Umesh Yadav : An enigma

[tweaker]

 

 

Umesh Yadav belongs to the rare breed of Indian bowlers who can bowl consistently quick and he is not ready to sacrifice pace to gain more control on his line and length.

 

“I am here because of my pace,” Yadav told reporters. Whenever I come on to the ground I always think about my pace. I do not think about my line and length.”

Yadav’s words would delight cricket fans in the country who often bemoan the tendency among the Indian pacemen to drop pace once they have made the team, apparently to prolong their career.

The fast bowler accepts it is difficult to bowl fast while also sticking to the line and length to keep the runs down.
While Yadav is working with the support staff on identifying the best spot to land his deliveries, he is also keen to bowl even faster.

“I have just been focussing on keeping my line and length closer to the off-stump,” he said.“I also try to swing the ball. I know if my wrist position is good, I can swing the ball easily.
“Sometimes you will have bad days and you miss your length and give away easy scoring opportunities. But I am trying to build more pace in my bowling.”

[maniac]

Yes his line and length definitely reminds me of Enigma's Sadness.

 

But heart warming statements.

 

No compromise on pace and bowl even faster if possible and improvement in line and length

 

 

[Lord]

“I am here because of my pace,” Yadav told reporters. Whenever I come on to the ground I always think about my pace. I do not think about my line and length.”

 

Evident

[sandeep]

tweaker trying to pull a Pande, albeit less flame-throwing.

[rahulrulezz]

The guy is built like a tank and can give VKohli a fight when it comes to fitness standards. Probably in the top 5 fittest cricketer of the world. I remember reading that his nick name is Rocky in the dressing room because  of his fitness regime. 

 

What I wrote I another thread 

 

I am a big fan Yadav. He was the highest wickettaker in the wcup for us. But i do agree, he gets hit for runs but let's face it....on Indian roads, who doesn't.

As Amir Khan said in the movie Dangal, athletes paidon par nahi ugte, unhe banana padta hai. 

Yadav is the only genuine quick (still bowls 140 plus in 10 over or 5th day post tea), and I am sure he is the guy we should keep faith in. 

 

However, I am still a huge fan of Bhuvi, Shami and Bumrah and they all should be rotated along with Umesh. But please, no more Ishant, VKoomars, Arvind, Mohit, UNathkat, and our 130 plus brigade.  

 

[sandeep]

1 minute ago, rahulrulezz said:

The guy is built like a tank and can give VKohli a fight when it comes to fitness standards. Probably in the top 5 fittest cricketer of the world. I remember reading that his nick name is Rocky in the dressing room because  of his fitness regime. 

 

What I wrote I another thread 

 

I am a big fan Yadav. He was the highest wickettaker in the wcup for us. But i do agree, he gets hit for runs but let's face it....on Indian roads, who doesn't.

As Amir Khan said in the movie Dangal, athletes paidon par nahi ugte, unhe banana padta hai. 

Yadav is the only genuine quick (still bowls 140 plus in 10 over or 5th day post tea), and I am sure he is the guy we should keep faith in. 

 

However, I am still a huge fan of Bhuvi, Shami and Bumrah and they all should be rotated along with Umesh. But please, no more Ishant, VKoomars, Arvind, Mohit, UNathkat, and our 130 plus brigade.  

 

Agree with almost everything you said - except clubbing Ishant with the Mohits and Vinay Kumars of the world.  Ishant is a good 3rd seamer option for India in away tests.  

[Cricketics]

I want this guy to do well, always have since he comes from a small area and naturaly you want to see players coming from such area progress. I have a friend who comes from his area and he was telling me how he and everyone are proud of him for playing for India. Because of him, his area now has more cricket following. These stories aren't just cricket stories but always makes sense as they are the ones which inspire many players to pick up cricket bat and ball.

 

I am all for him but in Test Match only for now. He should only concentrate on Test and continue to play in IPL and stuff to gain money and fix his line. If he has a  breakthrough season in IPL, he will and should be brought back to ODI's as it is good to have someone with his pace in our LOI's if he is bowling decent line and length. For now, we can not affford to give lose balls in ODI's, as in a 50 over game it generally will hurt the team if someone is giving free runs and does not have control on line and length.  In Test, it can still work like it did against England and he bowled well in few tests and at times without luck. 

 

Back him in Test and wait for him to improve in limited overs by seeing his results of how he does in domestic List A games and IPL. 

 

[Muloghonto]

There is no enigma. Yadav isn't good enough to play international cricket. 
Every sport has sportsmen who seemingly have all the tools ( e.g.: Cricket: Umesh Yadav/Mohammed Sami, Hockey: Zack Kassian, Colborne, Tennis: David Nalbandian, Tommy Haas) but who cannot put it together.

Its because they lack the most basic skill in any competitive sport : consistency in their 'bread & butter shots/technique'. He simply does not have enough skill or technique (or both) to have high degree of repetition with consistency for ANY delivery. So he is useless. But people with greater skill proficiency and lower skill consistency always appear to be an 'enigma', because occasionally, they can do everything. but they cannot do anything consistently.

 

[urnotserious]

48 minutes ago, Muloghonto said:

There is no enigma. Yadav isn't good enough to play international cricket. 
Every sport has sportsmen who seemingly have all the tools ( e.g.: Cricket: Umesh Yadav/Mohammed Sami, Hockey: Zack Kassian, Colborne, Tennis: David Nalbandian, Tommy Haas) but who cannot put it together.

Its because they lack the most basic skill in any competitive sport : consistency in their 'bread & butter shots/technique'. He simply does not have enough skill or technique (or both) to have high degree of repetition with consistency for ANY delivery. So he is useless. But people with greater skill proficiency and lower skill consistency always appear to be an 'enigma', because occasionally, they can do everything. but they cannot do anything consistently.

 

But if Pakistan keep giving Umar Akmal, Wahab, Amir etc chances so should India. 

[jinjar]

I am guessing he said this when he was young or new to international cricket?, it's not fair to hold something that they said when they were young against them after so many years.

 

I am betting the lack of consistency in line and length is due to bowling technique (runup and release), which is based on how he bowled when he was kid + genetics, his joints and muscle do not allow him to keep the same form for extended period of time. He probably can bowl trundler speed to keep line and length, but that's not his brand, and not why he is in team for.

[Cricketics]

1 hour ago, urnotserious said:

But if Pakistan keep giving Umar Akmal, Wahab, Amir etc chances so should India. 

Even if some promising bowlers need to be given chances, we keep playing Umesh? If he is best in the country, then fine he can play but since he is not, we have to be open minded and try the many bowlers playing in our domestic. We would have never found Bumrah had we not tried him recently. We have to give other bowlers a chance. It is unfair to the ones sitting outside and waiting to play for India. 

[Muloghonto]

40 minutes ago, urnotserious said:

But if Pakistan keep giving Umar Akmal, Wahab, Amir etc chances so should India. 

Wahab, Amir are way, way better than Yadav.

Umar Akmal- its a common problem worldwide where wicketkeepers have become batsmen first, wicketkeepers second and bowlers are paying the price for it.

 

[urnotserious]

7 minutes ago, Muloghonto said:

Wahab, Amir are way, way better than Yadav.

Umar Akmal- its a common problem worldwide where wicketkeepers have become batsmen first, wicketkeepers second and bowlers are paying the price for it.

 

Lol. Let's talk about these bowlers on pitches like Australia against batsmen who know how to play pace.

 

Amir in Australia,

7 matches 24 wickets at 36.50 and 66 strike rate

 

Wahab in Australia

3 matches 11 wickets at 36.36 and 54 strike rate

 

Yadav in Australia

7 matches 25 wickets at 43.96 and 56.7 strike rate

 

Wahab and Amir are "better" a fallacy. They're average bowlers who just like your Ws, Imran and Akthar have not helped you win a game in Australia in 35 years. Or let you draw against them. 

 

India on the other hand drew 2 games the last time they were there. 

 

[rkt.india]

2 hours ago, Muloghonto said:

Wahab, Amir are way, way better than Yadav.

Umar Akmal- its a common problem worldwide where wicketkeepers have become batsmen first, wicketkeepers second and bowlers are paying the price for it.

 

Umar Akmal isn't a wicketkeeper. Kamran Akmal is.

[Muloghonto]

1 hour ago, urnotserious said:

Lol. Let's talk about these bowlers on pitches like Australia against batsmen who know how to play pace.

 

Amir in Australia,

7 matches 24 wickets at 36.50 and 66 strike rate

 

Wahab in Australia

3 matches 11 wickets at 36.36 and 54 strike rate

 

Yadav in Australia

7 matches 25 wickets at 43.96 and 56.7 strike rate

 

Wahab and Amir are "better" a fallacy. They're average bowlers who just like your Ws, Imran and Akthar have not helped you win a game in Australia in 35 years. Or let you draw against them. 

 

India on the other hand drew 2 games the last time they were there. 

 

I think whats fallacy is arguing Wahab or Amir are good bowlers. But they are better than Yadav. Basic rule of test bowling is, " Ideally you take wickets. If you fail to take wickets, atleast you can keep things tight'. In light of that, i'd rather have someone with 36 average & 54 strike rate than 44 average and 57 strike rate. Neither one of them are good wicket-taking options, but atleast the former can keep things tighter.

PS: I am not  Pakistani.

 

[Muloghonto]

1 minute ago, rkt.india said:

Umar Akmal isn't a wicketkeeper. Kamran Akmal is.

OOps.

 

[express bowling]

Amidst all these arguments....the main thing to notice about Umesh is that he has improved his accuracy and consistency a lot in the last 3 months , and his ability to get steeper bounce and bowl consistent  yorkers in the last 2 months.

 

We need to see how he performs with this new found consistency and new tools  for some time before writing him off.  He has looked his best ever in the last ODI series and last test series and it would be a fallacy to judge him by his earlier failures.

Edited January 18, 2017 by express bowling

[tweaker]

Yadav may not be as accurate as Glenn Mcgrath, but his speed is his Unique Selling Point. While we hope Yadav achieves half of Mcgrath’s accuracy, we don’t want him to compromise on his pace. 

[Muloghonto]

8 minutes ago, express bowling said:

Amidst all these arguments....the main thing to notice about Umesh is that he has improved his accuracy and consistency a lot in the last 3 months , and his ability to get steeper bounce and bowl consistent  yorkers in the last 2 months.

 

We need to see how he performs with this new found consistency and new tools  for some time before writing him off.  He has looked his best ever in the last ODI series and last test series and it would be a fallacy to judge him by his earlier failures.

He still is the most expensive fast bowler to play for India in the last 2 months. In the last series, he was the 2nd most expensive fast bowler from either side, with only Ben Stokes going for a higher economy rate. 

 

His improvement is not good enough to merit a place in the team. He should be turfed- he has had his chances and this is as close to his best as we can realistically expect : he is in his physical peak ( 29 years old. 27-33 is usually the physical peak for fast bowlers), has been playing international cricket for 5+ years. Not much ceiling left for him. Plus plenty of bowlers have been turfed despite doing better. Just coz Umesh is one of those who 'looks good in fits and spurts'.

 

 

[Muloghonto]

9 minutes ago, tweaker said:

Yadav may not be as accurate as Glenn Mcgrath, but his speed is his Unique Selling Point. While we hope Yadav achieves half of Mcgrath’s accuracy, we don’t want him to compromise on his pace. 

There is no selling point to speed if you cant pick up wickets or keep it tight. Yadav is the Indian mohammed Shami. Just there because for us speed >> performance.