5 cricketing skills that are very difficult to master
Cricket is one of those sports that requires myriad skill sets from those who play the game at the highest level. When it comes to specialists, it becomes even more varied. Bowlers, both spinners as well as fast bowlers, need to have a wide range of skills in order to have length careers. The same can be said for batsmen who have to keep honing their skills if they are to stay one step ahead of the competition.
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However, some skills in cricket are difficult to master for most cricketers. Perhaps, only those at the very top of their game have been able to execute such facets on a consistent basis. More often than not, those cricketers end up being counted among the greats of the game. So, let's take a look at five skills that cricketers find extremely hard to master.
#5 Reverse Swing
The skill of bending an old ball at pace, either way, was often regarded as some sort of sorcery by teams which faced Pakistan during the late 1970s and early 80s. Brought into the international arena by Sarfraz Nawaz who in turn passed on the secret to Imran Khan, the Pakistanis were demolishing lower-order batsmen through their then exotic reverse swing. As more teams began to learn the intricacies of the craft, the process of getting the ball to reverse came out in the open.
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Maintaining the ball by rigorously shining one side while letting the other side get roughed up is the first step. Possessing fast bowlers, who can control the late movement at rapid pace, adds credence to the skill. Pakistan had that in abundance. Over the years, they made a mockery of some of the best batting line ups in the world. England replicated the prowess with devastating effect during the 2005 Ashes series. Reverse swing is an extremely tough skill to master and only a handful of teams have been able to make the old ball talk.