The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Pathan makes rapid strides under Roberts's tutelage

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

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Sport - Cricket

Pathan makes rapid strides under Roberts's tutelage

Special Correspondent

`I could feel the problems he was facing with his final four strides'

St. John's: Indian left-armer Irfan Pathan's relegation from leader of the attack to bench-warmer — while cause for concern — should be seen as what it is: a decision based on cricket sense that doesn't preclude his being part of the scheme of things. Certainly not with this team management.

A striking aspect of the current coaching staff is its ability to work on the technical facets of individual cricketers. This contrasts with the high-performance management approach usually favoured at this level of cricket that focuses on improving the sum of parts without looking at the parts.

Hence, when Andy Roberts visited the Antigua Recreation Ground on Monday evening, coach Greg Chappell, biomechanist Ian Frazer, and analyst S. Ramakrishnan — video recorder and laptop in tow — arranged a session for Pathan.

Roberts asked Pathan to run in and bowl at one stump as Chappell collected it in a baseball mitt behind. "He (Pathan) had some problems with the final couple of strides in his run-up and wanted to sort that out," said the great bowler from Antigua.

"I spotted it only this morning when I was watching him practice and could feel the problems he was facing with his final four strides. You can't make out much from television and I had not watched him in the one-day series."

Keen eye

Roberts took the 21-year-old aside, made him run without the ball in hand, and trained a shrewd eye on Pathan's feet.

"If you can't get your run-up right, then you will have problems with the rest of the action," said Roberts. Pathan finally struck rhythm with his run-up, following through nicely instead of stuttering to a stop after delivery like he had been.

"He found it hard initially but by the time he had finished (the session), he was not messing up with it," said Roberts. "I made a few minor adjustments, that's all."

Endurance and strength

On Roberts' presence, coach Chappell said he spoke during the practice match with the fast-bowling legend, who had made the point that the current quick bowlers hit the gym in preference to running up hills and running in sand to build lower-body endurance and strength.

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