Sheath anchors, a crucial factor for winning in T20 – Dean Jones
Dean Jones is a member of the executive board of the ICL.
Through 52 Tests he scored 3631 runs. Jones was the architect of modern day one day batting where he pioneered a whole new refreshing approach to batting in the one day format of the game. He amassed a 6068 runs from 164 ODI games. He is remembered for his significant contribution to the national team in Australia`s 1987 World Cup winning campaign as well as 1989`s Ashes victory. Following his retirement from the cricket Dean, remains firmly associated with the game as one of the most popular commentators of the game.
The old theory is that bowlers win you Tests whereas batsmen win you one-dayers. The same goes for T20 cricket. In T20, the batsmen are the major ingredients for winning particularly the top four batsmen who will literally win or lose a match with their performances.
The major formula for winning any team sport is that each player must know what their role entails. In T20 cricket one of the major roles in the team is that of a sheath anchor.
The sheath anchor is essentially a batsman who bats in the top order and can dominate the game early on when the field is up. However, he must also accumulate runs when the field is out. He must also give as much as strike he can to the "Power Batsmen" in the team when batting at the death or the last few overs.
Now most sheath anchor batsmen in ODI cricket have strike rates around 70+. In T20, their strike rates must go beyond a staggering 110+.They must be fit enough to bat through the entire innings. They must pinch the singles at their will while running quickly to keep the "Power Batsmen" on strike. They must be fit and a fine strategist as well.
Running between the wickets is a major tool to upset any fielding team. However, it is a much underrated skill for any batting team. The sheath anchor batsmen can set the tone right here with some great running which can irritate the bowlers with pinched singles. This can upset any captain and can cause early grey hair growth. This also creates an environment where the fielding team is worried about what you are doing instead of worrying about themselves. This is when the game is partly won.
The two most successful teams in the ICL are Chennai Superstars and Hyderabad Heroes. It is not surprising news that Ian Harvey and Jimmy Maher are the best performing sheath anchor batsmen as they have performed brilliantly over the past few tournaments.
In order to reverse their poor forms teams like Mumbai Champs, Ahmadabad Rockets and the Delhi Giants must define and choose their sheath anchor batsmen.
Mumbai must use Brian Lara. He has all the experience to pace an innings and power at the death to assume the responsibility. Lara should open the batting and if he is dismissed then Nathan Astle should assume the role of sheath anchor. Let us hope he is fit this time around.
Delhi Giants have two batsmen to choose from, Abbas Ali and Marvan Atapattu. I would go with the experienced Attapatu. We all know what a great player he is and when you upset him a little.. Just be aware as he has hurt every bowler in the world. If Atapattu goes early then the Giants should throw in Ali straight away.
Ahmedabad Rockets have been promising at times but they have also got two batsmen to look at, Murray Goodwin or S Sriram. I would prefer to go for Sriram. He is a talented player and would relish the responsibility. Goodwin on the other hand can do many roles within the team.
T20 cricket is a tough game. You must be in the sixth gear right from the word GO. Batsmen are always thinking of boundaries while the bowlers are so worried about the line and the length. Every dot ball is like money in their pocket. If you don`t have the mental courage to back yourself in this form of the game you will be eaten up very quickly.
If any team in the ICL wants to win any tournament then they must identify each other’s roles within the team and find a very good sheath anchor batsman. Then the coaching staff has to make the player BELIEVE he can do that job properly. And that folks is another major job entirely!
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