Typically, swing bowlers use the new ball to deviate it in
the air to outwit batsmen.
But the Pakistan fast bowlers, considered to be the pioneers
of the skill, stunned the cricket world in the 1980s by swinging the old ball
in the reverse direction.
Armed with the weapon, popularly called as reverse swing,
the Pakistan pace duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis became deadlier with the
old ball.
Since then, fast bowlers have gone to great lengths to
master the art but not everyone has succeeded.
However, while most teams will be keen to let their spinners
loose on rival batsmen during the six-week long World Cup, India captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was convinced matches could be won and lost depending on
the success of reverse swing.
"It's a tournament where reverse swing will come into
action and where fast bowlers will contribute in the powerplay and the slog
overs," Dhoni, who led his team to a resounding 87-run win over fellow
co-hosts Bangladesh in their opening match of the 2011 event, said.
"If the opposition does not have wickets in hand and
the fast bowlers can utilize the conditions when the ball gets old, then it can
be tricky." India's Zaheer Khan, Pakistan's Umar Gul and Sri Lanka's
Lasith Malinga are arguably the most capable fast bowlers in contemporary
cricket to make use of the old ball.
Left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz is convinced Pakistan's fast
bowlers will play a key role in the 2011 campaign as they can still do wonders
with the old ball.
"In the hot and humid conditions and on the slow
pitches in Sri Lanka, we will definitely try to fully exploit this art to our
advantage," he said.
"We are strong in both departments even without
(Mohammad) Asif and (Mohammad) Aamer... we still have a top bowling attack so
other teams should watch out." New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori knows
its importance in these condition and hopes that their bowling coach Allan
Donald, the former South Africa fast bowler, will help them learn the tricks.
"I think Tim Southee and Jacob Oram are probably the
two best guys who have the ability to bowl both... Hopefully with Allan's
knowledge, it will improve and we will find some result..." Vettori told
reporters in Chennai on Saturday.
"Otherwise it's incredibly difficult for pace bowlers
to make their presence felt on this kind of wickets." Donald knows it
better.
"The reverse swing is a massive thing and a huge key
for me in this World Cup. That is where (the death overs) games are going to be
won and lost," he said.
