Imagine asking an under
12 or an under 14 kid to stand
behind the stumps and watch the batsman making runs merrily by waiting for the bad ball and playing the
good ones on its merit and the bowler
bowling his heart out trying his level best to outthink the batsman with his
variety or changes in pace. Most kids
would not have enough motivation or the patience to
keep wickets when the entire centre of attraction is either on the bowler or the batsman. I have
often wondered what does it take for a young kid to take up wicket keeping when
it is arguably the most thankless and the most demanding job besides
umpiring. What kind of motivation
do the coaches provide for the young kids who are aspiring to become good wicket
keepers? Unless the kid is really
motivated enough and has the passion to become a good wicket keeper, it is a
bloody tough job.
In today’s day and age an
international player has to be good
at least 2 skills to survive at the
international level for a considerable duration of time. When the selectors sit
down to select a 15 or 16 member squad for an upcoming series, they must at least
pick 2 specialist wicket keepers. What do we mean by specialist keeper ? A wicket
keeper must necessarily be sound behind the stumps and
there has come a time when he must be able to contribute decently with
the bat. A good wicket keeper adds value which is no less than that of a good
batsman or a quality bowler. A good wicket keeper motivates the tiring bowler
when the bowler is in the middle of a
longish spell or when the wicket is really dead and there is nothing happening
of the deck. The wicket keeper is in a position when he is able to read the
batsman’s body language through his demeanor and his general feel
even though he is standing behind the batsman. Wicket keepers of the
yesteryears, the likes of Allan Knott, Rodney Marsh or even a Syed Kirmani had
one great quality besides being agile and skillful behind the stumps, the
ability to recognize the USP so as to
say of the bowler. His strengths and his weakness against a particular batsman.
these great wicket keepers used to provide valuable insight and make the bowler
realize his strength and contribute in a
major way to the dismissal of the batsman.
One of the unfortunate things
about cricket as a sport is that the wicket keepers are an unheralded lot and in many ways the unsung heroes
of the sport. When a batsman is dismissed bowled through an in swinger or is
caught by the deep square leg, everybody appreciates the bowler and the captain
for setting the batsman up. The fact of the matter is that the wicket
keeper has also contributed on several
occasions in passing on the insight into a batsman’s weakness. I distinctly remember the Hobart Test Match
where Australia was playing against Pakistan and it was the last over of the
day’s play. Basit Ali the batsman was playing well and Shane Warne was the
bowler, just before the last ball was being bowled, Ian Healy stopped the
bowler and spoke with Warnie for about a
minute or so. It is believed that Healy was asking Warnie about his evening plans. The last ball Warnie
went round the wicket and the ball pitched well outside the leg stump and Basit Ali offered no shot and
the ball spun around between his legs to
hit the stumps. Everybody lauded Warnie for his magical delivery but very few
would have realized that by making the
batsman wait for some time, Healy was playing
with the temperament of the batsman which led to the loss in
concentration of the batsman.
The demands of this modern day
sport are such that the wicket keeper is expected to contribute with the bat
consistently and with the majority of flat tracks the wicket keepers tend to
spend a lot of time in the blazing sun. Imagine bending down for a couple of
minutes and get up repeatedly, we all will appreciate the effort of the wicket
keeper who has to repeatedly bend down
and get up as the ball is delivered. The bowlers and the fielders get a respite
between overs, but the wicket keeper always has to keep his focus on the job at
hand. The best wicket keepers are the ones who make the fewer mistakes. A
wicket keeper only gets noticed and cops heavy criticism when he has dropped a
catch or missed a stumping ,forgetting that just like the other players even he
is liable to make some mistakes and can have laps in concentration because even
he is human at the end of the day. One of the other qualities required for a quality wicket keeper is his
anticipation and the willingness to want the ball and be alert for another
catch after he has spilled one earlier, rather than brooding on the missed
opportunity gone by. The wicket keeper is a captain’s best confidante
when the captain is planning a fielding or a bowling change because he is in a very good position to suggest some
innovative move which can turn a match on its head. The wicket keeper is also
expected to play a fighting innings down the order, When the chips
are down. The likes of Adam Gilchrist, Mark Boucher have revolutionized the concept of wicket keeping.
Not to forget wicket keepers like Kumar Sangakkara and MS Dhoni who
are fantastic batsman besides being good wicket keepers. Ask the great
bowlers the role which the wicket keepers have played and they will tell you
their success story had a lot to do with the wicket keepers of their teams.
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