Legendary Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has expressed concern over the lack of delivery of yorkers by pacers, particularly in the death overs in the modern era ahead of the next ICC T20 World Cup 2024. However, Lee said only the Indian sprinter jasprit bumrah He is executing yorkers perfectly in the death overs.
Lee, known for his lethal pace during his playing days, emphasized the importance of mastering yorkers, especially in the modern era where T20 games have witnessed high-scoring encounters.
The Australian great expressed his wish that more players employ yorkers, especially during the crucial death overs, to restrict the flow of runs and take wickets, in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the US and the Caribbean.
Yorker execution crucial in T20 cricket: Brett Lee ahead of T20 World Cup 2024
The commentator also acknowledged that players have been effectively executing yorkers in the IPL, where they have proven to be economical with an average strike rate of less than 100. However, he also highlighted the challenges posed by innovative batting techniques such as scoop. shot, which batsmen use to counter yorker pitches.
Brett Lee said at the launch of the Legends Intercontinental T20 League: “As a rule, apart from Bumrah, we haven’t seen enough fast bowlers hitting their yorkers of late. I want to see fast bowlers bowling more yorkers. “I still don’t think they’ve executed enough Yorkists to death.”
Meanwhile, the former Australian pacer advocated an entertaining brand of cricket but stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between bat and ball. He warned against extreme pitches that heavily favor pitchers or hitters, and called for competitive pitching where both sides have an equal opportunity to excel.
Brett Lee calls for competitive pitches in T20s
Lee suggested that a total of between 185 and 230 runs is ideal for a competitive match, and said the recent trend of exceptionally high scores is increasing the challenge for bowlers in the modern game, with many conceding between 45 and 50 runs. in his four overs.
He said goodbye saying: “I’m all for hitters smoking the ball all over the place, but there has to be something for pitchers too. I am not asking for a green top, where teams will play at 110, because that is not good for cricket either. You want a good total, I think. Any point between that mark of 185 and 230 is a good score. We have seen scores now of 265, 270, 277. It is really difficult because most bowlers now aim for 45-50 in their four overs.”
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah is currently preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in USA with the Indian cricket team. He was the third highest wicket-taker in the recent IPL 2024, with 20 scalps in 13 games for Mumbai Indians (MI).
Bumrah is likely to play in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh before their opening match against Ireland on June 5 in New York.