New ODI rules could have been introduced before World Cup: Former India bowling coach Eric Simons

Sachin Tendulkar, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons pictured during a 2011 World Cup training session

One of the least high-profile heroes of the champion Indian cricket team in the 2011 World Cup, bowling coach Eric Simons, who was later thought to have been made a scapegoat for India’s poor shows in England and Australia, spoke about the new ODI rules and India’s current bowling lineup.

Simons, a former South African player from the 90s, worked as India’s bowling coach under Gary Kirsten, and was convinced to carry on under Duncan Fletcher too. He has later worked for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL and is currently on a Caribbean Premier League stint.

Simons said about the recently introduced ODI rules, “The new changes are very interesting. I was the part of the World Cup and felt that the changes could have been made before then.

Bowlers need to develop game to match up to batsmen: Simons

Simons also warned however that the new rules would not give bowlers an automatic advantage, and that they would have to build their game accordingly.

He said, “By the end of the World Cup, I felt the bowlers who were very skilful, the ones who were swinging the ball, the ones who were getting the balls in the right areas were successful. So I think that changes in rules are good, but I don't think most bowlers in international cricket, especially the seam bowlers, are able to deliver according to the plan.

“I think one of the factors why the batsmen have got away is that they have improved their skills, but I don't think the bowlers have kept up. If you pick a bowler and ask him to execute a plan, I think most of them can't.

“The ones who can have been successful. So I feel the bowlers too need to go and up their skills like the batsmen have.”

India cannot afford their fast bowlers to slow down: Simons

Simons, thought to not have been given enough credit for having turned the pace trio of Zaheer Khan-Ashish Nehra-Munaf Patel into a World Cup-winning bowling unit, had high praise for the bowlers currently at India’s disposal, but warned about the risk of overusing the likes of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami.

“The Indian pace attack is looking really good at the moment and there's a healthy competition for the slots. They are looking stronger, a bit quicker, their skills have improved. I think they are much better now, but it's going to be very important how they handle them. How much they bowl and other aspects.

“You can't afford to have bowlers who bowl at 145 kph slip down to 135 kph. These guys are very rare in their ability and it's important to manage them properly and use the resources judicially. But I feel India's pace bowling currently is in a very healthy place.

“Someone like Trent Boult was a star of the World Cup, he played IPL, played a Test series, and is now out with a stress fracture.”