Mumbai, Nov 23: Having been there and done that, Graeme Swann is now mentoring a group of young England spinners, who would feature in a ‘Shadow Tour’ of India next month with a couple of them in contention to make it to senior team for five-Test series, starting January 25.
Off-spinner Swann claimed 20 wickets and along with Monty Panesar played pivotal role in handing India a shock 2-1 defeat in a four-Test series in 2012-13 for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, recording a rare feat in the history.Before that series, England had won a Test series in 1984-85 and Swann was instrumental in a series win after 27 long years.
Swann is currently back in his role as a spin bowling consultant during an England Lions’ camp in the UAE, who too will be busy playing their counterparts India A simultaneously.
“A lot of them are just worried about what it’s like in Test cricket; do you have to bowl magic balls or do anything different? You actually don’t – the pressure of Test cricket is felt by the batsmen, just as much, if not more than the bowler,” Swann was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
“I was exactly the same back in the day. I thought you had to be absolutely better than you’ve ever been every time you bowl in Test cricket. You actually don’t,” he said.
Swann, who is England’s seventh highest wicket-taker with 255 scalps in 60 Tests and overall their second best spinner, believes that sticking to ones’ talent should suffice for any bowler.
“You have to be yourself and be very consistent. That’s probably what I try to get over the most – they’ve all got the balls in their locker to take wickets in Test cricket already,” he added.
With humour being a big part of the 44-year-old Swann’s life, he says working with England players in any capacity keeps him motivated.“Being able to get involved and hopefully do something for the good of the team and English cricket, that’s a different feeling altogether. It gets me out of bed with a skip in the morning ,” he added. (PTI)
