The Hindu : Sport : We need to groom spinners for the future: Raju

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We need to groom spinners for the future: Raju

Special Correspondent

Venkatapathy Raju. — PHOTO: V. GANESAN

CHENNAI: `Mr. Muscles' has a new role. In fact, Venkatapathy Raju, the new National selector, plans to add more muscle to the spin-bowling department. The former left-arm spinner with 93 wickets in 28 Tests spoke to The Hindu at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Wednesday.

On the decline of spin bowling: There is no denying this. We need to build our bench strength. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh are still in the forefront, but we need to groom spinners for the future.

On the reasons for the decline: The spinners need to play at least four to five years of domestic cricket, bowl long spells to good batsmen in the Ranji and Duleep Trophy games and develop their skills. I personally believe that they should not be pushed into international cricket too soon.

Also, our young spinners are playing too much one-day cricket in the formative stages. They roll the ball, instead of spinning it. They should learn about the art of flight. It is not about tossing the ball. It is about imparting enough resolution on the ball and varying the trajectory.

Then, our spinners need to learn their craft on pitches with bounce and not on slow or under-prepared tracks. They have to get into the process of outfoxing a batsman and learn aspects like using the crease.

On the lack of left-arm spinners: This pains me as a former India left-arm spinner. It's sad that Murali Kartik missed so much cricket due to injury. He has the ability. Young Pragyan Ojha also has potential.

On the effectiveness against left-handed batsmen: It is true that captains need to back their spinners more. If the spinners go for runs early, they are removed. The spinners need to have attacking fields. Once the field is spread, they tend to become more defensive and do not really develop as bowlers.

I don't think that left-arm spinners cannot be effective against the left-handed batsmen. But they are primarily bowling over the wicket, trying to hit the footmark of the bowlers. They have to bowl round the wicket, bowl a delivery straight, turn the other one, and keep the batsmen guessing.

On the decline of arm-ball: Actually, it can be used well against the left-handers, given the angle of delivery. The great Bishan Singh Bedi used his wrists to send down the armer. I used the seam. Even the odd arm-ball, which is a quicker delivery, does not make an impact because most of the bowling is flat anyway. The arm-ball has to be mixed with flight and be used as a surprise weapon. I got my last Test wicket, that of Mark Waugh, in that memorable Test at Eden Gardens in 2001 with an arm-ball.

On his first meeting as a National selector: Dilip Vengsarkar began by saying that there should be no zonal bias and the players should be picked purely on merit and there was agreement all around.

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