India pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: Legendary Australia speedster Brett Lee feels apart from Jasprit Bumrah, pacers are failing to nail yorkers effectively in the death overs and he wants them to master the pivotal delivery.
Bumrah is one of the most complete bowlers in world cricket at the moment. He can bowl wicket-taking deliveries without leaking runs but the most lethal weapon in his armoury is his toe-crushing yorker, which he, more often that not, executes perfectly in the death overs.
"On a general rule, other than Bumrah, we haven't seen enough fast bowlers nailing their yorkers recently."
"I want to see fast bowlers bowl more yorkers. I still don't reckon they execute enough yorkers at the death," Lee said at the launch of the Legends Intercontinental T20 league recently.
With the recently concluded IPL featuring scores in excess of 200 regularly, Lee believes the fast bowlers would be more economical had they nailed yorkers.
"If you look back at 17 years of Indian Premier League, on average a yorker goes for a strike rate of less than 100. Which tells me that one run or less per bowler that's executed."
"Now, when you bowl a yorker and you've got guys who can go down and scoop you over the head, well that puts pressure on you as a bowler."
"You've got to set in the right field and put two men back, third man fine and back and then bowl," Lee added.
As T20 cricket progresses, the game is tilting more and more towards the batters. With the 'Impact Player Rule' and flat decks, bowlers struggled in the IPL.
Lee, like several other former players, called for a balance between bat and ball.
"I'm all for batters smoking the ball all over, but there has got to be something for the bowlers too. I'm not asking for a green top, where teams bowled out for 110, because that's not good for cricket either."
"You want a good total, I think. Anywhere around that 185 mark to 230 is a good score. We've seen scores now of 265, 270, 277."
"It's really hard because most bowlers now are going for 45 to 50 off their four overs." he said
Australia's charismatic young batter Jake Fraser-McGurk set the stage ablaze in his debut IPL season with many calling for his inclusion in Australia's T20 World Cup squad.
However, the selectors decided to go with veteran opener David Warner, who is set to retire after the tournament, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh in the top-order.
McGurk, who is a top order batter and Warner's Delhi Capitals teammate, though has been named as a travelling reserve.
'David Warner has earned that right to go out on his own terms. And if things don't happen for whatever reason, then he's (McGurk) definitely there to take part,' Lee said.
Although Warner did not have a particularly great IPL as he missed several matches due to an injury, the Southpaw has scored 834 runs in T20 cricket since 2021 at a strike rate of around 150.
He was woefully out of form ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup but ended up being the player of the tournament, playing a vital role in Australia's maiden World Cup win in the shortest format.
On the other hand, 22-year-old McGurk, who was called in as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi at Delhi Capitals, gave an excellent display of explosive batsmanship, smashing four half-centuries in nine games at an astronomical strike rate exceeding 234.
'I think if you go over there as a reserve batsman, you definitely have a chance to get an opportunity.
'That happened this year with the Delhi Capitals, he wasn't even picked in the squad.
'Ricky Ponting rang him up late night and said come in and had a few injuries. So right time, right place.
'But the advice to him, and he articulated it beautifully to say that he's only 22 years of age (araam se araam se) . He's got time. There's no point rushing it,' Lee said.