Pace plus skills ideal for fast bowlers, reckons Sanjeev

With a wide array of experience as a player and coach over nearly 40 years, Sanjeev Sharma has seen the transformation of fast bowling to be convinced that speed is not everything.

Even as the current trend is to look for speedsters clocking 140-plus kph, Sanjeev, who donned India colours between 1988 and 1990, feels along with speed, skills — including the ability to seam, swing and cut the ball — and control make one a complete pacer.

“Fast bowling is different now. If you want to play for India, the first priority is, you should bowl at 140. I think if you have skills along with 140, then it’s very good,” the Delhi bowling coach told The Hindu during his team’s Ranji Trophy opener against Bengal here.

“When I was the coach of Jammu & Kashmir, there were several players who could bowl at 140-plus. But they didn’t have the skills. The ball didn’t move. When you play in India, you don’t get enough bounce. The batter easily picks you,” said Sanjeev who also played as a professional in Ireland, England, Bangladesh and the USA for a number of years besides serving as a coach in Fiji, Thailand, Bangladesh and the US apart from working as the chief coach of Ranji sides such as Vidarbha, J&K, Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

According to him, a smooth action, top-level endurance, good memory and game sense are essential for a bowler. “You should analyse the conditions, backlift of the batter and what the scoreboard says. You should know when to bowl which delivery.”

For aspiring pacers, Sanjeev, who also had a stint as the chairman of the National junior selection committee, has some advice. “The one who knows how to bowl well with a red ball can even play T10. Basics and work during off-season are really important,” he added.