Speed is sexy. The number of times Shoaib Akhtar or Brett Lee gets mentioned over fast bowlers like Shaun Pollock, Chaminda Vaas, or Jason Gillespie, who were more important to their teams and in some cases have a superior record, seems ludicrous. It’s clear what the average cricket viewer wants to see. They want poles flying, batters getting intimidated, and the unpredictability of it all.
Yet, no one ever calls Akhtar or Lee the greatest. Forget the greatest of all time shouts; they aren’t often even the best bowlers on their side. Yes, there is an ever-dying need for speed among cricket lovers, but often it isn’t speed that wins you matches. The X-factor more often than not doesn’t help your team to cross the line.
Mayank Yadav struggles on IPL comeback
This was apparent in the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) match. Mayank Yadav, who was making his Indian Premier League (IPL) comeback after nearly a year, was the fastest bowler in LSG’s line-up. At the same time, which is Hardik Pandya’s favourite line to use, Mayank was the most ineffective bowler as well.
RR scored 159 runs. That’s less than 8 runs per over. Mayank went for 56 runs in his quota. No other bowler gave away more than 30 runs. Mayank didn’t quite touch the 150s he was doing in 2024 with ease, but he was bowling as fast as 149.4 km/h. Yet, the speed was ineffective. He was the easiest bowler to face at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
In the modern T20 game, speed alone isn’t effective. You need variations, control, and the ability to handle pressure. All of these were missing for Mayank. His fellow LSG pacers, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, and Prince Yadav, displayed what one needs to succeed.
Accuracy & skill over speed
While Shami capitalised on the powerplay, with the new ball helping him, the others showed how to bowl when the field restrictions end. You need a plan and the ability to keep batters on their toes. Mohsin delivered hard lengths in the powerplay and switched up to mixing speeds, bowling cutters, and off-pace deliveries after it.
Meanwhile, all Mayank had was a cutter and a fast ball. Nothing in between. But the most important part is control. Mayank drifted towards the pad way too often, missing his lines and lengths. Mohsin, meanwhile, kept bowling tight lines around the stumps. He bowled 5 dots to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, something no bowler has ever done in the IPL.
Similarly, he outfoxed Shimron Hetmyer with a change of pace. Bowling a slower ball at 115 and following that up with a 139 clicks ball at the hard length. The West Indian walked back, shocked after top-edging the ball. Similarly, Prince Yadav was on point. He went for 13 in his first over but came back with 2 wickets in 3 overs, giving away just 16 more runs.
The attempt isn’t to criticise Mayank. It’s great that he’s still bowling fast after 2 long-term injuries. But he needs to upskill himself. Mohsin has similarly struggled with injuries, but look at him adding more deliveries to his arsenal. He ideally should’ve done that during this off-period, but perhaps this will force him to rethink what needs to be done going forward.
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