📍 THE WEEK’S RADAR

• 20/20 Vision: Paarl's all-spin gambit reshapes T20's bowling paradigm

• Inside the Release: Decoding how Mujeeb's thumb grip baffles the best

• Practice Perfect: Concrete platform replicates genuine bounce variables

• Vision Science: Elite batting's secret lies in prediction, not eyesight

• Performance Edge: Why micro-goals outperform glory-hunting mindsets

• Net Session Plus: Next-gen drill merging deception and detection skills

FROM THE ANALYSIS BOX

20 Overs, All Spin: Where Does T20 Go From Here?

As highlighted in our last edition's discussion on rethinking spin bowling at the death, spin-heavy lineups are making waves this week: India fielded 4 spinners against England in T20Is, while spin proved decisive in the Pak vs. WI series. Leading this micro-specialisation trend, Paarl Royals deployed spinners for all 20 overs – a T20 franchise first. Their use of Fortuin and Dunith in specific situations shows how franchises are maximising variations within the same bowling category. This extends to mystery bowlers like Mujeeb complementing Root's smart variations and release point, creating a comprehensive spin arsenal. The success of these specialised spinners in franchise cricket suggests teams without a trio of quality spinners risk being outmanoeuvred in the battle for match control.

Grip, Release, Deception

How fine is the line between craft and mystery in spin? 
Consider two craftsmen: Varun Chakravarthy embraced overspin to create deception through dip, length, and speed variations when sidespin proved limiting. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who insists "Call me a carrom-ball spinner," mystifies batsmen with his unorthodox grip - clutching the ball between thumb and forefinger with a middle finger pivot. His genius lies in using nearly identical grips for both carrom ball and wrong'un, releasing with a wristy flourish that enables deceptively lower trajectories. These finest margins between deliveries, these subtle differences in their craft, keep batsmen forever guessing.

COACH’S KIT BAG

Product of the Week: Concrete Slab Batting Platform

Virat Kohli's recent training videos spotlight the brilliance of a raised concrete slab on a portable stand. Combined with hard plastic balls, it creates genuine bounce and pace similar to pitches down-under. Perfect for developing backfoot technique – focusing on staying side-on, riding the bounce, and transferring weight effectively through your shots. Simple and highly effective for building muscle memory.

THE SCIENCE OF SKILL

How Do Cricket Stars Really See The Game?

Studies on cricket players' visual-motor abilities show that fundamental visual acuity isn't critical for elite performance, with players tolerating up to +2.00D of blur without significant impact on batting. Elite players exhibit superior anticipatory skills, executing earlier predictive eye movements and maintaining gaze ahead of the ball compared to amateurs. While basic visual functions aren't necessarily better than the general population, elite players excel in higher-level perceptual-cognitive processes, particularly in combining contextual and kinematic cues for optimal performance.

BETWEEN THE EARS

Beyond Scoreboards and Statistics

Achievement Goal Theory bridges physical performance with psychology in sport. Whilst winning matters, research shows athletes perform best when focusing on specific, controllable tasks rather than comparing themselves to others. Through Match Scripts, coaches can help players develop personalised performance cues that prize precision over podiums.

Job Board

JOB OF THE WEEK 🏏

Head of Cricket Networks, Durham Cricket Foundation

Durham Cricket Foundation - is the charitable arm of Durham Cricket which supports communities’ health and wellbeing by impacting lives in a positive way through cricket..

🔗View Complete Job Board 🔗

HOUSE OF COACHES

Deception Detective

Overview: Train batters to identify spin variations at release while bowlers develop consistent actions masking different deliveries.

Setup & Format: Three nets operating with batter-bowler pairs, mixing leg-spinners and off-spinners across stations. Batters must call the variation (googly/slider/top spin etc.) upon release before playing their shot. Bowlers maintain identical core actions - same gather, load-up, and arm path - varying only their wrist/finger position at release.

Scoring: Batters: +5 for correct variation calls, Bowlers: +5 for successful deception.

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