Abu Dhabi T10: Adil Rashid: 'In shorter formats a bowler needs to be brave'

Abu Dhabi, November 23: Adil Rashid has become a key component in England’s one-day scheme of things over the last couple of years. The leg-spinner has also become an in-demand player in several leagues across the world.

Rashid is now plying the trade in the Abu Dhabi T10 league for the Delhi Bulls. Bowling in formats like T20 and T10 has offered bowlers fresh challenges, and Rashid offers his views.

Excerpts:

On bowling on the pitches in the UAE: Wherever you go, a different challenge will meet you. Australia or England… anywhere you go you have to adapt to the situation. You have to enjoy it, and you got to embrace it.

The pitches are different in England but sometimes it could help the spinners, sometimes not. But I think this tournament so far with the World Cup it’s been okay for spin, but it’s been not what people have been expecting. It’s been good pitches I think.

On how a bowler face constant onslaught from batsmen in T20 and T10: It can be difficult because in this day and age you are playing on smaller grounds, flatter pitches and bigger bats. Batsmen are hitting the ball further so they can be a bit difficult especially if you get hit for a couple of games in a row for sixes and fours. It can play on your mind.

But the most important thing as a spinner is to maintain that confidence knowing that you are a match winner, you can change the game in 3 or 4 or 5 balls by getting a key wicket. The you need to prepare well at nets, working on your variations like googlies, slides, etc, and prepare yourself mentally as well.

On how a bowler accepting the challenging nature of T20/T10: In these formats of cricket, you are going to get hit, that’s the nature of the game not just spinner but also fast bowlers and whoever you are, whether you are the world’s best or whatever. Everybody in T20 cricket does get hit as as a bowler. It’s just how you accept that knowing that you are going to try to get wickets and you got to put your head around that.

On the challenges of bowling to batsmen playing unconventional shots: This day and age now, the shots that people are trying to play… the ramp shots over the keeper, the reverse, switch hits, it is a challenge for bowlers. If a batsman reverse sweep off one ball, then he comes down the pitch next ball, then he hits it over the keeper. It’s really hard to bowl to and that’s why it’s a lot harder plus the pitch I reckon are much better and the grounds are smaller. But yes, it’s very entertaining for the crowd to see a batsman play like that.

It is pretty hard to say the key (to bowling well in shorter formats) but you know as a spinner, you have to make sure you have confidence, be brave, and stick to your game plan. It is also about knowing that in T20 cricket you can easily get smashed for sixes and fours. It’s the bowlers’ job as a unit to make sure they (batsmen) don’t get big scores.

On the evolvement of T10 format and how different it is from T20: T10 Cricket has now slowly started to come in, you will start to fall in love with it. You will enjoy the new format, enjoy the playing conditions and its fairly new as well, and it is a very good competition. But as a bowler there are challenges. People are trying to hit every ball for sixes and four in T10 cricket whereas in T20, batsmen takes couple of balls to see and know the game. But in T10 they are going to keep coming at you and can be a challenge if it’s a flat pitch and keep hitting it for fours and sixes.

On the difficulty to recover from a bad game in shorter formats because of their fast nature: It is tough because sometimes in T20 and T10 formats, you might have a game next day. So, you have to quickly think about what happened in the last game and make things right again. In that sense, it’s definitely a big plus in these back-to-back games because you might have a good day before but you don’t know when you come next day you try again and it does not go your way. So, it is good to have these back-toback games.

On the chances of Delhi Bulls in Abu Dhabi T10, and the presence of some experienced stars like Eoin Morgan and Dwayne Bravo in the team: The coach Andy flower has good experience and captain Dwayne Bravo is one of the best T20 players ever and we have got Eoin Morgan the best captain going around. So, there is a bit experience around and hopefully we go out there and enjoy ourselves and we can come on top. Experience is a key with the Bravos and the Morgans, these boys have been around for a long time and seen a lot. So, experience counts and helps anybody.

(In arrangment with Delhi Bulls media team)