Yorkers will single-handedly win games of cricket in this year’s edition of the IPL. And they will do the same if you coach it well because the yorker is an exciting ball that can be practiced and developed through coaching routines and practices.

Malinga has made himself into one of the most valuable T20 players in the world in the IPL over the last 2 editions.  It’s no shock to learn that he attempts over twice as many yorkers than any other bowler in the IPL. 

Malinga is a diligent trainer and is often seen aiming his yorkers at targets before matches with unerring accuracy. Here’s how your bowling unit can copy his success.

There are more balls hit into the air now that at any other time in cricket history. Matches and tournaments can be won and lost on the ability of a team or individual player to cling onto a Skyer.  So it is vital for us to develop the skills of our players to cope with this aerial onslaught.

The slog sweep is a legitimate boundary option. It’s hit in the air over the inner ring fielders and with the huge bats of today, often over the fence!

 
The ‘run sweep’ has been called many names: paddle sweep and lap sweep.

I call it the run sweep as the a batter uses the pace on the ball and lets the ball run off the face of the bat into a vacant short fine leg position for anything between 2 and 4 runs.

I worked with Kevin Pietersen for nearly 4 years on a day to day basis.

In the first of three articles on sweeping spinners, I look at the hard sweep: The ‘normal’ sweep where the ball is hit out towards the square leg boundary along the ground.

Many commentators are very critical on the shot and its use in any format of the game.

In England, I was bought up being told that you should not hit against the spin.

You can't hit with control and the bowler will end up getting your wicket, they used to tell me.

Every time I hit an off spinner for 4 between mid off and extra cover I was told it was risky.

But I reckon that in all my batting career scored 2000 runs with that one shot.

 There are as many different styles of coaching as there are cricket coaches. Some things are changeable based on your personality and philosophy as a coach, but there are 4 pillars for every coach. These are the things that you take to every session, without question.

Just as with the pace bowlers in a previous article, we are concentrating on drills and progressions in pre-season. This week it's the turn of the spinners.

Bowling from the Delivery Stride Drills

 It is a real pleasure for me to welcome Iain Br