What is reverse swing?

What is reverse swing?

Firstly let's describe regular swing.

Regular swing is what has been utilised in cricket throughout the history of the game. When a ball is new both sides are shiny and it moves through the air much faster the newer it gets. Through fast bowlers maintaining the shine on one side of the ball and leaving the other side to remain scuffed the ball travels faster on the shiny side and slower on the rough side thus producing a swing movement. Past players such as the late great Fred Truman were exponents of swing and allegedly put Brylcream in their hair (Heh that's a good headline....Brylcream in Hair....mmm) to be applied to the shiny side of the ball through innocuous hand through hair movements. Purist swing bowlers keep the ball pitched up whereas upright seam bowlers using shorter deliveries enabling swing movement after natural seaming taking place. In these circumstances keepers were often kept on their toes. Perhaps the greatest and most spectacular example of regular swing bowling (in perfect overcast sticky english conditions) was when Bob Massie took 16 wickets against England some years back. I watched every ball bowled and I think it fair to say that the conditions were perfect for natural or regular swing bowling.

Generally speaking swing bowlers find english April & May damp conditions (early dew helps sometimes evening dew too) preferable. In dry conditions such as those found in Australia, India & other parts of the sub-continent, South Africa also, regular swing is uncommon as the ball deteriorates faster in dusty, harder and drier conditions.

Reverse swing. What is reverse swing?

It is generally considered that reverse swing never occurred until several Pakistan fast bowlers (Younis & Akram) discovered the merits of fast-medium reverse swing although the roots of reverse swing go back much further. It's well documented that on occasions unplayable jaffer deliveries could be sent down by swing bowlers and I think Massie achieved quite a few on that memorable day without quite realising what he was experiencing. The consensus view, here goes, is that by applying sweat to scuffed side (usually on 1 quarter or one of the cups) weight is added to the ball i.e the leather gets heavier. As the ball travels through the air regular swing is achieved and after a distance of 15 yards + a giro effect begins whereby the extra weight of the heavier cup or 1/4 effects the swing direction and recompensates accordingly by rotating the ball and then moving the ball back in the direction it originated from. In essence if one was looking at the direction from above over 22 yards the ball moves in a long 'S' shape. The later the movement the more effective the delivery.

Now this is the key point. The conventional view is that reverse swing is ok so long as natural sweat is applied although stick-in-the-muds take the view that anything applied to the ball is tampering. Sweat is not artificial and thus I take the view that because sweat has always been used by swing bowlers then this is acceptable and as Waquir Younis said recently, it is important to shine and shine on one side only. The effect usually occurs after 35 overs usage but it takes bowlers from around 5th over to get the ball moving towards a swing and then reverse swing condition but constant effort by all bowlers is essential. Imran Khan confirmed on tv that when he appeared in the High Court during his case he admitted that he once used a bottle top to deteriorate the ball which he said was cheating. He didn't get caught but he admitted he had cheated...on one occasion only. The problem for Pakistan is that reverse swing bowling has become part of their armoury as regular swing does not last in dry conditions. It would appear that the tampering of balls may be endemic in their game which would explain the PCB's reaction to the umpire's decision before tea last Sunday. This is only conjecture but is a widely held view amongst cricket aficionados but in such a dicey subject no-one, especially pro-cricketers, is prepared to admit that the rules are bent (not always by asian cricketers btw). I don't take the view that reverse only happens through excessive shining and automatically happens around 40th over. Some ruination of the ball must take place to the rough side...usually natural bashing from the constant contact with bats and last Sunday Cook & Pietersen gave the ball some pasting. It's known throughout the game and especially amongst bowlers that excessive scratches applied to the surface of the rough side increase the likelihood of reverse swing and accentuates the movement.

Everybody defending the Pakistan position last Sunday is asking for proof of tampering. The fact that reverse swing happened and that the ball was scored or scratched is proof enough. Let's hope Mr Hair or Mr Mike Proctor have the ball under safe lock and key and that the ball is used as part of the prosecution's evidence in support of the umpires decisions. I can't help feeling that a meeting in Dubai, under arab and international law will not receive the same degree of legal attention and duty if the hearing had occurred at the home of cricket. Pakistan's army of lawyers must be lapping up the Hair compensation issue but let's not get carried away about this and focus on the real issue.

Did the ball reverse swing? The Cook delivery certainly swung alarmingly
Did a Pakistan player apply extra deterioration to the ball? Who knows!
Did the ball get scored/scratched during these final overs? Apparently yes (see tv coverage)

There you have it! Reverse swing and why it's in the Pakistan armoury....both Wacquir Younis and Wasim Akram were the finest exponents of reverse swing although it musn't be forgotten that Imran Khan during his hey day had a wicked inswinging delivery that (apart from Darren Gough arguably) few could replicate.

Replication?! That is the biq unanswered q in cricket since memoriam. Why do some bowlers swing the ball & others not?

I'm sure there are those who will not agree with some of this swing nonsense but I have tried to keep it simple.......I never managed to swing a ball ever and I bit my nails anyway!