By Shashi Agarwal
Jade Denbach, the South African born English cricketer was drafted into the English squad after he qualified to play for England. The selectors considered his an asset and decided to invest on him considering him to be a future prospect. The result was that James Anderson had to make way for him in the T20 squad and it went all right for the English team. Considering all the talent Dernbach had, it always looked a wise move to invest on him and he started with bang leading England with some special show in the death overs.
But it’s International cricket and nothing can be taken for granted here. It takes a series or two to change one’s fortune and who better than Dernbach to understand that. His success was dependent much on the variety he had, something which made him very difficult to get away in the death overs. But , he was also good in the initial overs, swinging the ball in the range of 140s but just did not concentrate on this aspect of his game.
But the problem with him has been something like Ashwin. With all the technology present in the modern era , the opponents always have an eye on the unusual a player has. The likes of Ajantha Mendis has faced it and Ashwin and Dernbach are the most probable ones to follow him.Dernbach has been using his slow balls rather more frequently instead of using them as surprise weapons.A slow ball is dependent on how it is set up and a 140+ delivery before a slow ball does help the cause.It just pushes the batsman back .Shoaib Akhtar had a terrific slow ball and much of it is attributed to the fact of how he used to set up the batsman by a fast delivery.The opponents have picked his variations and being too predictable his not helping his cause either.
A part of his failure has to go to the captain , the way they have used him.They have banked on him as a death specialist and had most of his overs in the ends.Bowling length balls at the death is not a very wise option and he had to alter his line , length and speed.
Dernbach should realise that he is a much better than just bowling those slower ones.Instead , he should be concentrating on his regular swingers and use his variations as surprise weapons.It’ now or never sort of situation for him or else he will soon be included in the list of used and thrown South African in English cricket.
