“It’s very difficult for a bowler because these days, because of every team, not only us [SRH], has an opening [pair] that doesn’t care about in or out, they just go after the bowling,” Muralidaran said at the press conference after the game. “When we used to playm about 40 to 50 runs was a good score with one wicket losing in six overs, now the average is 70 to 80.”
“So, for bowlers, there is not much to say; they have to practise a lot and be accurate as possible. On your day, you might do well, even if you do well sometimes you are in the receiving end because of the wicket and the conditions.”
He added that while spin remained an important weapon, the way spin bowling was being taught at the grass-roots level needed to change, since the modern game was producing fewer bowlers who actually turn the ball.
“Now the bowlers will go back [from] this tournament, [and figure out] how we can contain. They will come up with something, and the batsmen will find something else – this is the way the modern cricketers are going”
Muithiah Muralidaran
“[Spinners] only try to bowl quicker, and not try to spin it [the ball],” he said. “Because they are not getting that ability from the younger age, you can’t come to [Under-19s] and try to spin the ball because their muscle memory is already there, so you can’t get that. So when you are age of 10, 11, 12, try to spin – we need to spin to beat the bat. But if you can’t spin, you see in training, how batters [face] throwdowns and hit sixers. So it looks like a throwdown bowler bowling at you, and batters are getting into the line and hitting.”
“So if you spin, so they also, their [batters’] eyes also open and they say ‘oh it’s spinning, so I’m missing it’, [and they think about] which way it’s going to spin.”
“I have played about 170 T20 games, but because at that time the power [hitting] wasn’t as great as now, when we bowled, I would have got hammered only two times over 60-odd games, maybe more than 40 runs, and Shane also same. Nowadays, [conceding] 50 runs is a great deal for a spinner, 40 runs means you’ve bowled well. The game has changed, we can’t compare the eras.”
“I don’t think pushing the boundary [ropes], when the ball is flying over the ropes everywhere, [will change things],” he said. “I think if we give fair wickets, the spectators will say it’s become boring because the T20 followers want entertainment, so they want to see the fours and sixes. That’s why the tournament is built like that – an extra player to come and bat [impact player]. It is a big business at the moment, sponsors and everything, so you will lose the sponsors and interest of the people [if you change it].
“I think this will continue, but over a period, bowlers will try to adapt, it will take some time. Sunrisers started this [power-hitting] and now everyone is adapting, so now the bowlers will go back [from] this tournament, [and figure out] how we can contain. They will come up with something, and the batsmen will find something else – this is the way the modern cricketers are going.”
Sruthi Ravindranath is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
