New Delhi: The ongoing IPL season kicked off with a bang. Nearly 4,000 runs have been scored, with the bowlers bearing the brunt, forcing them to find ways and means of survival. Delhi Capitals’ New Zealand tailor Kyle Jamieson admitted that his tribe are finding it difficult to stop predatory batsmen.
“How do you get players out and slow them down in the Powerplay? It feels like the team works hard in the Powerplay and plays from there. I don’t think anyone (the bowlers) have completely cracked it, unless the wickets provide something,” the 31-year-old said.
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Jamieson also joins the growing number of cricketers who disapprove of the ‘impact player’ rule in the IPL. “I think (the impact player rule) requires some game skills. If you can bat deep, you don’t need batting skills like before. It also affects the role of the all-rounder. You don’t see it in many other formats or leagues, and there’s probably a reason for that,” he said.
However, the tall, athletic pacer from Auckland also believes the key for bowlers is to back up their strengths. “You can be caught trying to do too much, which is good for the batsman. But if you try to combine pace, bounce and movement and structure your overs, the batsman can’t predict what’s going to happen next,” he said.
Modern batting technology has evolved so much that even the yorker, the preferred delivery method for bowlers to restrict batsmen, is now restricted. “Battlers have become very good at hitting yorkers. If you miss a little bit, you can’t get away with it anymore. The margin for error is very small. So you see more use of slower balls and deception in the air. Bowlers try to disrupt the timing and force the batsman to think something different is about to happen. That gives you the opportunity to use the yorker more effectively,” Jamieson said.
Jamieson made his IPL debut with RCB in 2021 and played in the IPL final for Kings XI Punjab last season, but is yet to get a chance to play for the Capitals. “For me, there is no better place to be a cricketer than the IPL. It’s not that you need to play to benefit. It’s just the best place to improve your game, both on and off the field,” he said.