Hard Lengths Important, Not Speed Because Pitches Are Different: Anrich Nortje

OutlookIndia

Delhi Capitals pacer Anrich Nortje, who is among the most successful fast bowlers in the last two seasons of IPL, talks about the challenges a fast bowler faces in a predominantly batsman's game in T20 cricket. The South African is known for his speed but that's not his only weapon. (Video: Delhi Capitals; Images: BCCI-IPL)  Follow this story and more: https://www.outlookindia.com/  #Sports #OutlookMagazine #OutlookGroup

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:02 - There's a lot of talk about your bowling speeds.

00:16 So is it a conscious effort on your part to bowl fast

00:19 or is it something that comes naturally to you

00:22 and you don't think about it too much while on the field?

00:24 - Yeah, it's a question I get a lot,

00:28 but it's not something I think about when I'm on the field,

00:31 but obviously when you're training,

00:32 when you're at home, when you're working on strength

00:36 and stuff, that's when I'll be thinking about it.

00:38 That's something probably that motivates me,

00:40 but when I'm on the field,

00:42 you just hope for everything to click

00:43 and sort of to try and hit your lengths that you want to.

00:46 It doesn't become anything that you're searching

00:48 for on the field.

00:49 - What are the specific changes required for bowling

00:52 here in the UAE and the pitches here?

00:55 Are there any specific lengths that a fast bowler

00:57 has to stick to?

00:58 What are the kind of alterations you need to make?

01:01 - It's difficult.

01:03 We've only played one game now,

01:05 but compared to last season as well,

01:07 I think the main thing was to hit a hard length,

01:12 but also to be fuller at stages.

01:14 So not to be too short.

01:17 Sometimes the ball just set up

01:19 and obviously not to hit a hard volley as well,

01:21 then it just gets driven over your head.

01:23 So it's just about finding that balance.

01:25 I'd say most of the time,

01:26 trying to hit the stumps

01:27 or try and find the right lines to try and hit the stumps,

01:31 whether it's with a new ball or with the older ball.

01:34 And then just work on those lines.

01:36 Obviously, you're going to bounce in between,

01:38 but just try and hit sort of the cliche top of off.

01:43 Every wicket, that's a bit different.

01:44 That might be a little bit short or a little bit fuller.

01:46 So I think just to try and find that length

01:49 and sometimes just over the stumps,

01:51 especially when guys are in,

01:52 depends on how the wicket is playing

01:54 and how flat it can be at stages.

01:56 - There's a lot of talk about the pitches in the UAE

01:59 tiring out as the season of the IPL progresses.

02:02 In such a situation,

02:03 how important is it to take the pitch out of the equation

02:07 when you're bowling at a pace like yours?

02:09 - Yeah, obviously there's lots of talks about it.

02:12 We don't know how it will play out,

02:14 especially at the end of the IPL.

02:17 So I think for now, it's just about concentrating

02:20 and trying to sort of adapt every day

02:22 as quickly as possible.

02:24 We saw even on our previous game,

02:26 the night before it was big scores.

02:28 And then when we got there,

02:30 it wasn't as easy to score runs.

02:31 And so it's just about adapting

02:33 and trying to sort of find the right line and length

02:36 or whether you have to bowl slow balls or Yorkers

02:38 or what it is on the day.

02:39 So yeah, take the pitch out of it,

02:42 but also it probably, the pitch determines

02:46 what you're gonna do and what you're gonna bowl.

02:48 So, but all in all, like I said earlier,

02:51 try and hit the top of off fine somehow,

02:54 whether that might be fuller, it might be shorter,

02:56 but yeah, just try and make a plan with it.

02:58 (silence)

03:01 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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