Bat and ball / Frank Gregan / 29 December 2008 /

Frank Gregan was far from impressed at Kevin Pietersen's remarks surrounding Yuvraj Singh's bowling. Here he looks the art of pie-chucking and bizarre bowling techniques as demonstrated by the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and his Sri Lankan team-mate Lasith Malinga.

Kevin Pietersen needs to take a little time out from the nets and study some proverbs and oft used sayings. The first one he should consider is "if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all." His "pie chucker" comment made against Yuvraj Singh was ill advised and there is every chance that it will come back to bite him on the butt in the future. It's also not prudent to wind up an opponent that is winning!

Imagine the sledging the England skipper will get the next time he charges down the wicket only to be beaten in flight by a Steak and Kidney or if he top edges a Chicken and Mushroom down to third man! There is apparently no truth in the rumours that the rotund, pastry loving Robert Key offered to play for nothing other than the chance to face a pie chucker nor that Shane Warne used to eat his own deliveries!

Bowling actions differ drastically and the law concerning the method of delivery is open to conjecture so much so that it is considered by many to be subjective rather than objective. One of the top umpires of his generation, Darrell Hare, frequently no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan until the ICC intervened and deemed the Sri Lankan's deliveries to be legal. The Bangladeshi left arm spinner Abdur Razzak suffered the same scrutiny when he was reported to the ICC after a test series against New Zealand.

Malinga the Slinger brings his own unique action to the wicket and it has to be the most unorthodox style of all. It is a cross between a slingshot and projectile vomiting but is highly effective and his combination of pace and swing is a batsman's nightmare.
Bob Willis had a strange action and those who witnessed Ian Botham's impersonation of Willis's bowling during the closing stages of a tied test match are unlikely to forget it. Willis had a stooped action and held the ball in a cupped hand that gave the impression that he was limp wristed. Botham's imitation was spot on; he looked like a cross between Dale Winton and Quasimodo!

The England captain and his men now have a five week rest before they are back in test action against the West Indies. However, for my New Year cricket wager I am looking beyond that series and forward to the Ashes series of 2009. Fed up and disillusioned with the shrinking interest rates being offered by the banks and building societies I have taken it upon myself to open a Betfair ISA!

Each month between now and the start of the series I am going to invest a little in Australia winning the series, the current interest rate available is 116% [2.16]! Some may consider it a very high risk investment but given the current state of the economy and of English cricket, I think it is more likely to yield a dividend than most FTSE 250 equities!

The Indians have recently beaten the Aussies and the South Africans are currently giving them a scare down under but that will only push the price up. It's not a particularly patriotic recommendation but in this instance it makes sense for the head to rule the heart!

Finally, I couldn't help notice that Yuvraj Singh had a little pop back at Pietersen and pointed out to KP that his own action is not the envy of bowlers around the globe. Singh could have modified a proverb with a bakery theme to quote to the English skipper given that he had to endure his pie chucker jibe. "Those that work in glass ovens should not throw scones!"

Happy New Year!

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