Spinners are important in T20s: Hira
First Published : 11 Sep 2012, 12:53
Last Modified : 11 Sep 2012, 12:53
Chennai, Sep 11: Left-arm spinner, Ronnie Hira, is one of the players who joined the New Zealand side ahead for the T20Is against India. Having made his international debut earlier this year in the Twenty20 format, the six-match-old Hira is looking forward to play alongside legendary left-arm spinner, Daniel Vettori.
In a brief interview with bcci.tv, Hira discussed bowling on wickets in the subcontinent and the role of spin in the shortest format of the game.
Excerpts:
On the role of spin bowling in Twenty20 matches, especially while playing in the subcontinent
It is very important! Daniel Vettori has done very well over the last two tours of India and especially in the IPL, where spinners have a big part to play. If I get a chance to play alongside Dan and Nathan [McCullum], I will like that.
On spin bowlers’ approach in the T20 format
They got to try and be attacking and got to be a wicket-taking option for the captain. If the seam bowlers get off to a rough start, then hopefully, spin bowlers can pull the game back in favour of their team. Nathan and myself have been bowling for New Zealand for a while so there might be an opportunity to do that as well.
On Daniel Vettori’s bowling
Dan’s got a great change of pace, but he is a bit different to me because he is a bit taller than me. I have to rethink how I bowl. Just being around him for the last couple of weeks has been great for me. Usually I get to only play against him or see him on television. I can say he is a good influence over the last couple of weeks. I hope I get to play alongside him.
On his experience in the subcontinent
I played in the CLT20 last year for the Auckland Aces, so I had a couple of games in Hyderabad and the wickets turned; they are slow but they do turn. So I am just mixing the pace and varying the pace and speed.
On his preparation for bowling in the subcontinent
I just bowl the same way; just go out there and see what the pitches are doing. I can’t really factor in too much [or] get carried away when I see the ball turning. […] The wickets don’t turn in New Zealand so again it comes down to pace and variation of pace and line. Those sorts of things help me a little bit, and captaincy and field placing also helps.
On his preparation for the 2012 ICC World T20
Good. I am coming back off injury so my preparation has been good. I had spent the last week in Bangalore at the Test match preparing as well.
