Maninder Singh Suggests BCCI To Appoint A Spin-Bowling Coach

Former Indian left-arm spinner Maninder Singh has opined on India’s spin-bowling woes and the factors ailing the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. The duo has not fared as well as the fans and experts might have expected in recent times and in India’s ongoing tour of Australia, the spinners have suffered an onslaught. Maninder Singh, who played 35 Tests for India, believes that India needs a spin-bowling coach.

It wasn’t long ago that India found two potent spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, both of who not only controlled the run-flow but also picked wickets, especially in the middle-overs. However, Kuldeep lost his form, keeping him out of the side for long while Chahal, preferred regularly has also remained inconsistent. As far as Yuzvendra Chahal’s case goes, Australian batsmen have easily milked him for runs in the ongoing ODI series.

Maninder Singh feels that young spinners needs looking after and the ones who talk to them all the time, especially one could not leave them on their own, assuming they know because they play international cricket. With India only having a fast bowling coach, it is challenging for them to gauge as spinners’ problems and that as a tweaker, he could understand where Kuldeep or Chahal are going wrong. Hence, he recommends BCCI to appoint a spin-bowling coach.

“These youngsters need to be looked after and someone needs to be there who talks with them all the time. You cannot leave them thinking that just because they are playing international cricket so they would know everything. Unfortunately the Indian team only has a fast bowling coach. It is very difficult for a fast bowling coach to understand the problems of a spinner. A spinner like me can understand where Kuldeep is going wrong or what areas Chahal needs to work on but a fast bowler won’t be able to identify those minute details. I think BCCI should think about having a spin-bowling coach, it’ll be a big help to the young spinners,” Maninder Singh told Hindustan Times.

Being in rhythm is very important: Maninder Singh

The 55-year old was doubtful how much time could head coach Ravi Shastri, who was a left-arm spinner himself, spend with the spinners. The Maharashtra-born former spinner underlined that when a spinner begins his run-up, it is when his bowling starts and run-up and that if there is no rhythm, the ball will not come out of the hands the bowler wants it to.

“Ravi Shastri is in the team. He was a left-arm spinner but with all the planning involved, I don’t know how much time he can spend with the spinners alone. If spinners don’t have rhythm they have nothing so being in rhythm is very important. When a spinner starts his run-up, his bowling starts then and there, if the run-up is not right and there is no rhythm then the ball won’t come out of the hands the way the bowler wants it to,” he added.

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