WEBVTT 00:00:01.149 --> 00:00:05.360 Thank you. Hello and welcome to this episode 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.259 of The icoachcricket Podcast. Richard Johnson 00:00:08.259 --> 00:00:11.400 played for England, Middlesex and Somerset before 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:14.759 becoming a coach. For the first time in the 18 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:17.219 years since he retired from playing, he's had 00:00:17.219 --> 00:00:19.859 a couple of months off. He was sacked from his 00:00:19.859 --> 00:00:23.199 job as head coach at Middlesex mid -season. He's 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:25.719 now getting ready to start a new role coaching 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:28.839 bowlers in the first class game. Tim Dellor's 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:31.460 been to find out how he's doing and what he's 00:00:31.460 --> 00:00:35.700 least missed. coaching every day. Mitting and 00:00:35.700 --> 00:00:38.179 against seen bowlers which is a big part of being 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:41.380 a fast bowling coach's role in life isn't it? 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:44.140 Does it scare you when you've got someone running 00:00:44.140 --> 00:00:46.140 in you've dealt with a lot of seen bowlers over 00:00:46.140 --> 00:00:49.520 the years who've got good pace. Is it scary having 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:51.780 just there with your mitt, trying to catch everything, 00:00:51.899 --> 00:00:54.460 keep your teeth in? It's certainly getting scarier 00:00:54.460 --> 00:00:57.119 the older you get, yes. Last few years in Middlesex, 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.320 obviously Tim Murtagh was the bowling coach there, 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.259 so I left it up to him to do most of the mitting. 00:01:02.299 --> 00:01:05.200 But the occasional time I did it, yeah, it doesn't 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:07.180 get any easier with age, I've got to say. Your 00:01:07.180 --> 00:01:09.219 sort of depth perception starts going a little 00:01:09.219 --> 00:01:11.540 bit. I think the key is to just make sure you're 00:01:11.540 --> 00:01:13.420 catching it outside of your body line, really. 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:15.879 You don't want your body in the way. The balls 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.819 wobble a lot, they dip, swing. So you don't want 00:01:18.819 --> 00:01:20.439 to be catching it in front of your body. You 00:01:20.439 --> 00:01:22.379 want to always move your body out of the way 00:01:22.379 --> 00:01:24.670 and try and catch it. to the side of you rather 00:01:24.670 --> 00:01:26.530 than at you. You've still got all your teeth 00:01:26.530 --> 00:01:29.349 intact and your boyish good looks are still intact. 00:01:29.629 --> 00:01:32.650 So that must mean you've got the knack. It's 00:01:32.650 --> 00:01:34.349 worth practising, basically, isn't it? As coaches, 00:01:34.409 --> 00:01:36.670 we need to spend a bit of time making sure we've 00:01:36.670 --> 00:01:39.510 got that skill nailed. Yeah, mitting's the integral 00:01:39.510 --> 00:01:41.989 part. Whether it's fielding practice and people 00:01:41.989 --> 00:01:44.150 throwing the ball in or whether it's bowlers 00:01:44.150 --> 00:01:45.930 running through, yeah, it's something you have 00:01:45.930 --> 00:01:49.409 to be good at and obviously combat. And if you 00:01:49.409 --> 00:01:51.950 look around the country, some... some do it rather 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:54.150 better than others but there's a few out there 00:01:54.150 --> 00:01:56.090 in the past i won't name any names who have had 00:01:56.090 --> 00:01:59.430 shin pads on both legs and shin pads on arms 00:01:59.430 --> 00:02:02.650 and just try to try to cover up as best they 00:02:02.650 --> 00:02:05.409 can and take the hits what a random place to 00:02:05.409 --> 00:02:07.950 start our chat i suppose as parts of the job 00:02:07.950 --> 00:02:10.289 go that you've not missed in the last couple 00:02:10.289 --> 00:02:11.710 of months because it has only been a couple of 00:02:11.710 --> 00:02:14.210 months since you were working full -time at middlesex 00:02:14.210 --> 00:02:17.280 that probably is pretty high up the list of Things 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:19.599 I'm very happy to let go. That's definitely top, 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:23.319 yeah. That high. Yeah, so we ought to go back 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.539 your summer. I mean, it's been quite a monumental 00:02:25.539 --> 00:02:28.199 change for you, hasn't it? Because you were busy 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:30.900 working as first team coach at Middlesex and 00:02:30.900 --> 00:02:33.939 then one day you weren't. So how have you adjusted 00:02:33.939 --> 00:02:37.909 mentally to that change? Yeah, it was three and 00:02:37.909 --> 00:02:39.550 a half years of all -consuming, to be honest, 00:02:39.650 --> 00:02:41.689 which I loved every minute of. It's something 00:02:41.689 --> 00:02:45.090 that, you know, as a kid growing up, if I'd sat 00:02:45.090 --> 00:02:47.270 here now at 50 and sort of looked back and go, 00:02:47.310 --> 00:02:49.430 well, I played for the age groups at my boyhood 00:02:49.430 --> 00:02:51.409 club that my father and my grandfather supported, 00:02:51.650 --> 00:02:54.349 got through to play first -class cricket for 00:02:54.349 --> 00:02:57.680 them. Came back as an assistant coach and fast 00:02:57.680 --> 00:02:59.819 bowling coach and then assistant coach and then 00:02:59.819 --> 00:03:01.919 to take over as head coach. Certainly a dream 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:04.960 that became reality. So to sit here now and look 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:07.099 back and say that I've managed to do all that 00:03:07.099 --> 00:03:10.099 at my boyhood club. It's amazing to be that, 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:13.139 you know, to have that. Because it's so all -consuming, 00:03:13.180 --> 00:03:15.860 it's difficult straight after. But then you realise 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:18.750 there's a bit more. world out there that you 00:03:18.750 --> 00:03:20.889 probably haven't explored. And what I mean by 00:03:20.889 --> 00:03:23.030 that is I've been in the professional game since 00:03:23.030 --> 00:03:25.909 I was 16 years old, pretty much all the way through 00:03:25.909 --> 00:03:29.550 to 50. Never experienced a summer, never experienced 00:03:29.550 --> 00:03:31.949 a summer holiday, never experienced weekends 00:03:31.949 --> 00:03:34.669 with my 10 -year -old and watching him play cricket 00:03:34.669 --> 00:03:37.270 and stuff. So, you know, as much as it was tough 00:03:37.270 --> 00:03:40.509 to take, every cloud has that silver lining. 00:03:40.610 --> 00:03:42.229 It's been amazing to spend a bit of family time 00:03:42.229 --> 00:03:44.310 for once in a summer when the weather's decent. 00:03:45.020 --> 00:03:46.879 I don't normally ask people this, but I think 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:49.539 I know you well enough to ask you about how tough 00:03:49.539 --> 00:03:52.680 it is. So when the phone goes and they say, oh, 00:03:52.740 --> 00:03:54.560 thanks ever so much, John, you've done a great 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.039 job, but we're going to move in a different direction 00:03:57.039 --> 00:03:59.759 from now. And then that next couple of days and 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:02.120 weeks, I mean, it must be pretty grim because 00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:05.699 most of us in our working lives don't ever get 00:04:05.699 --> 00:04:08.770 that. experience or sensation and especially 00:04:08.770 --> 00:04:11.610 you were so wholeheartedly in the role weren't 00:04:11.610 --> 00:04:13.949 you I mean you were very I think everybody who's 00:04:13.949 --> 00:04:15.610 in those roles has to be otherwise you're not 00:04:15.610 --> 00:04:18.149 going to last very long I mean that must be you 00:04:18.149 --> 00:04:21.189 said it was tough but emotionally because you've 00:04:21.189 --> 00:04:23.329 put everything into that role and trying to make 00:04:23.329 --> 00:04:25.910 that team better for years and years yeah three 00:04:25.910 --> 00:04:27.670 and a half years tough you know went through 00:04:27.670 --> 00:04:29.970 a lot of difficulties during that time as well 00:04:29.970 --> 00:04:32.790 so yeah you commit 100 % there's no doubt you 00:04:32.790 --> 00:04:34.430 don't really have a day off you know your whole 00:04:34.430 --> 00:04:36.170 life is consumed by it and then suddenly it's 00:04:36.170 --> 00:04:39.769 not there and it is a very strange strange thing 00:04:39.769 --> 00:04:42.629 and also I think that the weirdest thing in sport 00:04:42.629 --> 00:04:47.209 is that everybody knows so it's not like Everyone 00:04:47.209 --> 00:04:50.149 I know in different industries, they generally 00:04:50.149 --> 00:04:53.209 move on to something else pretty swiftly. They've 00:04:53.209 --> 00:04:55.389 probably already lined up something and no one 00:04:55.389 --> 00:04:56.889 else really knows. And when you talk to them 00:04:56.889 --> 00:04:58.209 about their work, they go, oh, I've just moved 00:04:58.209 --> 00:05:02.040 to so -and -so. it seems quite seamless but obviously 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:04.199 this is it's a very public one played out in 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:06.759 public yeah everyone knows so you know the phone 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:08.240 calls are there and people are ringing you the 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:10.459 whole time and it you know it's a constant reminder 00:05:10.459 --> 00:05:13.100 yeah look it is probably the people that you 00:05:13.100 --> 00:05:15.980 miss most because you're again sport is unique 00:05:15.980 --> 00:05:18.370 in as much as you're working with the same people 00:05:18.370 --> 00:05:20.750 every day very tight -knit you're going through 00:05:20.750 --> 00:05:24.769 some highly charged experiences together and 00:05:24.769 --> 00:05:26.649 then suddenly you're not with them every day 00:05:26.649 --> 00:05:29.189 and i know they're not officially your mates 00:05:29.189 --> 00:05:31.589 but you you're bound to be tight with the people 00:05:31.589 --> 00:05:34.110 over such a long period of time that that must 00:05:34.110 --> 00:05:36.629 be you forget the money and the sort of kudos 00:05:36.629 --> 00:05:39.629 of the role and and the actual day -to -day coaching 00:05:39.629 --> 00:05:42.970 it must be the Not seeing that same group of 00:05:42.970 --> 00:05:45.470 people day in, day out, that must take some adjustment. 00:05:45.689 --> 00:05:47.350 Yeah, and I think cricket probably above most 00:05:47.350 --> 00:05:50.310 sports, you build stronger relationships because 00:05:50.310 --> 00:05:51.990 you spend so much time with them. There's no 00:05:51.990 --> 00:05:54.509 other sport that you're spending six, sometimes 00:05:54.509 --> 00:05:56.970 even seven days a week for seven months solid 00:05:56.970 --> 00:05:59.009 with these people. So you're having breakfast, 00:05:59.230 --> 00:06:02.009 lunch, dinner, everything with them. So you do 00:06:02.009 --> 00:06:04.730 build strong relationships. And also the fact 00:06:04.730 --> 00:06:06.629 that I'd been there before as well and a lot 00:06:06.629 --> 00:06:09.449 of the people were there. previously so i've 00:06:09.449 --> 00:06:10.870 known them even longer than the three and a half 00:06:10.870 --> 00:06:12.970 years so that that's definitely a tough tough 00:06:12.970 --> 00:06:15.829 thing but i've stayed in touch with almost all 00:06:15.829 --> 00:06:17.970 of them you know i speak to them still coaching 00:06:17.970 --> 00:06:20.389 staff there that i know very well i speak to 00:06:20.389 --> 00:06:22.550 so those relationships you know the strong relationships 00:06:22.550 --> 00:06:25.209 will always always be there i know you're pretty 00:06:25.209 --> 00:06:27.930 busy again now already and likely to get busier 00:06:27.930 --> 00:06:29.970 from the looks of your diary over the next few 00:06:29.970 --> 00:06:33.170 months which is great Can we talk about seam 00:06:33.170 --> 00:06:34.889 bowling particularly? Because that's what I really 00:06:34.889 --> 00:06:38.850 wanted to get into here. And your philosophy 00:06:38.850 --> 00:06:41.750 of coaching seam bowlers, first of all, which 00:06:41.750 --> 00:06:45.430 you've done a lot of over many years now. What's 00:06:45.430 --> 00:06:48.449 your starting point? When you see a seamer, what's 00:06:48.449 --> 00:06:50.629 the first thing you're looking for? It's a really 00:06:50.629 --> 00:06:51.870 interesting one because I think that's changed 00:06:51.870 --> 00:06:54.889 a lot over 15 years. I think when you first start 00:06:54.889 --> 00:06:57.029 fast bowling coaching, you only have your own 00:06:57.029 --> 00:07:00.339 experience to go on. it's very easy to start 00:07:00.339 --> 00:07:03.139 coaching people how you probably did it and and 00:07:03.139 --> 00:07:05.519 your experiences of of what you did then you 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.319 do your coaching badges your level three level 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:09.459 four and it gives you insight into more the technical 00:07:09.459 --> 00:07:12.720 side and the biomechanical side and and then 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:15.139 you start working with people and you start building 00:07:15.139 --> 00:07:17.819 a picture of what you're trying to get from them 00:07:17.819 --> 00:07:20.480 and then over years work out what works better 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:23.339 and quicker than other things and i think now 00:07:23.339 --> 00:07:25.639 you sort of get to a point where i have a picture 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:27.920 in my head of what i'm looking for but obviously 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:30.899 everybody's different and everyone has their 00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:33.120 own way of bowling but some simple sort of fundamental 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:36.019 things you're looking for which is being nice 00:07:36.019 --> 00:07:39.819 and tall being rhythmical with long limbs and 00:07:39.819 --> 00:07:42.639 flowing and those are the initial sort of things 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:44.779 I think about and then obviously when you take 00:07:44.779 --> 00:07:46.759 a bit of video and you have a look at them you 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:48.740 can look in a little bit more detail and a bit 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:50.839 more in depth to how you think you can improve 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:53.199 that cricketer. And ultimately just how fast 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.540 the ball comes out and how raw it is. Because 00:07:55.540 --> 00:07:58.720 you get some bowlers who run in and technically 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:02.120 everything's bang on to the naked eye, but it 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.759 comes out quite slow. And then you get others 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:07.319 who all roar and haven't had much coaching and 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:09.600 it comes out rocket pace. And you think, well, 00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:12.699 that's quite exciting, isn't it? Yeah, the rawness 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:16.019 is fun because you think, well, if you can bowl 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:20.470 this quick with no real technical help. support 00:08:20.470 --> 00:08:23.430 then yeah i mean that that's that's a great starting 00:08:23.430 --> 00:08:25.529 point you know and you refine that but don't 00:08:25.529 --> 00:08:29.009 lose it obviously pace bounce lateral movements 00:08:29.009 --> 00:08:32.450 that's it yeah absolutely accuracy can come you 00:08:32.450 --> 00:08:35.250 can coach accuracy to a degree so repetition 00:08:35.250 --> 00:08:38.690 of action which is important for accuracy but 00:08:38.690 --> 00:08:40.190 yeah if you've got someone who's got a bit of 00:08:40.190 --> 00:08:42.230 raw pace it always puts a smile on your face 00:08:42.230 --> 00:08:44.610 to be able to try and develop and help that and 00:08:44.610 --> 00:08:48.840 how easy is it to coach someone to be quicker 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:51.419 and I guess that slightly ties in with if they're 00:08:51.419 --> 00:08:53.279 very raw then it might be easier than if they're 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:57.039 very coached and you perhaps haven't got as much 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.679 wriggle room to put extra yards of pace on a 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:03.879 bowler but do you find if I rocked up with a 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:06.600 17 year old bowler now a seam bowler and said 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:08.580 Johnny I need you to make him a couple of yards 00:09:08.580 --> 00:09:10.700 quicker are you confident you will be able to 00:09:10.700 --> 00:09:13.370 do that over time? I think There's definitely 00:09:13.370 --> 00:09:15.769 ways you can make people quicker. You're not 00:09:15.769 --> 00:09:17.950 going to turn someone bowling 78 mile an hour 00:09:17.950 --> 00:09:20.529 into 98 mile an hour, but you can certainly add 00:09:20.529 --> 00:09:22.309 a couple of miles an hour on here and there and 00:09:22.309 --> 00:09:24.509 maybe a little bit more with other people. And 00:09:24.509 --> 00:09:26.509 there are certain positions that you get into 00:09:26.509 --> 00:09:29.620 that generate and create pace. And I've actually 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:31.620 been working with a company called Dynetic and 00:09:31.620 --> 00:09:34.799 Paceflow recently. And it's with Mark King and 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.220 Paul Felton at Loughborough and Kevin Shine. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:40.779 And they've put together an app which helps develop 00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:43.980 these fast bowlers. And it's 20 years of research 00:09:43.980 --> 00:09:46.779 behind the positions the best in the world have 00:09:46.779 --> 00:09:49.460 got into over the last 20 years. And there's 00:09:49.460 --> 00:09:52.360 common positions that the quickest bowlers get 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:55.389 into. And it's almost, can you... help younger 00:09:55.389 --> 00:09:57.730 players get into those positions, but keeping 00:09:57.730 --> 00:10:00.370 their own action. Uniqueness and identity, because 00:10:00.370 --> 00:10:02.289 it's such a difficult balance, isn't it? Because 00:10:02.289 --> 00:10:04.909 if you've got, I don't know, a list of five positions 00:10:04.909 --> 00:10:09.250 an ideal fast bowler gets into, you're not going 00:10:09.250 --> 00:10:11.789 to be able to crowbar all five into most bowls 00:10:11.789 --> 00:10:13.950 without injuring them, are you? But then I suppose 00:10:13.950 --> 00:10:15.889 you can just tinker to maybe get them into three 00:10:15.889 --> 00:10:18.110 of the five. That's right, and you don't want 00:10:18.110 --> 00:10:20.769 them robotic, you don't want them looking like 00:10:20.769 --> 00:10:22.429 they're overcoached, you actually want them natural 00:10:22.429 --> 00:10:25.610 and flowing and free. But the positions exist 00:10:25.610 --> 00:10:27.929 and the research behind them is there, so you 00:10:27.929 --> 00:10:30.049 know the positions. But the great thing about 00:10:30.049 --> 00:10:32.590 this app is you can basically re -video it later 00:10:32.590 --> 00:10:35.330 and it will give you the breakdown of the improvement. 00:10:35.490 --> 00:10:37.409 You know, you can see what's improved and maybe 00:10:37.409 --> 00:10:40.269 where sometimes you improve in one aspect, you 00:10:40.269 --> 00:10:41.769 lose a little bit of something from somewhere 00:10:41.769 --> 00:10:43.570 else. So, you know, you can piece it all together 00:10:43.570 --> 00:10:45.409 that way. It's an amazing skill, isn't it, when 00:10:45.409 --> 00:10:47.149 you stop and think about it like that. Now, I 00:10:47.149 --> 00:10:49.090 always used to think you were the guru of alignment, 00:10:49.370 --> 00:10:53.000 but your start point was... where do they start 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.120 in the run -up and how do they get through the 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:56.860 crease and is it all the line? You used to draw 00:10:56.860 --> 00:10:59.980 nice straight lines and use bits of tape and 00:10:59.980 --> 00:11:02.480 thread to show people where on the pitch they 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:04.519 needed to align themselves. I mean, is that still 00:11:04.519 --> 00:11:06.659 top of your list pretty much? Yeah, look, it's 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:09.220 still very important because the issue is how 00:11:09.220 --> 00:11:11.080 the ball comes out, right? How the ball comes 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:14.059 out the hand. But that's the final point of a 00:11:14.059 --> 00:11:16.720 lot of things that happened before. So where 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.000 do you start? Well, you start right at the beginning. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:20.940 And right at the beginning is the top of your 00:11:20.940 --> 00:11:24.159 run -up. So if you can reduce the issues from 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:26.879 there, which is, is there a change of direction 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:28.940 getting towards a crease? Are you jumping in, 00:11:28.980 --> 00:11:31.379 for example? Are you jumping out? Are your feet 00:11:31.379 --> 00:11:33.519 not aligned? Are you getting in too tight to 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:35.700 the stumps and then spinning over? So some of 00:11:35.700 --> 00:11:38.200 the issues a lot of bowlers will have can be 00:11:38.200 --> 00:11:40.399 quite as simple as getting your run up in the 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:41.960 right place and the right alignment, as you say. 00:11:42.059 --> 00:11:44.120 And I remember seeing you make some amazing changes 00:11:44.120 --> 00:11:46.039 to bowlers, literally just for the, right, why 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:48.019 don't you start top of your run a couple of yards 00:11:48.019 --> 00:11:50.950 wider or even a couple of yards... straighter 00:11:50.950 --> 00:11:53.710 and it completely changed how they got through 00:11:53.710 --> 00:11:56.029 the crease so it was amazing to watch and you 00:11:56.029 --> 00:11:58.690 still think that's uh yeah high priority for 00:11:58.690 --> 00:12:01.450 you yeah absolutely as i say start at the beginning 00:12:01.450 --> 00:12:05.389 are you creating some issues within your action 00:12:05.389 --> 00:12:08.210 because of the way you're running in ultimately 00:12:08.210 --> 00:12:10.330 and it could be you're running in too slow or 00:12:10.330 --> 00:12:12.049 you're running in too fast as well you know you 00:12:12.049 --> 00:12:15.029 need that that happy medium and that nice point 00:12:15.029 --> 00:12:17.399 where You get the flow and you get the rhythm 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:19.879 and you get enough speed in the run -up to be 00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:21.720 able to propel the ball down as quick as you 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:25.360 can. And how much in years recently has what 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:29.100 we want from our scene bowlers changed? So obviously 00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:32.620 the England trend is six foot five plus, lots 00:12:32.620 --> 00:12:35.440 of bounce, lots of pace, blast them out. Clearly 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.720 the control is still there, but that's been the 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:40.179 theme, I think, recurring theme for the men's 00:12:40.179 --> 00:12:43.460 team. england requirements and you mentioned 00:12:43.460 --> 00:12:46.960 about height earlier on in an answer and actually 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:50.100 you yourself a decent height aren't you but perhaps 00:12:50.100 --> 00:12:52.240 weren't express pace is that fair you were more 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.559 about i think you were more about the swing the 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:57.879 lateral movement the control i would say is that 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:02.259 fair uh i would say a good pace but yeah you're 00:13:02.259 --> 00:13:04.299 trying to backtrack not really no two miles an 00:13:04.299 --> 00:13:09.049 hour in a final question that clock 2001 I have 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:11.669 mitted for you, by the way. You won't remember. 00:13:11.870 --> 00:13:13.429 That was when I was retired, though. You're off 00:13:13.429 --> 00:13:17.690 one leg. Look, I think with England at the moment, 00:13:17.750 --> 00:13:20.450 I think it's been there ever since I can remember. 00:13:20.669 --> 00:13:22.690 I mean, England have always wanted some fast 00:13:22.690 --> 00:13:24.509 bowlers and we've produced some great ones over 00:13:24.509 --> 00:13:27.429 the years. But particular characteristics now, 00:13:27.570 --> 00:13:29.690 it seems to be very clear, the identity of a... 00:13:30.139 --> 00:13:34.220 or make up of a scene bowler now. 2005 was the 00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:36.279 same, wasn't it? You know, with Harmison, Freddie. 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:37.600 No, they were quite varied though, weren't they? 00:13:37.659 --> 00:13:40.480 With Jones. Yeah, but they were all still quick, 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:43.019 weren't they? But yes, some tall, some shorter. 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.159 So you want some, you want a varied attack, don't 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:47.639 you? If you look at Australia's attack, it's 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:50.799 a varied attack. So you get people who... can 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:54.259 generate bounce and feel like they almost get 00:13:54.259 --> 00:13:56.460 pace off the wicket a bit like Cummins does you 00:13:56.460 --> 00:13:58.980 know and then you get other guys who are quick 00:13:58.980 --> 00:14:01.679 through the air and some are taller and bouncier 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:04.700 so you know trying to find a bowling attack that 00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:07.200 can compete on all surfaces all around the world 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:10.039 is probably the biggest thing. Yeah I think that's 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:11.200 what I was getting at really so there's still 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:14.779 a place for a skinny shorter seam bowler as much 00:14:14.779 --> 00:14:18.820 as there is a taller bowler and raw express pace 00:14:18.820 --> 00:14:21.269 and then someone who hoops it around corners 00:14:21.269 --> 00:14:23.370 yeah different wickets require different skill 00:14:23.370 --> 00:14:25.269 sets really and the best bowlers in the world 00:14:25.269 --> 00:14:28.350 can adapt but you still it's easier if you've 00:14:28.350 --> 00:14:31.090 you need bounce that you're taller but you know 00:14:31.090 --> 00:14:32.710 on flatter wickets sometimes you need a bit more 00:14:32.710 --> 00:14:35.490 airspeed so take the pitch out the equation so 00:14:35.490 --> 00:14:38.009 yeah a varied a varied pace attack is always 00:14:38.009 --> 00:14:40.590 useful it's something you know going to australia 00:14:40.590 --> 00:14:43.129 would always be Something that we would look 00:14:43.129 --> 00:14:45.610 to do as an England side is tall and bouncy and 00:14:45.610 --> 00:14:47.909 quick on those sort of wickets. I was going to 00:14:47.909 --> 00:14:50.429 ask you about that in a moment, go to Australia. 00:14:50.629 --> 00:14:54.070 And the other part of increasingly with white 00:14:54.070 --> 00:14:56.789 ball cricket is the other element to a Seam Boulders 00:14:56.789 --> 00:14:59.250 game. So most of them have to be able to bat 00:14:59.250 --> 00:15:01.629 to a decent level of competence now, don't they? 00:15:02.009 --> 00:15:04.710 I don't know if that's increased over the years. 00:15:05.049 --> 00:15:07.600 Yeah, I think so. From an England point of view, 00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:09.220 we've always wanted bowlers who can bat. And 00:15:09.220 --> 00:15:11.039 sometimes we've probably gone the other way where 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:13.779 more of a batter who can bowl a bit. But I think 00:15:13.779 --> 00:15:16.500 now, you know, even 9, 10, 11, you want some 00:15:16.500 --> 00:15:19.299 sort of contribution from them. And to be honest 00:15:19.299 --> 00:15:22.100 now, there's probably no excuse with academies 00:15:22.100 --> 00:15:25.019 producing cricketers for counties that should 00:15:25.019 --> 00:15:28.419 be three -dimensional, bat, bowl and field. Coming 00:15:28.419 --> 00:15:30.879 into the first -class game, even in the last 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:33.000 sort of three and a half years, you want your 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:35.059 9, 10, 11 to be able to make a contribution. 00:15:35.850 --> 00:15:38.009 Because the longer your batting lineup is, obviously 00:15:38.009 --> 00:15:39.769 the more runs you can put on the board. But if 00:15:39.769 --> 00:15:42.009 you do have trouble up top, you can still put 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:44.789 a competitive score on the board. And they sometimes 00:15:44.789 --> 00:15:46.830 have to go into massive pressure situations, 00:15:47.029 --> 00:15:49.389 don't they? We saw that in the fifth test against 00:15:49.389 --> 00:15:52.389 India, didn't we? At the tail end there, where 00:15:52.389 --> 00:15:54.850 they had to chip off a fairly low score on that 00:15:54.850 --> 00:15:58.070 last day and couldn't manage it. Other days they 00:15:58.070 --> 00:16:00.250 will manage it, but they have to sometimes face 00:16:00.250 --> 00:16:02.870 extreme pressure. Maybe, arguably, even more 00:16:02.870 --> 00:16:04.490 pressure than the top end batters sometimes. 00:16:04.929 --> 00:16:07.350 But it doesn't feel necessarily like the pressure 00:16:07.350 --> 00:16:09.549 because it's your second skill, but it's more 00:16:09.549 --> 00:16:12.190 fun. It sounds weird, but you're expected to 00:16:12.190 --> 00:16:13.610 take your wickets and you get your fifers and 00:16:13.610 --> 00:16:16.029 it's brilliant, but if you're there at the end... 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:18.480 Winning a test match or winning a game of cricket 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:21.980 for your team as a bowler, scoring the winning 00:16:21.980 --> 00:16:24.240 runs, it's a great feeling. And what do you see 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:27.779 the future for seam bowlers being with the white 00:16:27.779 --> 00:16:30.720 ball becoming the franchise cricket around the 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:33.220 world? It's such a different skill back in the 00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:36.580 1980s and 90s with the West Indies seam attack 00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:39.580 running in with a red ball to now guys who can 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:42.200 bowl, get two or three overs out, four overs 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:45.000 at most. It is a different skill, but it can 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.419 lead to your action deteriorating because of 00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:50.240 it. Because you're not bowling enough? Yeah, 00:16:50.259 --> 00:16:51.779 one, you're probably not bowling enough, so the 00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:54.019 rhythm sort of side of things, but also some 00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:55.899 of the slower balls that they bowl, some of the 00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:58.639 Yorkers obviously, your action changes slightly. 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.240 You're trying to use the crease a little bit 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:02.889 more. You might be pulling off. you're actually 00:17:02.889 --> 00:17:04.890 a little bit to try and get your yorker in at 00:17:04.890 --> 00:17:09.089 leg stump or wide of left handers off stump your 00:17:09.089 --> 00:17:11.670 body position changes quite often in your bowling 00:17:11.670 --> 00:17:15.230 technique and if you're only playing franchise 00:17:15.230 --> 00:17:16.670 cricket i know you're playing white ball cricket 00:17:16.670 --> 00:17:19.529 some bad habits can creep in so actually a bit 00:17:19.529 --> 00:17:21.369 like the batters as well right and it's quite 00:17:21.369 --> 00:17:24.130 weird because even when i've been at surrey and 00:17:24.130 --> 00:17:26.750 middlesex bowling coach when the players come 00:17:26.750 --> 00:17:29.210 back from franchise cricket i generally put a 00:17:29.210 --> 00:17:31.369 red ball in their hand and i quite often get 00:17:31.369 --> 00:17:33.440 the well, I'm not playing Red Bull cricket, I'm 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.640 going back into another franchise game. But we 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:37.519 put a Red Bull in there because straight away, 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:39.900 mentally, you start feeling, well, I've got to 00:17:39.900 --> 00:17:42.200 get back tall in my action, I've got to get my 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:44.519 fingers behind the ball, see the ball swing again, 00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:47.299 hit a nice line of length. And it sort of corrects 00:17:47.299 --> 00:17:50.099 all those little faults that maybe have crept 00:17:50.099 --> 00:17:53.500 into your action. And with youngsters, so let's 00:17:53.500 --> 00:17:56.660 go back to our 17, 18 -year -olds, is there a 00:17:56.660 --> 00:17:59.140 danger that they spend too much time practising 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:02.200 the funky stuff? the white ball stuff at the 00:18:02.200 --> 00:18:05.319 expense of a stock ball with a red ball in their 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:08.180 hand because again when you were growing up you'd 00:18:08.180 --> 00:18:10.440 have just practiced with a red ball i assume 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:15.150 and now you spend a lot of time at the top end 00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:17.190 of the game watching them playing white ball 00:18:17.190 --> 00:18:19.210 cricket. It's a danger they don't spend enough 00:18:19.210 --> 00:18:20.990 time on the fundamentals. It's definitely a fine 00:18:20.990 --> 00:18:23.950 line and I think for repetition of action which 00:18:23.950 --> 00:18:26.369 is your accuracy and getting used to bowling 00:18:26.369 --> 00:18:28.089 and hitting a line of length and obviously putting 00:18:28.089 --> 00:18:30.029 a red ball in your hand and doing that is really 00:18:30.029 --> 00:18:32.250 important especially for youngsters but you also 00:18:32.250 --> 00:18:35.369 don't want to stop youngsters exploring the fun 00:18:35.369 --> 00:18:37.109 of playing white ball cricket. You look at all 00:18:37.109 --> 00:18:39.829 the batters now my son at 10 years old going 00:18:39.829 --> 00:18:41.809 down and trying to play a reverse switch hit 00:18:41.809 --> 00:18:43.569 and you're thinking my god you know I was... 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:46.839 I was probably 18 playing at Middlesex and if 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:49.180 I'd even played a sweep shot in the net, I would 00:18:49.180 --> 00:18:50.980 have been called out. Mike Gatting would have 00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:52.480 surely been alright with that, wouldn't he? No, 00:18:52.619 --> 00:18:55.309 he really wouldn't. So you don't want to stop 00:18:55.309 --> 00:18:56.750 them because that's the fun of the game and you 00:18:56.750 --> 00:18:59.490 want them to enjoy exploring. But there is obviously 00:18:59.490 --> 00:19:02.509 fundamentals and basics that you need to instill 00:19:02.509 --> 00:19:04.930 as well. Was Gap in charge of Middlesex when 00:19:04.930 --> 00:19:06.569 you first started there or have I just aged you? 00:19:06.730 --> 00:19:09.930 No, no, he was captain. He was a very good sweeper, 00:19:09.950 --> 00:19:12.049 wasn't he? Don Bennett, bless him, was the coach. 00:19:12.329 --> 00:19:15.190 You're older than I thought. Yeah. Right. I'm 00:19:15.190 --> 00:19:17.349 older than you. Only just. And just to finish 00:19:17.349 --> 00:19:20.130 up about the Ashes coming up. It's just massive 00:19:20.130 --> 00:19:22.150 now, isn't it? An Ashes series. Are you excited, 00:19:22.269 --> 00:19:24.059 looking forward to it? I am. still the biggest 00:19:24.059 --> 00:19:26.119 series is now I mean we had a magnificent series 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:28.700 against India recently and they're a great side 00:19:28.700 --> 00:19:30.599 and it was brilliant to watch but there's just 00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:33.359 something about England Australia and the Ashes 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:36.400 especially over there so Can't wait to see it. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:38.700 I think it's going to be really interesting cricket 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:41.000 over the next couple of months, I think. Who 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:43.460 wins for you? That's a very good question. England, 00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:45.660 of course. Really? You think you've got every 00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:47.480 chance? It's difficult down there, isn't it? 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:49.420 It's incredibly difficult. And if you look at 00:19:49.420 --> 00:19:52.200 the amount of wins we've had over the last 20 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:55.420 years, it's not that many. But now's as good 00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:57.839 a time as any. I think Aussie's batting line 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:01.000 -up is a bit more experimental than it has been. 00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:03.539 It's not as set in stone as it has been in the 00:20:03.539 --> 00:20:05.309 past. And I think we've taken... over a good 00:20:05.309 --> 00:20:08.390 bowling attack to be able to cope with conditions 00:20:08.390 --> 00:20:10.690 out there and take wickets. So I think it could 00:20:10.690 --> 00:20:13.769 be a really close series, but I'm edging towards 00:20:13.769 --> 00:20:16.809 England. A couple of things. So first of all, 00:20:16.869 --> 00:20:18.789 there are a few England players with things to 00:20:18.789 --> 00:20:20.710 prove. So it's unbelievable, isn't it, in the 00:20:20.710 --> 00:20:23.109 build -up? Well, I've been asked all this morning 00:20:23.109 --> 00:20:25.490 about how it's his last thing he needs to achieve 00:20:25.490 --> 00:20:27.390 in the game is score 100 in Australia. And you 00:20:27.390 --> 00:20:30.390 think, really? Root's done everything. But he 00:20:30.390 --> 00:20:32.750 obviously... may use that as a driving factor 00:20:32.750 --> 00:20:35.230 i've no idea and and stokes obviously would love 00:20:35.230 --> 00:20:37.390 to be captain of a team that wins down there 00:20:37.390 --> 00:20:40.650 and some of the big guns have something to prove 00:20:40.650 --> 00:20:43.190 as a motivation whereas in some other series 00:20:43.190 --> 00:20:45.450 perhaps they've already done everything yeah 00:20:45.450 --> 00:20:47.029 and they're going there you know feeling good 00:20:47.029 --> 00:20:49.799 about themselves and playing how they want to 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:53.880 play. So, look, the Aussies will always bring 00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:56.720 out the best in big players, and I think those 00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:58.579 big players will stand up, and I think you'll 00:20:58.579 --> 00:21:01.220 see Ruti have a brilliant series this time around. 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:03.079 Yeah, so that's one thing, and the other thing 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:04.660 is you need a bit of luck, don't you? I mean, 00:21:04.700 --> 00:21:08.880 you need Pat Cummins maybe to miss more than 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:11.559 just the first test match, and you need... We 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:13.980 remember McGrath tripping over the ball was crucial 00:21:13.980 --> 00:21:17.880 in 2005, wasn't it? You need a lucky break somewhere, 00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:21.480 don't you? We don't often talk about it, but 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:23.819 it does often come down to a bit of luck here 00:21:23.819 --> 00:21:26.339 and there. Yeah, and also from your own team 00:21:26.339 --> 00:21:28.519 as well, not getting injuries and losing key 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:33.220 players at the wrong times and stuff. Look, skill 00:21:33.220 --> 00:21:36.640 and motivation and preparation, all those things 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:38.920 obviously add towards it, but you always need 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:40.799 that little bit of luck on the side, especially 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:43.839 going somewhere like Australia, where we know 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:45.940 how tough it is. You only have to look at the 00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:48.839 record of us going over there. The nature of 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:51.259 the tour being so long. I think I'm right in 00:21:51.259 --> 00:21:52.579 saying you didn't do an Ashes tour, did you? 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:54.880 You did other tours in England, but not an Ashes 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:57.980 tour. It's pretty intense, isn't it? Even wherever 00:21:57.980 --> 00:22:00.299 you go, regardless of it being Australia, which 00:22:00.299 --> 00:22:03.240 obviously adds to it. But it's a long time you're 00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:06.000 away for and you're in everyone's pocket all 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.839 the time. And it wouldn't be for everybody. And, 00:22:08.940 --> 00:22:12.099 you know, being Australia, you'll get flack left, 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:15.000 right and centre wherever you go. So Australia 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:16.880 is one of those places you can, you know, days 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.079 off, you can get away from the game and you can 00:22:19.079 --> 00:22:22.819 relax and get away to it from a certain degree. 00:22:23.609 --> 00:22:26.529 The Aussies are very good at bashing you and 00:22:26.529 --> 00:22:28.450 reminding you of what you're there for. Did you 00:22:28.450 --> 00:22:31.049 go to Asia? I went to India, yeah. Yeah, okay. 00:22:31.150 --> 00:22:32.769 So, I mean, on a trip like that with England, 00:22:32.890 --> 00:22:35.730 you don't get a huge amount of downtime where 00:22:35.730 --> 00:22:38.240 you can just head out the hotel and... and chill 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:40.259 out if you're in india or sri lanka no not at 00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:43.500 all you are literally hotel or or uh cricket 00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:46.539 ground for the whole time so it makes it definitely 00:22:46.539 --> 00:22:50.180 feel longer so yeah but australia as i say south 00:22:50.180 --> 00:22:51.920 africa place like you can go out and about but 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.160 you will be reminded in australia constantly 00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:56.779 while you're there and they'll be bashing the 00:22:56.779 --> 00:22:59.480 lads uh left right and center and is that a factor 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:01.599 because we've already said it's very hard to 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.859 win away winning in australia and equally australians 00:23:04.859 --> 00:23:07.700 to be fair find out I think, hard to win here. 00:23:08.099 --> 00:23:12.880 Is it that hotel lock -in mentality and being 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:14.799 on top of each other all the time, being away 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:17.279 from home for a long period of time that makes 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:19.160 a difference? Or is it just different pitches 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:21.279 and different grounds and different conditions 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:24.420 that gives the home team such an advantage? Yeah, 00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:25.960 I think it's more conditions, what you're brought 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:27.859 up in, what you get used to, what you play, all 00:23:27.859 --> 00:23:29.779 your grade cricket, your kids' cricket through. 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:32.119 You just know how to play in those conditions 00:23:32.119 --> 00:23:35.000 and it does take... A little change sometimes 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:38.240 in technique or mentality or just approach when 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:40.200 you go to different places around the world. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:42.559 I suppose cricketers are used to being, even 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:44.839 if you just play domestically, you're still used 00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:46.599 to being away from home a lot. Yeah, absolutely. 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:49.460 Way more than footballers. To be fair, it'll 00:23:49.460 --> 00:23:50.880 affect some people more than others, there's 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:53.220 no doubt. The mental health stuff will come into 00:23:53.220 --> 00:23:56.240 some people on those trips because they don't 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.869 like being away from home for that long. Ultimately, 00:23:58.890 --> 00:24:02.369 I think the conditions and environment are probably 00:24:02.369 --> 00:24:05.849 the biggest factor. We're more aware now, maybe, 00:24:05.890 --> 00:24:08.730 of those mental health issues, aren't we? I think 00:24:08.730 --> 00:24:10.930 Marcus Triscothic perhaps put it in the spotlight 00:24:10.930 --> 00:24:13.690 first of all. We're more in touch with homes. 00:24:13.730 --> 00:24:15.410 I don't know if that makes it easier or harder 00:24:15.410 --> 00:24:18.089 to be a tourist, the fact that you can pick up 00:24:18.089 --> 00:24:21.470 your phone and get on FaceTime back home 24 -7, 00:24:21.509 --> 00:24:23.529 whereas... Back in your day, you were on the 00:24:23.529 --> 00:24:25.269 boat for six weeks to get out there and it was 00:24:25.269 --> 00:24:28.190 a telegram home. Not quite sure I was on the 00:24:28.190 --> 00:24:30.509 boat, but plenty of aircraft. You know what I 00:24:30.509 --> 00:24:33.329 mean? Home seems closer and yet it makes it more 00:24:33.329 --> 00:24:35.009 difficult in some ways because you're more connected. 00:24:35.250 --> 00:24:39.130 That's right. And I remember being in hotel reception, 00:24:39.309 --> 00:24:42.789 making a phone call back to England and having 00:24:42.789 --> 00:24:45.369 to pay all your money to the hotel reception, 00:24:45.529 --> 00:24:47.750 just saved up your meal money just to pay for 00:24:47.750 --> 00:24:51.549 a phone call back home. But yeah, I suppose then... 00:24:51.950 --> 00:24:53.750 you're concentrating your job in hand and home 00:24:53.750 --> 00:24:55.769 feels like a long way away. But as you say, sometimes 00:24:55.769 --> 00:24:57.710 with FaceTime and stuff, you feel more connected, 00:24:57.890 --> 00:25:00.049 which is brilliant, but also probably makes you 00:25:00.049 --> 00:25:02.710 feel like you're missing it more. So there is 00:25:02.710 --> 00:25:05.869 definitely a two -edged sword to that one. Richard 00:25:05.869 --> 00:25:08.470 Johnson there, and good luck to him in his next 00:25:08.470 --> 00:25:11.309 coaching activities. That's it for this episode 00:25:11.309 --> 00:25:14.269 of The icoachcricket Podcast. Thanks for listening.