‘Next Warney’ tag not doing Lloyd Pope any favours, says Dan Cullen, killer googly strategy

OUR new leg-spin prodigy has a former Test bowler as his mentor - who’s got a blunt warning for Australia. He’s also revealed an intriguing piece of advice he gave Lloyd Pope about the killer ball that destroyed England in the U19 World Cup.

Lloyd Pope took eight wickets for Australia’s Under 19s against England.

AUSTRALIA has been searching for the next Don Bradman for nearly 70 years.

And while we think we’ve found the next best thing, with Steve Smith hitting stratospheric peaks in the past 18 months not seen since the Don’s incomparable feats, it’s been a search which has taken down plenty of willing applicants in the decades that have passed by.

The search for the next Adam Gilchrist led to a giant shift in mindset when it came to selecting wicketkeepers — no longer would a pure gloveman be enough. No, everyone who followed in Gilly’s footsteps had to bat like a top-order star and have the ability to come in at No.7 and turn a match on its head too.

Which brings us to the next irreplaceable star in Australia’s cricket history: the magical Shane Warne.

Australia has been looking for the next Shane Warne ever since he retired in 2006-07.

Australia’s most prolific wicket-taker, Warne is history’s greatest leg-spinner and in the decade since his retirement the hunt has been on for a young tweaker who can carry on his legacy.

Since Warne hung up the boots after the 2006-7 Ashes whitewash, with 708 Test wickets and nearly two decades of dominance to his name, Australia has turned to a seemingly endless stream of leggies and offies — bowling with left and right arm — without much success until a rejuvenated Nathan Lyon roared to power in the past 18 months.

The millstone that is the “next Warney” tag has taken down countless talents already, and one of those placed in the queue to replace Warne is desperate for it not to claim another victim in a talent he believes has the world at his feet.

Dan Cullen, who in his sole Test finished with match figures of 1-54 against Bangladesh while bowling alongside Warne, has been mentoring Australia’s spin sensation — Lloyd Pope — for the past three years in his role as the South Australian Cricket Association’s spin guru for the under 16-19s programmes.

Dan Cullen has been working closely with Lloyd Pope for the past three years.

He was filled with pride watching the flame-haired 18-year-old tear apart England at the under-19 World Cup, taking a spellbinding 8-35 to rout the old enemy for 96 — and defend Australia’s meagre total of 127, earning passage through to the tournament’s semi-finals.

But his heart sank as the inevitable comparisons with Warne came flooding through.

“It’s so weird — it’s been ten years since Warney and people still put that tag out which is pretty unfair, to be honest,” Cullen told foxsports.com.au.

“Obviously being a leg-spinner people are going to naturally compare him to Warney, but he’s a completely different bowler to what Warney was.

“He’s probably more in the mould of (young Afghanistan and Adelaide Strikers legspinner) Rashid Khan in the way that he really attacks the stumps and goes both ways — whereas Warney had a massive leg break that he relied on a lot.

“I’m not saying Popey doesn’t have (that quality), because he does have a very good leg-break as well.

“But I think those comparisons aren’t doing anyone any favours — even for another young spinner coming through, like (Queensland’s Mitchell) Swepson, it doesn’t help anyone.”

Swepson, who burst onto the scene last year and earned a shock call-up on Australia’s Test tour of India, is another who has quickly learned how infatuated Australian cricket fans are with young leg-spinners.

So too James Muirhead, a promising young tweaker who has risen quickly and then plateaued.

Let’s not forget that a cheeky Steve Smith was parachuted into the Australian team before his time, batting at No.8, because he possessed a wicked leg break.

It was only later that people realised that, perhaps, batting was more his go.

Luckily, Cullen adds, Pope is made of the right stuff to not be too burdened by the Warne comparisons.

Mitch Swepson is still waiting to make his Test debut.

He has experienced coaching staff in South Australia to keep him grounded.

And he has a bucketload of self belief, too.

“Popey has a good head on his shoulders so I don’t think he’ll read too much into (the Warne comparison),” Cullen added.

“He’s got some quiet self confidence.

“The last two years especially I think he’s done exceptionally well, and he’s really developed as a player and I think because he’s done well as a junior and that’s flowed into the A-grade — it’s given him a lot of self belief and a lot of confidence. That’s obviously showing at the moment.

“He’s rapidly improved. Hopefully he can keep going and the world’s his oyster really.”

Confidence is key for all athletes, but it becomes an even more valuable trait for spin bowlers.

The art of spin bowling is a tough one to learn, and can be a lonely existence when things aren’t going your way.

Unlike a seamer, you can’t send down a couple of rib ticklers to put the batsman on the back foot and give yourself a little boost.

It’s why having a little natural self-belief, as Pope does, can go a long way.

“The perfect example is Nathan Lyon — when he first started he was finding his way and had a lot of knockers and a lot of people who doubted him,” Cullen explains.

“And that’s why he was in and out of the Test team and got dropped at stages where it was pretty harsh.

“As you see now, the past two years he’s just built up this amazing confidence and he’s bowling exceptionally well.

“It’s the same with Popey — you need that belief and real drive and determination because you do have very tough days in the field but you need to be able to keep believing and bounce back in other situations.”

Nathan Lyon is the perfect example of what self-belief can do.

Pope steamrolled the England batting lineup in extraordinary fashion, taking the best-ever figures in under-19 WC history.

In doing so, he unveiled to the world a wrong’un that looks certain to cause damage for years to come, taking six of his eight wickets with the delivery.

Having the ability to bowl a googly has been in Pope’s locker as long as Cullen can remember and the only problem with it has been trying to convince the youngster to not overuse it.

“In the past we’ve just tried to make sure he doesn’t bowl it too much because otherwise people will start picking you more as they see it more,” he said.

“We’ve tried to get him to use it more as a surprise weapon in a way, but it is a very good wrong’un.

“Obviously when you’ve got a good leg-break as well, then the batter — if they’re not picking you out of the hand — it makes it very difficult.”

Originally published as ‘Next Warney’ tag not doing Lloyd Pope any favours, says Dan Cullen, killer googly strategy