World Cup 2019: Brett Lee underlines utility of left-arm sling bowler on Select Dugout

The 12th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup git underway on Thursday, with hosts England taking on South Africa. If the preceding bilateral series between England and Pakistan is an indication, this World Cup promises some high-scoring matches, making the lives of bowlers all the more difficult.

Former Australia pacer Brett Lee, who tormented the batsmen with his extreme pace, believes left-arm fast bowlers with a slingy action can trouble the batsmen with their awkward bowling action and steep bounce.

Lee, who is currently sharing his vast cricketing knowledge as a Select Dugout expert, said that the unconventional action of left-arm slingers allows the ball to swing back into the right-handers, cramping them for room and also bringing LBW into play.

“The more traditional sort of bowler will bowl from the same position, but a slinger, like a Mitchell Johnson type of a guy, can get underneath the ball. The ball ends up coming in a bit like a rudder on a boat. So you can get the ball which hits that wicket. It doesn’t swing, but then all of a sudden, if it hits the air in the right conditions, it can hoop back very quickly, and that can be also very tough to face.

“So for a slinger, the ball can skid off the wicket and not only get the nice bounce but also can hoop back nicely. That can also give the batsman a lot of trouble to get the ball to swing back; it doesn’t happen all the time, but it can happen.”

Viewers can enjoy the bespoke experience of the Select Dugout feed as it returns for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

Star Sports’ Select Dugout, will be aired on Star Sports Select 1 SD/HD during India warm-up games, Opening day, all India match days and on all Sundays providing fans with richer analytical experience coupled with a stimulating narrative during matches to stay ahead of the Game.