1. Bowl into legs to cramp batsman

You thought that is a negative tactic? And old tactic that spinners should not be using any more? Well, yes, but it is still effective at drying up runs and squeezing in a few dot balls. Just do not overdo it as spin bowlers did in the past. Batsman have ways to combat this now, especially scooping it over short fine leg. So, go on and use it, just do not overdo it.

2. Bowl out wide

To beat batsman when he comes down the track. And believe me in T20 they will come down the track.

Leggies must bowl it slow because they will take the ball away from the batsman and try and beat him off the pitch. Offies must push it through quicker, because they also want to beat the batsman on the outside of the bat and will do so with the extra pace through the air.

3. Slow it down

Nothing beats a batsman as much as a nice slow delivery when he dances down the track. Instinct is the push it through quicker and into his legs, but rather first try and slow it down and bowl it just a fraction shorter. You will beat him in the air that way and he will never get to the pitch of the ball.

4. Learn to bowl with new ball

Because you might just have to open the bowling. And the ball never really gets old in T20.

5. Put your quick guys on the boundary

As it is more important to save boundaries than singles in Twenty20. In 50 over games you can have them close in, but in T20 put the fast guys on the boundary.

6. Hit the target from ball one

You do not have time to settle as the batsmen will be after you from ball one.

7. Field well of your own bowling

Saving just one straight boundary can win you the game

8. Be able to bat well

There is no place for a spinner in Twenty20 that cannot add a few runs to his teams total. Coaches look for any excuse why they should not pick a spinner. Do not make your poor batting a reason for them to do this.

9. Get over it

I promise you that you will get hit for a few sixes and you need to shrug it off. Do like Lasith Malinga and laugh it off, only to send the batsman back to the dugout the next ball.

10. Work with your keeper

Batsmen will be dancing down the track all the time to you, and stumpings are always on. Let your keeper know if you intend to beat the batsman on the offside or legside when he comes down.

11. Vary your pace

Just like the quick boys. You might bowl slow but it does not mean you cannot vary your pace.

12. Learn from other bowler’s mistakes

You do not have time to see a batsman’s strength and weaknesses, so you better watch what he does against the other bowlers so that you are ready when you are up.

13. Be consistent

You only have 24 balls to bowl. If you bowl 2 bad balls then you almost bowled 10% bad deliveries! 24 balls, so make every single one count.

14. Learn to bowl around the wicket

You need to change your angles and you might have to cramp the batsman from this angle depending on the situation. You need to have practised in the nets how to bowl around the wicket. Do not get into the game and not feel comfortable doing it.

15. Be courageous

Smacked for 2 sixes but you know the guy got lucky because he is not good against flight? well, do not be scared and toss it up again. Tempt him. Invite him to do it again. You will come out on top most of the time.

16. Shine the ball

You need all the variations you can get and the arm ball swinging away at batsman that is coming at you is very effective.

17. Understand field placement tactics

It is not only your captain’s job to place the field. T20 is intense and every single counts. So, you need to know where to place your field to every batsman.

When you are not bowling you need to be watching batsmen very closely to see how they like playing. Do they like playing leg side? Or backing away and hitting over off? Are they sweeping all the time?

Your plan must be formulated before you get to bowl. Do not stand there and not know what to do when they start working you around the field.

18. Know when to squeeze and when to attack

Some situations will call fro you to squeeze in 3 dots.

Other times you really need to get a wicket.

If the other team is on target and they only have to chase 5 an over then bowling a few dots are not going to help. Toss it up and let him have a go. You need wickets. When you do get those wickets and the run rate shoots up, then by all means squeeze in a few dots again.

19. Use a wide as a weapon

T20 will be the format where batsman will be charging you all the time. We have already discussed a few ways to combat this. And bowling a wide is another way: A wide down leg side. In T20 any ball down leg is a wide, but that is fine when you use it as a weapon.

If you have a batsman that charges very quickly then bowling it down leg side is a very good way to catch him off balance and out of the crease. It will we a wide, but as you surely know, you can be stumped off a wide.

This is a tactic that you can use when you need a wicket and not when every single is important.

20. See T20 as a place when you can make name for yourself

Everybody thought T20 will be the end for spin bowlers. That when they do get to play their skill will be reduced to one tactic of bowling it into the legs. Not at all. Spinners are in the top 5 bowlers of the IPL every year. In fact, I want to say that on average spin bowlers have been more effective in the IPL than the quicks.

They learned to adapt to the bigger bats and shorter boundaries by bringing all sorts of new skills to the game.

T20 is the place where you can really make a name for yourself.

Cheers

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