Sydney,
Oct. 24 : Former Australian captain Ian Chappell is of the view that
the sport is in dire need of genuine fast bowlers, and is not surprised
that young Patrick Cummins'' arrival in the Australian team has created a
lot of interest.

“Genuine fast bowlers are only slightly behind swing bowling and leg
spin as vital factors in cricket''s success. While swingers and leggies
add to the variety of entertainment, the genuine fast bowler puts the
test into Test match cricket. He tests the courage of batsmen, and
whilst this has been diluted in the era of substantial protective
equipment, any player who is the slightest bit apprehensive will still
be found out,” says Chappel in an article for the Daily Telegraph.

“Nothing stirs the excitement of the crowd like the sight of a Brett Lee
charging in off a long run to be confronted by a belligerent Virender
Sehwag. The mystique surrounding the first ball of a Test match is built
on such confrontations,” he adds.

“The fact that Cummins'' hasty arrival has created such interest is
proof of the need for genuine fast bowlers. That he''s being hailed as a
prospect, though he has very little prior history, is also an
indication there aren''t enough of his type in the game at the moment,”
Chappell says.

Making a comparison between the 1990s and the present, Chappell says
that in the 1990s the game was blessed with a boatload of good fast
bowlers: the obligatory four from the West Indies, the two Ws from
Pakistan, and those in South Africa and Australia.

Currently, however, there are good pace bowlers around, but they rely
more on swing to ambush the batsmen and don''t create the same ripple of
anticipation that buzzes around the ground when a genuine pace-man
measures out his run,” Chappell adds.

Her believes that there are concerns about the adverse effect Twenty20
might have on the technique and artistry of not only batting, but also
on what it does to fast bowlers.

“Already we are witnessing a variety of slower deliveries being paraded
by the quicker bowlers. Consequently it''s good to occasionally see a
bowler like Shaun Tait, who works on this simple principle: "Here it is,
see if you can hit it," says Chappell.

He recalls suggesting to Jeff Thomson that he have a chat with his fast
bowling team-mate Dennis Lillee about how to bowl on slower pitches, and
Thomson replied:. "Mate, if you don''t mind, I''ll do it my way."

“After some thought, I realised Thommo was right; he was a fast bowler
and he was going to live or die on his pace,” recalls Chappell.

He also says that in picking 18-year-old Cummins, the Australian
selectors have adhered to another of (West Indian pace bowling great
Andy) Roberts'' pearls of wisdom.

Roberts believed that fast bowlers only had a few years of genuine pace
and it was important to "pick them while they''re still quick".

“It will be a pity if the hectic international scheduling leads to a
reduction in the number of such fast bowlers. There aren''t enough of
them around now that the game can afford to turn those few who dream of
bowling quick into medium-fast trundlers,” Chappell concludes. (ANI)