Brett Lee unveils “Bowling Master”

Sachin Tendulkar, V. V. S. Laxman, David Warner and Mitchell Johnson were curious to know about the “Bowling Master” tool, which was unveiled on Wednesday in Mumbai.

The former Australian pacer Brett Lee had not only invited them for the unveiling of the cricketing tool, partnered with Amazon India, but was also keen and eager to explain and demonstrate the new “Bowling Training Technology”, which can be used with or without a coach.

The “Bowling Master” is a rolling mat of 5.6 metres in length for seniors (for the over 14 age group) and 3.6 metres for juniors (8-14 age group) with a colour shades indicating short zone (blue), good zone (white), full zone (red) and yorker zone (yellow) and 3.3 metres for spinners without the yorker zone indicator.

The tool also comes with devices like a 220mm target marker and six pieces of 100mm bowling markers. And with a first mobile application to refer to, a bowler will get a real-time feedback on his bowling performance.

The mat is rolled out alongside the cricket pitch (or any other level playing surface) with the top-end touching the batting crease, and once a bowler puts his target marker and sends down six deliveries (where the six bowling markers are placed), he gets an immediate feedback on where he/she is pitching the ball.

At the outset, Lee said: “I wish I had this training aid when I was learning how to bowl in my younger years. It’s important to understand how to bowl at a good length; not every kid knows where a good length is. I have always looked at something and bowled. Bowling at the “good or white zone” will create opportunities to take wickets in a variety of ways. Just bowling fast doesn’t take wickets, bowling fast in the good zone does.”

The “Bowling Master” has been created to help swing, medium, fast and spin bowlers gauge bowling accuracy. According to Andrew Crimston, co-founder of Bowling Master India, it has taken two and half years to develop the tool which is now used in Australia by juniors, seniors and in clinics and academies.

Lee explained that the “Bowling Master” tool to Indian and Mumbai Indians’ bowler Jasprit Bumrah, taking him close to a mat with dedicated zones and set of stumps placed before the stage.

“Bowling consistently in the good length (of 2000mm length for seniors and 1500mm length for juniors and spin bowlers) means less runs and more wickets. It will make you the strike bowler of your team,” said Lee.