England fast bowler Mark Wood was recently asked to piece together the perfect fast bowler from five different categories representing a critical attribute of pace bowling. To this end, Wood drew on the strengths of some of the greatest fast men in cricket history, blending disparate elements together in his mind to concoct what he described as the perfect fast bowler.
The challenge was to find optimum attributes in five different aspects: run-up, leap, position of the front leg, delivery and aura. All these things contribute towards making a fast bowler really effective and in Wood’s selection, one sees a deep understanding of the craft.
Firstly, on run-up, Mark Wood chose Michael Holding, the legendary West Indies pacer. “Whispering Death” is the sobriquet given to Holding for his run-up, which became a style statement in grace and efficiency. Wood was all praise for Holding’s smooth approach to the crease, saying that it gave him the impetus and rhythm to launch his thunderous pace.
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“Michael Holding’s run-up was not a laboring run-up, he had got plenty of momentum, and everything fell into place towards the off-stump,” Mark Wood said while trying to press home the fact that one needs a flawless run-up to generate pace and accuracy.
Next, he turned to the leap, another vitally important constituent some bowlers need to acquire a bit more power and control before release. Here, Wood turned to the legendary South African Alan Donald. Donald, nicknamed “White Lightning,” used an aggressive and upright leap that allowed him really to channel all his energy toward the target. Wood tagged Donald’s jump as the ideal one, citing how it helped to make the delivery look quick and menacing.
For the bracing of the front leg, which is basic for the creation of extreme pace, Wood chose Brett Lee, the retired Australian fast bowler. Lee was a very fast bowler, and his ability to brace his front leg to perfection was a contributory factor toward this. Wood said he admired the way Lee’s long, braced front leg seemed to drive him into the batsman, making him an imposing figure at the crease. “The perfect braced front leg would be Brett Lee’s – an absolute rocket, which made him a terrifying sight for any batsman,” Wood said.
Run Up 🏃♂️ Leap 🚀 Aura 😬
Build your Perfect Fast Bowler ⚙@MAWood33, take it away… pic.twitter.com/sfXfxKfLs7
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2024
For the delivery itself, Wood chose Dale Steyn, the South African fast bowler celebrated for his ability to swing the ball at high speeds. With his wrist position and control over the ball, Steyn could knock over stumps due to late swing time after time. Wood acknowledged Steyn as a bowler everyone dreaded facing, particularly because of his late swing combined with blistering pace.
Finally, for aura, Wood chose Shoaib Akhtar, the Pakistani pacer nicknamed the “Rawalpindi Express.” Akhtar could be labeled as one of the fastest bowlers in cricketing history, and his intimidating presence put batsmen off their guard. Wood points out that Akhtar’s express speed and exuberance in his run-up to the crease create an aura unmatched by others, thus rather easily including him in this category.
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Mark Wood himself is not unknown to dangerous pace, frequently clocking in over 150 kph. Recently, he returned the fastest over by any England seamer at home with every ball in the over clocked above 150 kph; one of them touched 156.26 kph. His picks for the ideal fast bowler reflect not only his regard for these greats but also his deep appreciation of the different skills and attributes that go to make a fast bowler truly exceptional.
