Sunday 6 June 2010

Hype, and why Steven Finn falling over is a problem

The England selectors have done well of late. The English media, on the other hand, have gone insane. First Jonathan Trott, who was annointed a Test match number three 'for the next ten years' after two innings against Australia batting at five; now Steven Finn, who, upon taking a few wickets against Bangladesh in favourable conditions, is apparently the next Glenn McGrath. The hype is relentless.

Glenn McGrath? Finn can't even stop falling over, a foible that has caused nothing apart from hilarity in the commentary box and the papers. I don't know much about bowling, but I know one thing: England, with their schedules and their fitness gurus and physiologists, will not be able to resist trying to fix it. And they probably should be trying to fix it: after a while, it won't be funny, and there are a few places where you won't want to keep falling over: it's not got for the physical or mental equilibrium.

But a bowling action is a bit like a golf swing. If you change one bit, all of the other components change too. You can't just reach into it, remove the part you don't like and pop it back in fixed. Finn, like Trott, has some hurdles to clear yet, and it will be easier for them to do that without the man in the street thinking we've found the next McGrath.

4 comments:

Mark said...

You're spot on. The falling over is probably down to the angle of his approach to the crease and how quickly he wants to get off the pitch, but the slightest tweak to his run up will put a different strain on a different part of his torso as he delivers - and so on.

The England coaches did a good job in nearly wrecking Jimmy Anderson's career by 'knowing better' about his action - they could easily do the same to Finn.

Maybe he should just wear wider shoes...

Dean @ Cricket Betting Blog said...

I've had a moan about the press reporting on so-called match fixing on here lately, and I have to agree with you on this one.

To hype him up as the next McGrath is nothing short of ridiculous.

@ Mark, I seem to remember Chris Broad claiming that the coaches where wrecking Stuart's action a year or so back as well.

They have plenty of previous in this department.

With regard to the falling over - he does need to get that sorted before he injures himself.

Anonymous said...

But the media seem to have turned on Trott like rabid dogs in their usual childish and embarrassing love 'em or hate 'em routine. All the viciousness that used to be directed at KP seems to be on Trott now.

So many people have been referred to as the new McGrath it is a meaningless tag now, don't you think?

price per head said...

I totally and completely agree with you on the Steven Finn falling over thing!!! I could not agree more with you actually