Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim suffered a minor concussion after misreading a shorter delivery, highlighting the need for batsman to hone their short ball technique. Photo/Photosport.nz
Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim suffered a minor concussion after misreading a shorter delivery, highlighting the need for batsman to hone their short ball technique. Photo/Photosport.nz
Here's a hypothetical for you: you're playing a sport against an international-level opponent who has a weakness in what is deemed a controversial area, despite it being legal. Do you attack that weakness to win the game?
If you answered no, winning clearly isn't a priority for you.
The firstcricket test between New Zealand and Bangladesh saw a barrage of short-pitched bowling from both sides as they endeavoured to take wickets.
New Zealand peppered Mushfiqur Rahim with a short-pitched fusillade as he was clearly uncomfortable and unable to play with any amount of conviction.
Unfortunately he was struck in the helmet by a back-of-a-length, not short, delivery from Tim Southee and ended up being taken to hospital.
Mushfiqur suffered minor concussion to go with left thumb and right index finger injuries, also caused by playing the short ball poorly.
From this has been a fair bit of noise from the public - not the players - about removing the short ball or heavily penalising bowlers for employing this fair tactic.
They seem to miss the point that some players cannot play the short ball and is therefore a good tactic to take wickets.
The ruling as it stands currently states that a bowler may send down two deliveries between shoulder and head high per over in test cricket.
There has been criticism of Neil Wagner around whether he actually bowls more than the legal amount. If you watch him bowl, the majority of his short balls are actually chest-high.
It takes a tremendous amount of control to bowl that many at the chest without going over the bouncer quota.
Neil Wagner's calling card is the short pitched barrage, but even he sports the damage that can be caused if the ball is not played correctly. Photo/Photosport.nz
But discussing where Neil Wagner's deliveries end up glosses over an easier way to fix the "short ball issue".
The real problem lies with how batsman play the delivery.
While Mushfiqur's headshot was tough to watch, if you take a closer look at it he ducked into a delivery that he could have comfortably defended on the back foot.
However, his inability to play the short-ball and the bombardment from Wagner and Southee led to him making another mistake in judgement.
In the age of Twenty20, increasing run rates and big bats, batsman are far more cavalier in their approach to the short ball at the expense of sound technique.
More players are getting hit but a big reason for this is they see the hook and pull shots as big scoring opportunities.
Bouncers are an effective tool in most quick bowlers' arsenals and it's up to the batsman to get better.
It's not often you see a good player of the short ball bowled a lot of short deliveries. That's because it isn't nearly as effective in stemming the flow of runs or taking wickets.
All those who have an issue with the short ball should listen to Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal's post-match comments regarding New Zealand's tactics.
"That's part of the game. You can't complain about it. That was their strategy. I am sure Mushy doesn't have complaints too."
They accept the tactic. Do they enjoy it? Clearly not. But it is no different to bowling spin to a player who isn't adept in facing it.
It's not like the players are unprotected. Safety equipment has come a long way. From February 17, batsman must wear the latest helmet which will give batsman the best protection from getting hit in the head yet.
Regardless there will still be a group advocating the removal of the tactic as is customary in this era where people want everyone doing anything slightly dangerous wrapped in cotton-wool.
Oddly though, you didn't hear a peep out of them when Wagner copped three balls in the helmet in the space of 16 balls. One even drew blood from the no-nonsense left-armer's chin.
Maybe they think an eye for an eye doesn't necessarily leave the world blind.
