Why do the new generation of fans not like fast-bowling?

[ahmedwaqas92]

I have particularly noticed that in the last decade or so, there has been an extremely big cultural and viewership shift in the dynamics of how cricket is seen globably as well as predominantly in the Sub continenet.

No longer do I feel that the upcoming fans see bowling (especially fast bowling) as for how the earlier generation used to see it, I mean I started watching cricket since 1997/1998 and I remember growing up everyone wanted to be a fast bowler but today this type of fan thinking is a rarity.

Why has this cultural shift in core viewership occurred, is it good for the game, it is limiting the possibilities of game being introduced in certain parts of the world and if so then who should be blamed for effectively destroying the fast bowling culture globally.

Discuss

 

[Suleiman]

There's no out and out fast bowlers anymore, that's why.

Whenever you started watching there was Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib, Lee, Donald etc.

 

[Abdul]

Because we've no genuine fast bowlers anymore, most of them are trundlers.

And the run-up takes too long, walking back to the bowling crease etc.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

There's no out and out fast bowlers anymore, that's why.

Whenever you started watching there was Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib, Lee, Donald etc.

Because we've no genuine fast bowlers anymore, most of them are trundlers.

And the run-up takes too long, walking back to the bowling crease etc.

The last decade has seen the likes of Dale Steyn (One of the best Test numbers for a pacer), Stark (World Cup winner), Peak Johnson (Scary as heck !!) and Harris (can fit into this to an extent) yet I don't see any mention of the said indviduals and never do I see people even brining them up in relevant discussion.

Watching a fast bowler tear in and absolutely put the fear of God in batsmen during a test innnings is the most satisfying cricket spectatorship that I can call upon or even expereience in my life. Sadly, I just don't see this same level of enthusiasm in the current lot of fans (no offense to anyone or otherwise).

ICC needs to ditch these flat decks and force board to make Pace and Swing conducive tracks so that this beautiful art does not die away like the off spin innovations such as Doosra and other variations developed over the years.

 

[Abdul]

The two bowlers that we've in the country who can actually bowl fast, one is a spray gun always giving away free runs and the other one looking to just protect his economy.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

The two bowlers that we've in the country who can actually bowl fast, one is a spray gun always giving away free runs and the other one looking to just protect his economy.

I agree this is a genuine concern as many people have noticed the same for the last couple of seasons now. Someone needs to talk to Golden boy and remind him that he's donning the star and crescent and country comes first.

Also, hate the fact when people state his hypothetical average based on those drops. He needs to start picking up wickets - Period.

 

[another drop catch]

even now also west indies produces such fast bowlers
Best moment for a cricket fan would be a fast bowler clattering opposition batsmen stumps

 

[Abdul]

I agree this is a genuine concern as many people have noticed the same for the last couple of seasons now. Someone needs to talk to Golden boy and remind him that he's donning the star and crescent and country comes first.

Also, hate the fact when people state his hypothetical average based on those drops. He needs to start picking up wickets - Period.

Yeah, man. It's quite annoying how you always have his diehard fans throwing around excuses like that. The stuff about dropped catches makes no sense when you have him bowling at fifth stump.

We have to have fast bowlers with the right attitude in order to get the general public interested again. Hasan Ali is the perfect example of this but it's unfortunate how he never gets the new ball. The management has to start trusting him.

 

[msb314]

There's no out and out fast bowlers anymore, that's why.

Whenever you started watching there was Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib, Lee, Donald etc.

Starc, Boult, Steyn, Wahab, Willey, Hazlewood?

 

[kingusama92]

People love a hostile spell of fast bowling.

However, the workload has meant bowlers don't sustain their speeds. It's more of a burst here and there based on their mood.

With Waqar, Shoaib, and Lee, you knew they would crank it up regardless of opponent/match status. They were always bringing the heat.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

With the bats and pitches and a cricket ball that doesn't swing, most decent fast bowlers tend to get hot around a lot unless you are extremely quick/tall and accurate. Add to that, these guys play FC + 3 formats of international cricket +T20 leagues etc and there simply is no time to rest and recuperate. It's much easier to be a darter or a medium pacer trying to restrict the runs nowadays.

 

[Varun]

Well, it was never that big an art in India ever - yesterday or today.

 

[Specialisttailender]

Well, it was never that big an art in India ever - yesterday or today.

Cause our grounds are trash. In FC and even in school playing field there was never any grass, not even outside the pitch.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Because they've not seen likes of Shoaib Akhtar steaming in and batsmen trembling on the other end

 

[ManFan]

Because spin bowling is much more effective these days not to mention the abundance of T20's being played only require more slow spinners.

 

[CricFan2012]

I like fast bowling and I'm Gen X, particular enjoy Anderson, Broad, Steyn, Hazlewood, Hasan, Amir, Stark, Cummins, Bhuvi, Rabada.

We have excellent bowlers in the scene right now, pity that its a batsmens world right now, but that makes some of the above bowlers even better, to perform in a batsmans era as a fast bowler means you will be above McGrath, wasim, donald, who all had it easier.

 

[aloo paratha]

Rules, especially ODI cricket is so geared towards batsmen nowadays.

 

[Adil_94]

fans still love to see express pacers steaming in. Nothing will be better in cricket.

MJ in 2013/14 is a great example of this.

Nowadays pitches are a lot flatter and batsman are better at slogging them.

Wahab can crank it up to 150kph yet he excites no one because he is trash.

people dont want to see speed demons for the sake of it. if they are just gettin smashed.

 

[Big Mac]

Because the children are being denied the pleasure of seeing Rahat Ali in full flow

 

[Syed1]

Don't know about you guys but I loved Pakistani pace bowling in the CT. No other team had three quality quicks. Maybe that is why we won.


I hate ODIs in UAE and subcontinent where pacers have nothing to play with and most teams rely on an army of tweakers.

 

[Syed1]

Cause our grounds are trash. In FC and even in school playing field there was never any grass, not even outside the pitch.

That's not the reason because Pakistan also has the same issue you mentioned in your post.


The real reason is in Pakistan every kid that plays cricket starts off by playing gully cricket with tape ball (tennis ball taped with electric tape). The ball comes onto the bat fast and encourages pace bowling, downside is it makes batting harder and maybe that is why we don't produce as good batsmen.

In India I believe gully cricket is played with rubber or tennis ball which is easier to bat but does not encourage fast bowling.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Game becoming batsmen and spinners friendly and poor conditions for fast bowlers.
In last 10 years, there are only 2 sub 25 average test fast bowlers with 100+ wickets.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Because at that time there were bowlers like Ambrose, Donald, Waqar, etc and batsmen like Tendulkar, Lara, Inzimam, etc.

Those bowlers had far more charisma than the batsmen of that time.

It is polar opposite right now. Who wants to be boring like Anderson, Steyn, etc? It's more fun to be. Warner, Kohli, Guptill, etc.

The same reason everybody wanted to be Austin, Rock, etc. but none even remotely wants to be a John Cena unless you are 10 or younger.

 

[HateKiller]

I like fast bowling. My friends do too.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

I like fast bowling. My friends do too.

The most relevant post on this thread, I was actually looking for such. What is your favorite fast bowler of all times brother?

 

[CanadianG00se]

Fast bowlers now-a-days are injury prone and some of them are sidelined for multiple months in a year. Look at Pattinson, Steyn, Starc, Cummins etc they all are fast bowlers, and fans would love to see them in action, sadly most of them are always injured or prone to breakdown anytime. The ones that are always fit are the ones not so fast and less skillful.

No wonder why most kids growing up in India dont want to be fast bowler. Why even bother when you’ll either be sideline due to injury or will have to bowl mostly on pattas.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

I am from the new generation and I love fast bowling(though I am a leggie myself).

Dale Steyn was my favorite fast bowler,although now he’s almost always injured and near the end.

 

[JibranAnsari]

IMO the best thing about cricket is fast bowlers and we need guys like brett lee , akhtar and waqar to keep things interesting.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Don't know about you guys but I loved Pakistani pace bowling in the CT. No other team had three quality quicks. Maybe that is why we won.


I hate ODIs in UAE and subcontinent where pacers have nothing to play with and most teams rely on an army of tweakers.

Actually I second that. Especially Hassan Ali, the celebration, the attitude, the stare (Punjabi to the core )

 

[CricketAnalyst]

I have particularly noticed that in the last decade or so, there has been an extremely big cultural and viewership shift in the dynamics of how cricket is seen globably as well as predominantly in the Sub continenet.

No longer do I feel that the upcoming fans see bowling (especially fast bowling) as for how the earlier generation used to see it, I mean I started watching cricket since 1997/1998 and I remember growing up everyone wanted to be a fast bowler but today this type of fan thinking is a rarity.

Why has this cultural shift in core viewership occurred, is it good for the game, it is limiting the possibilities of game being introduced in certain parts of the world and if so then who should be blamed for effectively destroying the fast bowling culture globally.

Discuss

Mainly that's just a Pakistan thing maybe?

In India, everyone wanted to be a batsman.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

That's not the reason because Pakistan also has the same issue you mentioned in your post.


The real reason is in Pakistan every kid that plays cricket starts off by playing gully cricket with tape ball (tennis ball taped with electric tape). The ball comes onto the bat fast and encourages pace bowling, downside is it makes batting harder and maybe that is why we don't produce as good batsmen.

In India I believe gully cricket is played with rubber or tennis ball which is easier to bat but does not encourage fast bowling.

Seems that tape ball thing doesn't work anymore since Pakistan hasn't produced a single fast bowler better than the Indian fast bowlers in the last decade (yes, including the golden boy amir)

 

[Syed1]

Seems that tape ball thing doesn't work anymore since Pakistan hasn't produced a single fast bowler better than the Indian fast bowlers in the last decade (yes, including the golden boy amir)

Amir Hasan and Junaid are all individually better than any Indian pacer in history.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

Amir Hasan and Junaid are all individually better than any Indian pacer in history.

Nope they are not even better than the 4th best Indian pacer playing currently i.e umesh yadav

 

[Hasan123]

Nope they are not even better than the 4th best Indian pacer playing currently i.e umesh yadav

LOL Hasan Ali has troubled the likes of Root,Smith,Dhoni,and Stokes but he isn't better than Yadav, amazing logic ) ) Your biased towards Indian players is a joke.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

LOL Hasan Ali has troubled the likes of Root,Smith,Dhoni,and Stokes but he isn't better than Yadav, amazing logic ) ) Your biased towards Indian players is a joke.

lol and hasan ali has done next to nothing in test cricket and was just dropped, while Yadav has been bowling amazing spells on subcontinent wickets against teams like south africa, England, australia, if you think hasan is better than yadav then it is a joke

 

[Hasan123]

lol and hasan ali has done next to nothing in test cricket and was just dropped, while Yadav has been bowling amazing spells on subcontinent wickets against teams like south africa, England, australia, if you think hasan is better than yadav then it is a joke

He's played 3 tests so what do you expect him to do? And he hasn't been dropped he's injured. What has Yadav ever done in LO that matches what Hasan Ali did in the CT? He can't even get into the Indian team in LO.

Your just being biased.

 

[sshakir411]

Because India dominates the world cricket market now. Series with India is all about glorifying the batsmen or the spinners.

 

[sshakir411]

Amir Hasan and Junaid are all individually better than any Indian pacer in history.

let's not forget an Indian pacer has as shelf life of 3-5 years. No one has survived longer...the only 2 that ever did were Srinath and Prasad.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

He's played 3 tests so what do you expect him to do? And he hasn't been dropped he's injured. What has Yadav ever done in LO that matches what Hasan Ali did in the CT? He can't even get into the Indian team in LO.

Your just being biased.

Nope, I rate test cricket higher than limited overs, that's why I rate yadav who has bowled brilliant spells in test cricket on unhelpful surfaces, that's why yadav is easily better than hasan, let hasan play a decent number of tests before comparing him to yadav, right now he's below yadav and there is nothing biased about it

 

[ToeCrusher2]

Because India dominates the world cricket market now. Series with India is all about glorifying the batsmen or the spinners.

Better get used to it then

 

[Hasan123]

Nope, I rate test cricket higher than limited overs, that's why I rate yadav who has bowled brilliant spells in test cricket on unhelpful surfaces, that's why yadav is easily better than hasan, let hasan play a decent number of tests before comparing him to yadav, right now he's below yadav and there is nothing biased about it

He will get better the more tests he played.

Yes conveniently you ignore ODI cricket where Hasan is leagues above Yadav. Yadav test is away from Asia let's see what he does.

 

[sshakir411]

Better get used to it then

Nah. Pakistan proved in the CT their cricket is far more exciting than India's. You guys can stick to what you like but we're not interested.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

He will get better the more tests he played.

Yes conveniently you ignore ODI cricket where Hasan is leagues above Yadav. Yadav test is away from Asia let's see what he does.

If gets better with more tests then you can rate him but he's below yadav as of now

 

[Ab Fan]

With more and more cricket happening and pitches becoming even flatter day by day, out and out pacers are too prone to injury.

 

[Hasan123]

If gets better with more tests then you can rate him but he's below yadav as of now

He's better in ODIs though

 

[ToeCrusher2]

He's better in ODIs though

Tests get the highest points in my books and thus overall yadav is better

 

[Hasan123]

Tests get the highest points in my books and thus overall yadav is better

No because he's Indian that's why he's better. You only rate Indian cricketers.

Btw Hasan Ali has performed on some flat pitches and unsupportive pitches for fast bowlers.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

No because he's Indian that's why he's better. You only rate Indian cricketers.

Btw Hasan Ali has performed on some flat pitches and unsupportive pitches for fast bowlers.

Stop whining about me, go and see my posts on threads about top cricketers, top batsmen, top bowlers. Saying that I only rate Indian cricketers is a blatant lie, stop slandering me.

 

[ManFan]

Stop whining about me, go and see my posts on threads about top cricketers, top batsmen, top bowlers. Saying that I only rate Indian cricketers is a blatant lie, stop slandering me.

Why are your feelings getting so hurt? In what way other than pace is Yadav better than Hasan? As far as tests are concerned, Hasan has only played TWO.

 

[hitthestump]

Because since the emergence of the BCCI the game became all about money. Hence pitches aren't suited to fast bowlers anymore because a 3 day test doesn't make as much money as a 5 day one.

 

[Bubby]

@ pak posters no body is downplaying hassan, but one has to admit their is a novelty factor as well, Yadav hasn't exactly set the world on fire, but he has improved though, odi's is not his Forte, Test is, regarding hassan Ali the challenge for him is when that novelty factor wears off, how he evolves, when batsmen gets measure of him, that is when the real challenge begins for him, it's how he handles this challenge will show his character, regarding fast bowling the fast bowling is getting a lot of attention in India compared to spin as teams have realized the importance of it so that is why u see people enjoying the hostile spells like one in dharamshala or starc spell

 

[Bubby]

Because since the emergence of the BCCI the game became all about money. Hence pitches aren't suited to fast bowlers anymore because a 3 day test doesn't make as much money as a 5 day one.

Yes the money has come in, but so has better equipments as well, so the teams too tend to play fast bowlers better, also slowly but surely fast bowling is finding its feet in India, that's is guys are putting more and more effort in their bowling.

 

[HateKiller]

The most relevant post on this thread, I was actually looking for such. What is your favorite fast bowler of all times brother?

I can only talk about bowlers who I have seen live. From what I have seen, it has to be Wasim Akram. His smooth action, the speed with which he bowled and his long hairs( in his initial career) - he was a complete package. There was something aesthetic about his bowling that struck me that time. Since then there are many other fast bowlers that I have admired, but the best is Akram.

 

[Specialisttailender]

That's not the reason because Pakistan also has the same issue you mentioned in your post.


The real reason is in Pakistan every kid that plays cricket starts off by playing gully cricket with tape ball (tennis ball taped with electric tape). The ball comes onto the bat fast and encourages pace bowling, downside is it makes batting harder and maybe that is why we don't produce as good batsmen.

In India I believe gully cricket is played with rubber or tennis ball which is easier to bat but does not encourage fast bowling.

In India we play with tennis ball but we don't tape and only batting matters.