast. That is the first pre-requisite. Not that one can’t bowl fast if one is not physically designed to but it becomes much tougher to sustain high speeds without injury over a long period without the right physique. If one does not have the body structure to bowl fast, it is best to change one’s trade. Anil Kumble is a shining example of how one can become a very successful spinner even after spending most of the formative cricketing years bowling pace. The right physique starts with height (ideally not less than 6ft.), which enables one to release the ball later, a lean musculature and preferably not splay footed (pigeon toed is ok). The splay footed preference may seem bizarre but is easily explained. While I haven’t seen many studies on this, I have experienced that people with splay feet tend to fall over in their delivery stride. This is not to say that bowlers without splay feel do not fall over. However, with them, this fault is much easier to correct.
Besides the right body type, it is important to build strength in the right muscles. The core body muscles (back, stomach, glutes) have to be strong enough to sustain the stress of fast bowling. In addition, the legs and shoulders are very important. Remember though, you are NOT a body-builder...think lean muscle...the upper body of a swimmer with the lower body of a sprinter.

BOWLING ACTION: DELIVERY ACTION: This is one of the most important things to get right. Broadly-speaking, there are three types of delivery actions – side-on, front-on and mixed. While side-on is the classical action (Kapil Dev, Mc Grath, Brett Lee), front-on is ok as well (Harmison, Ntini, Flintoff, Srinath) as long as it is the natural tendency of the bowler. However, a ‘mixed’ action WILL, in the long term result in stress injuries. Get someone knowledgeable to look at your action (in case you are not able to video record it) in the nets to determine if it is mixed or not. If it is, then I strongly recommend that you switch over to side-on or front-on, depending on your natural proclivity as well as your stock delivery. For example, if your stock delivery is the out swinger, the side-on action is most suitable to get the required shape on the ball with minimal muscle stress. The RUN-UP and STRIDE – any coach will tell you that the run-up should be just long enough so that you hit optimum speed a few strides before the jump. I will add that the run-up should be just the right speed for you to be able to comfortable jump and turn naturally into the side-on delivery position (in case you bowl side-on). I cannot overstress the importance of the jump for a bowler bowling side-on. It is absolutely crucial to get the jump right to allow the body to turn naturally into the side on delivery position. An inadequate jump WILL result in a mixed action, with disastrous consequences in the long run. BALL RELEASE - The later one releases the ball, the better. This allows for maximum shoulder rotation behind the ball, as well as allows the body to get into the optimal upright body position at delivery. The release is most effective and allows for maximum ball rotations (facilitating swing) post release if the wrist is cocked. Another important point is to complete ones action. It is here that the leading arm (the non-bowling arm) comes into play. The leading arm not only guides the entire action but is invaluable in getting torque and shoulder speed from the bowling arm. Completing the action, with the leading arm ending up behind the body after release eases the body into the follow-through.

PRACTICE: is an obvious essential in getting the body ready for bowling correctly. What is important is to practice ‘smart’ instead of ‘hard’. The better you practice in the nets, the better your ‘muscle-memory’ becomes. Fast bowling should become second nature to you.

PREPARATION FOR BOWLING: warm-up is essential. Warm-up is to get the blood flowing to the muscles and the heart pumping blood adequate blood for this. Your warm up should not tire you out. Also, warm-up is NOT the same as stretching. Stretching should be after your work-out/bowling session.

And finally, get your hands on ‘The Fast Bowler’s Bible’. Additionally, a good coach is a huge advantage. When I was in Pune, I had the great fortune of training under Mr. Anwar Shaikh, himself one of Maharashtra’s best fast bowlers and in my book, one of our best fast bowling coaches. And oh, how can I forget...get the right equipment. Don't skimp on this expense. It could cost you your career. I can cite many examples where faulty or inadequate equipment has resulted in serious injuries. If you are unsure on the right equipment, try and get a senior player to accompany you on this buying trip.