Adelaide Strikers superstar Rashid Khan gives spin bowling masterclass alongside Shane Warne
Adelaide Strikers star Rashid Khan has given a bowling masterclass alongside the legendary Shane Warne, sharing some of the secrets that has helped him become the world’s “best leg-spinner”.
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Picking the brains of superstar leg-spinners Rashid Khan and Shane Warne is the dream of many aspiring bowlers around the world.
But budding wrist spinners got the next best thing during the lunch break on day four of the MCG Test match between Australian and New Zealand when the pair held a bowling masterclass as part of the Fox Sports coverage.
Warne and Rashid took viewers through three deliveries - the leg spinner, wrong’un and flipper - explaining the differences in how they each bowl them.
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Warne heaped praise on the 21-year-old Afghani, who has terrorised batsmen in the BBL for Adelaide Strikers, describing him as the “best leg-spinner in the world at the moment”.
“To watch him bowl is fantastic,” Warne said.
“I think most batsmen can’t pick Rashid, so what they try and do is sweep.
“And I always found when batsmen try and sweep, you’re always in the game because you get LBWs and bowleds.”
Here’s a look into some of the tips Rashid gave about spin bowling:
THE GRIP
Warne said he used one grip when bowling - two fingers up, two fingers down.
Rashid, however, has five different grips he uses and it’s all part of deceiving the batsman, while maintaining his pace through the air.
“Other spinners they have, like, change of pace, use the wicket and something like that, but for me I can’t change my pace - that’s what my main secret is and helps me get the wickets,” said Rashid, who fires balls down at 90km/h or more.
“So, the only thing I can do is keep changing the grips.”
LEG-SPINNER
During his playing days, Warne delivered his “stock” ball typically between 75-85km/h.
Comparitvely, Rashid sends his leggies down in the high 90s.
That speed through the air - which is generated by pushing harder through the crease - has become one of his biggest weapons.
Its spinner heaven on @foxcricket right now ðŸ˜@ShaneWarne and @rashidkhan_19 bowling together!
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 29, 2019
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“For me, I’m a little bit quicker (through the crease) than the others, the reason behind that is it gives me extra energy and that allows me to bowl faster as well,” Rashid explained.
“And the kind of action I have, that should have the faster run up.
“If I go with a slower run up, I can’t bowl as fast as what I’m bowling.”
WRONG’UN
Rashid has three different wrong’uns - or “wrong ones”, as he likes to call them.
One is bowled out the side of the hand to look more like a leg-spinner, while another uses less wrist action - the third he didn’t disclose.
“I love the wrong one, every leg spinner loves bowling the wrong one,” Rashid said.
“I think I’m bowling it according to the batsman’s mind - where he wants to hit me, what is his mentality right now, and whether he’s fully (picking) my wrong one.”
The big difference compared to Warne is Rashid bowls his wrong’un more from his fingertips, as opposed to deeper in the palm of his hand.
FLIPPER
The flipper is arguably Warne’s most famous delivery - the ball that looks like a leg-spinner, but skids on quickly without any turn.
The technique would involve a “click” of the fingers to pop the ball out with pace, with less revolutions on it.
Rashid said he’s tried to emulate the spin king’s method without much success, and has developed his own interpretation of the delivery instead - opting to simply put more energy into his bowling action.
It's a flipper off at the moment! Which flipper do you prefer?
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 29, 2019
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“I can’t bowl it, I’ve tried a lot the last two years to bowl the flipper but it doesn’t go, Rashid said.
“Right now, what I’m doing for the flipper is naturally when I’m bowling the ball for the leg-spinner, I release it with more power and more energy so (it spins less) and that’s what I call my flipper.”
Originally published as Adelaide Strikers superstar Rashid Khan gives spin bowling masterclass alongside Shane Warne