Graeme Swann
Graeme Swann, who is currently ranked no. 2 in the ICC Test Rankings of bowlers, has said that he loves setting challenges for himself and feels satisfied on accomplishing them. In his words, “You make challenges within your own head. I always look at the team sheet beforehand and target the batsmen I want to get out and it’s always the best player, it gives me personal satisfaction getting the best players out.”
He further says that “Sachin Tendulkar is the best player the game has had in my lifetime so it’s always a pleasure to play against him. But hopefully I won’t get to bowl to him too much this year because that would mean Jimmy Anderson is doing his job at the top of the order.”
India are supposed to visit England for a long tour of about two months, in which they play 4 Tests, 1 T20 and 5 ODI’s. Thus it would be very much in the favor of England if Swann plays well for them.
Incidentally Swann was not picked up any of the franchisees in the IPL bid earlier this year and thus could not fulfill his wish of dismissing the “little master” in the IPL.
However Swann his quite happy with his form and says that he is ten times a better bowler than what he used to be ten years back. He says, “I’m certainly 10 times the bowler I was 10 years ago. The longer you play the game your body just gets used to it. Your rhythm comes naturally compared to when you were a kid when you have as many bad days as you do good.”
Speaking about his Ashes tour in December-January Swann says that Australia is “not an easy place to bowl since the wickets don’t turn.”
“Sydney was famous for turning but it doesn’t anymore. You need footholes to make the ball go. In Melbourne it was almost going the other way. Michael Hussey got after me in the first game in Brisbane but that was because I was bowling badly. A lot of people said he got to you and rattled you but he didn’t at all, I just bowled like a drain, I just didn’t bowl well.”
He also feels that one of the spells that he bowled in Melbourne happens to be “the finest he’s performed with the ball”, since the wicket was not assisting spin and yet he managed to keep the scoring under control.
None the less the wrist-spinner would be hoping that his best unleashes in the near future, when India visit England for a much exciting series.
Tags: Cricket, England, Graeme Swann, ICC Test Rankings, Sachin Tendulkar
