📍 THE WEEK’S RADAR

• India’s Seam Dilemma: Big calls ahead for England Tests—who’s locked in, who’s fighting fitness, who’s knocking at the door?

• Short-Ball Survival Guide: Kumar Sangakkara and Mark Butcher break down when to attack, duck, or defend.

• Off-Spin Deep Dive: Mechanics and drills to perfect spin—master grip, rip, drift, and dip.

• Swing Bowling Science: Research proves elite quicks don’t follow a single perfect action—adaptability wins.

• Spin Drills Revisited: Time to rethink kneeling drills and allow spinners their natural rotation and comfort.

• Psychology’s Real MVPs: Your players shape team psychology more than coaches—empower their leadership!

FROM THE ANALYSIS BOX

🏏 India’s Seam Attack: Who Gets the Nod for England Tests?

With major shake-ups in India’s squad—new skipper, new faces, and big retirements —the pace attack for England remains uncertain.

The Certainties:

• Jasprit Bumrah: A guaranteed pick, potential captaincy candidate, coming off a stellar year.

• Mohammed Siraj: Strong IPL form; handy record in England and Australia.

• Prasidh Krishna: Impressive IPL and domestic form makes him nearly certain.

The 50-50 Calls:

• Mohammed Shami: Fitness and age raise questions despite quality.

• Harshit Rana: May start with India A for experience.

• Shardul Thakur: Solid Ranji numbers but unclear if he'll edge out competitors.

• Akash Deep: Recent fitness struggles put his selection on hold.

Our likely attack: Bumrah, Siraj, Krishna, Shami, plus either Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh or Akash Deep.

Have we missed anyone? Competition is fierce—coaches, watch this space closely!

How To Deal with a Short Ball!

Kumar Sangakkara and Mark Butcher run through the best ways to deal with a short ball delivery, when you should duck and when you should hit, and the best way to stay safe!

COACH’S CORNER

Grip. Rip. Drift.

A detailed technical analysis of off-spin bowling mechanics, demonstrating a five-phase progression from imparting revolutions and finger control through to memory foam elevation drills and alignment channels. The sequence examines wrist positioning, front-foot duration, proper setup angles, and action integration for maximising turn, bounce, drift and dip.

THE SCIENCE OF SKILL

Swing Science: No Perfect Action?

Research in the Journal of Sports Sciences analyses elite fast bowlers' biomechanics. Studying pelvis-to-hand movements, researchers found bowlers maintain stable core positions but vary arm mechanics - this variance helps stabilise seam position for swing. The study, across Cricket Australia and six universities, proves successful bowlers adapt techniques individually rather than follow rigid patterns.

🌀 Coaching Spin Bowling: Rethinking Rotation Drills

Spin bowling drills often isolate key parts of the action—particularly rotation. Two crucial areas to focus on are the lumbar spine (lower back) and thoracic spine (upper back).

The kneeling drill is popular, but coaches should consider its limitations. It restricts hip rotation and front-arm movement, possibly creating unrealistic conditions. Bowlers naturally vary their actions—some drive from back to front foot, others claw back or rise onto the front leg.

The bottom line: every spinner's body mechanics are unique. Drills should reflect this, allowing bowlers to rotate comfortably and maintain natural arm slots, avoiding unnecessary injury risks.

BETWEEN THE EARS

🧠 Players: Your Team’s Most Powerful Psychologists

Coaches often try to manage team psychology—but the real influencers are players themselves.

Every session, every match, players shape their own and teammates’ mindsets through their words, actions, focus, and emotional control. Coaches can't match this direct psychological impact. Instead, coaches should embrace their role as facilitators, empowering players to lead psychologically:

• Create player-driven team values and mental frameworks

• Encourage peer leadership and decision-making

• Foster environments where players openly express experiences and emotions

• Develop players who energise, instruct, solve problems, and manage pressure effectively

When coaches harness this player-driven psychology, teams flourish—led from within by confident, intelligent players.

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