Dennis Lillee fears young bowlers will continue to break down under current rulesMalcolm Conn The Daily Telegraph
Dennis Lillee holds grave fears for the future of Australian fast bowlers. Source: News Limited
DENNIS Lillee fears that Australia’s young fast bowlers will continue to break down unless they spend more time training to harden their bodies.
The legendary paceman, who recently returned as a bowling coach at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, believes the problem is compounded by young pacemen being less willing take advice.
President of the Western Australian Cricket Association for the past decade, Lillee has also been a strong advocate of state and national players competing in grade cricket, a stance reinforced by current WACA coach Justin Langer.
Australia currently has four front line fast bowlers out with long term back injuries, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird and Pat Cummins.Lillee claimed that if he did not had a big Saturday bowling in club cricket he would bowl flat out in the nets for one to two hours three times a week.
“I think that’s one of the things today the young lads don’t do, and I harp on about it, they don’t spend a lot of time in the nets,” Lillee told the Australian Cricket Society annual meeting last week.
“I know they play lots of games but they don’t spend a lot of time in the nets and when they do it’s very much half-paced so their body doesn’t get attuned to fast bowling and therefore you see them breaking down.”Lillee developed his game by gaining advice from former greats wherever he went, naming Alan Davidson and Ray Lindwall as two.“Every state I went to I sought out blokes like Davo and bored the hell out of them about cricket and bowling, how to swing a ball and run-ups. Things like that,” Lillee said.
“Ray Lindwall helped me with my run-up, which was great. He suggested I shorten it and my angle was too wide, which helped a lot.
“That’s why I think the young lads of today are mad not to seek out these guys who have played.
“They (former greats) have had to go through all those things today to get an end result.“Most of them (young players) today think they know it all and unfortunately they don’t listen but if they did the same principles apply.
“I’m still coaching the same principles with a little bit of tweaking and a greater knowledge of biomechanics.
“I still teach basically the same stuff that was taught a hundred years ago I’m sure.”One of Lillee’s great frustrations has been state players not going back to club cricket.
“They made up all sorts of excuses and they got away with it, the coaches didn’t force the issue,” Lillee said.
“That went on and on and look where WA has been for the last 10 or 12 years, rock bottom.
“When we appointed Langer (a year ago as coach) the only thing I said to him just as a mate, not as president, was that all these guys have got to play grade cricket.
“They’ve got away with it for too long, this is bulls***.
“He said ‘Dennis I totally agree.’”Lillee claims that playing for their clubs keeps state cricketers more focused on the game and gives them less time to party.
