T20 has improved spinner's ability: Vettori

Vettori has retired from international cricket

Jamaica, June 18 (IANS) Former New Zealand left-arm spinner and captain Daniel Vettori believes the Twenty20 format has helped spinners evolve in the long run, also adding that it has made the spinners think a step ahead of the batsman and take extra risks.

Having announced his retirement following the 2015 World Cup final, Vettori is now the coach of two franchises, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

"There have been different stages. You look at the dominance that a number of spin bowlers had through the last five or six years - that has changed a lot because of the crackdown on illegal actions," Vettori was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo on Thursday.

"And that is down to T20 cricket a lot, because you spend the whole time trying to guess what a batsman is trying to do. Because they are being so aggressive towards to you, the good spinners have had to find ways to deal with that, and mainly that is through anticipation."

The Kiwi said one has to have the ability to continuously do what he has done already to stay consistent in this form of the game.

"It is about having the ability to continuously do what he has done already. Sometimes when bowlers have that initial success, they think they need to go up a level, they need to bowl a new ball, something has to change," the 36-year-old said.

"I have seen that happen a number of times: spinners have had a good IPL season or have had a good start to their international career, and then all of a sudden they are trying to bowl different balls or are slightly different bowlers and their performance drops off. Your skill set has been good enough for you to achieve, there is no reason why it can't continue to be successful for you."

Vettori said he tried to bowl the doosra (the away going delivery) when he was 23 or 24 years old but himself who pointed out that it was affecting his bowling.

"I think it was about when I was 23 or 24 years old. A good time ago when I tried the doosra. It was I who pointed out that it was affecting my bowling."

"Every spinner has tried it out. And it came into vogue with, initially, Saqlain Mushtaq, and the likes of Saeed Ajmal, Muttiah Muralitharan, Harbhajan Singh being able to perfect it."

"I mean, aesthetically it is an amazing ball - you watch a ball pitch and go the other way and deceive batsman. Everyone wants to be able do that. I was no different," Vettori concluded.

Vettori will be playing for Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League from June 20 to July 26.