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Bowling against loaded dice
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A new speedster is plugging away for a slot
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SPEED DEMON Alfred Absolom prefers the in-cutter to fetch wickets Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan
In cricket, the dice is mostly loaded against the bowlers. It is their lot to sweat and toil, their backbreaking efforts on lifeless tracks often frittered away by brittle batting line-ups. Fully aware of this fate, Hyderabad speedster Alfred Absolom is quite content pegging away, the outswinger being his most potent weapon. That delivery alone has driven many batsmen back to pavilion.
Conscious that he's not built physically in the mould of the towering tearaway, Alfred relies on line and length to do the damage for him. On those counts, few would fault him, as his record in the Ranji, C. K. Nayudu and Vijay Merchant trophy tournaments would testify.
It all began when he was a student of Kendriya Vidyalay in Picket. The budding cricketer's hat trick caught the eye of his uncle Jude, who suggested the nephew should join St. John's Coaching Foundation. Groomed by John Manoj, he also came under the tutelage of Noel Carr and Anil Mittal at St. Andrews, which he joined in class six.
If fast bowlers hunt in pairs, he has combined well with Kaushik Reddy, his schoolmate. Over time, he would jell well with M.P. Arjun and in the Ranji Trophy with Hyderabad spearhead, Narender Pal Singh. Containing the batsmen is his primary aim and to that end he schemes with his coaches to prey on the weaknesses of batsmen.
His spells span between six and eight overs each in the nation's premier domestic cricket tournament and he can sustain his barrage for about three or four spells. His bowling action is quite natural and shaped by tips from Rajesh Yadav, Vivek Jaisimha and Youraj Singh.
Alfred's stints with Robin Singh at the Zonal Cricket Academy have vastly improved his fitness as also his bowling. He uses the bouncer sparingly, preferring the in-cutter to fetch wickets. For tactics, Hyderabad's wily off-spinner Kanwaljit Singh is a rich source of cricketing wisdom. His ploys on field placements and line of attack have enriched Alfred's repertoire considerably.
Abdul Azeem's reliance on Alfred's batting has boosted the latter's confidence by leaps and bounds. Following an unbeaten 68 against Bengal in last year's all India C.K. Nayudu Trophy tournament for under 22 years, Azeem, formerly a hard-hitting opener for Hyderabad, promoted Alfred in the batting order.
A second year B. Com student of Bhavan's Vivekananda Degree College, Sainikpuri, Alfred begins belting books with exams just a month away. Travelling for cricket saw him miss a final exam too, his sojourn to Sri Lanka and Malaysia with the Hyderabad Ranji team recently being the cause.
A. JOSEPH ANTONY
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