Different time zones but former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria is keeping a close tab on events in the ongoing Indian Premier League. He saw Rinku Singh’s five sixes off consecutive balls in the fixture against Gujarat Titans earlier this month, has been very impressed with GT top-order batter Sai Sudharsan and really pleased with the courage Suryakumar Yadav continued to show during his lean patch with the bat.
In an exclusive conversation with News18 CricketNext from the United States of America, the former leg-spinner extensively talked about the art of leg-spin, what he would like to see more from the spinners, how he would have bowled to batters like Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, and more. Kaneria, who has enjoyed numerous battles with Sachin Tendulkar on the field, was also very elated on learning about Arjun’s debut for Mumbai Indians in the fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. Edited excerpts:
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Are you following the IPL?
I am following the IPL because IPL is one of the leagues which is all about entertainment. If 50 is needed off the last two overs, they will not be scored in any other league. But it’s possible in the IPL. The stature of the players is such. All current players play in the IPL. If you see recently, New Zealand are touring Pakistan but their main players, top-notch players, have preferred to play in the IPL. IPL is one such league where active international players of every country come and play. The best thing about IPL is that franchises select players on basis of their performance. If we see other leagues, they go for names but in the IPL it’s all about performance. Just look at Joe Root. Top-notch player but sitting on the bench and giving water to the players. Even a batter like Steve Smith, who has featured in the IPL in the past, is no longer there. That’s the standard set by the IPL and that’s why it’s on top of every league.
Arjun, Sachin Tendulkar’s son, made his debut for Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Thoughts on the son of a legendary cricketer getting his first big moment under the sun?
Oh, definitely. Big moment for Arjun. He has been part of the Mumbai Indians set-up but was not getting a chance. Today, he got the chance. I will be happy to talk more about him when I see him more on the field. It’s a great and proud moment for Sachin Tendulkar too. He himself is a great cricketer and has worked so hard in every aspect to be on top of the shelf. And he (Sachin) would know that whenever you get the opportunity, just grab it with both hands. A big cricketer like Sachin would know that opportunities will come (for Arjun) but you will have to grab them. Once you grab it, things will flow in your place.
Leg-spinners are doing so well these days. Even in the T20 World Cup last year, the likes of Shadab Khan and Adil Rashid did so well. Is it the batters’ inability to counter them or the improvement in bowling?
What is the terminology of leg spin? It’s spinning the ball, but I hardly see bowlers spinning the ball these days. It is something I don’t like. The names you took… say Shadab Khan bowls more googly than leg-spin. Rashid Khan is a different breed because he has a different action, is quick in the air. Even if you see people like Rahul Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal, I don’t see bowlers having the heart and courage to flight the ball.
Whenever a leg-spinner gets hit, they smile back to the batter and return to the bowling mark. Where is the aggression? Where is the intensity? If you are a bowler, have the courage to fight with the batter. I played my cricket like that. I used to get hit, I used to say to myself that I am going to come back bang bang again. I don’t see that kind of intensity from the bowlers. Even the leg-spinners I am watching these days, are hardly bowling leg-spin. They are bowling quicker ones, googlies and everything because I know one thing if you can bowl in Test cricket with the field up, T20 cricket is a cup of tea. For me, it’s like that. I take it like that.
Even today, if you put me in these scenarios with these batters, I will still trouble them because I know where to pitch the ball, and which areas to bowl. I hardly see batters hit good cricketing shots over extra-cover or straight drives. Most hits are towards the mid-on or mid-wicket region. So leg-spinners I am seeing, they are not bowling the way they should bowl and use the variations like googly, flipper and slider.
If you can play Test cricket and bowl with the field up, I repeat T20 is a cup of tea. For me it is. It is just a piece of cake for me. It’s very easy to bowl because when you come to bowl the field is back and you can easily loop the bowl up and do anything. The leg spinners are getting scared to pitch the ball up. They are trying so many things like bowling straighter ones. I think that is very poor. A leg-spinner needs to have a big heart. You will get smacked but need a big heart. I don’t see those types of cricketers these days.
How would have you bowled to someone like Virat Kohli or say, Babar Azam?
To get Virat Kohli out I will have two slips and a gully, two fielders for bat-pad and have everyone up. I will attack him because I have six balls. I can play with him, get him on the front foot and get him out. If a batter tries to play a big shot against you, you are in the game. If you put the fielders back, the batter will feel it’s already happened. But if you get on top of the batter and ask him to hit you, there you are in the game. Same for Babar. Keep the field up, attack him. After two dot balls, they will hit you for sure.
Do you sense a lack of patience in batters these days, across formats?
There is a lack of patience in batters now because even Test cricket has changed. England have changed the template of Test cricket now and made it into a T20. Patience however is key and respect needs to be given to bowlers who are in between a good spell. Batters these days, however, are in a hurry. So much talk has been happening around strike-rate on social media.
If you talk about Babar, he scored a 52-ball 100 against NZ. Where are the people who were talking about the strike rate? No matter how the opposition team is, 100 is a hundred. Wherever you play, you need concentration and skill to do well. People who have done nothing talk about the strike rate. First, go and play on the ground. When you get pressure from the crowd, family, team and commentators, it’s difficult to play even one ball. People need to understand that it’s not easy. Sitting on the sofa and watching a match and commenting ‘mai hota to aisa karta’. You don’t have the calibre that’s why you haven’t reached there. People don’t understand these things and keep talking about strike-rate.
People are talking about Suryakumar Yadav and his form but I still give it to Surya that he is not scared to play his shots. He is getting out on his favourite shots but he is still playing them. This is a fearless cricketer. When he comes out of the bad patch, he will be that top-notch player again. I have bowled to greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Brian Lara and it’s fun to bowl to great players. Abhi ki cricket mai player ko pakadna bahut aasan ho gaya hai.
India haven’t been playing Yuzvendra Chahal regularly in the shortest format. Benched him for the entire T20 World Cup last year but he continues to do well in the IPL and pick wickets.
I have been telling for a long time but no one is listening. Chahal needs to go back to domestic cricket and bowl 20-25 overs and then return for India. When you talk about wickets, even ordinary bowlers can pick wickets these days. Even a batter can pick wickets in the IPL. The issue is not about wickets. The issue is about the economy. Where is the economy rate?
When you have to contain the flow of runs in middle overs, that is not happening. Wickets are coming but at the cost of runs. If I pick a wicket and give away 16 runs in an over, is it good or bad for my team? It is very bad for my team. I feel Yuzi Chahal is looking to bowl more quicker. He is not giving the loop and flight. Leg spin is an art and it’s important that a leg-spinner bowls leg spin. During my cricketing days, when I was in Australia, I met the great Richie Benaud. He also told me one thing and that was to master the leg spin. I tell everyone that everything will fall in place once you master the leg-spin. But here everyone wants to try variations – Go down, go down, go down.
On Kuldeep’s return to form and rhythm
If I talk about Test matches and talk about Ashwin; He bowls carom ball. But I want to say that when people can’t play your off-spin, why are you bringing the carom ball? During this period, Kuldeep Yadav has improved a lot and is giving a lot of loops and air to the ball. He is not looking to bowl fast and flat. The role of the coach and captain is to give courage to the bowler. ‘Tere chaar over hai na, tu dil kholke bowling kar. Jo bhi tere ko padta hai pade, attacking field duga tere ko. Tu mujhe out karke de’. I see that in Hardik Pandya’s captaincy. The way he is leading Gujarat Titans this season.
On India’s future stars
Look at where cricket has gone. KL Rahul has been struggling for a long time. Yes he is scoring runs and fifties but What are you doing?. Bas kaise bhi 50 run ho jaaye mere. There are some batters who should be in India’s set-up immediately. I have become a big fan of Sai Sudarshan. What a player he is. Rinku Singh. Look at his story, no one knew him and he made his name by hitting five sixes off five balls and gave India another finishing option.
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