John Davison is identified with some explosive batting in the 2003 ODI World Cup. Turning out for minnows Canada, he made the bigger teams like the West Indies and New Zealand sweat. Born in Vancouver, Canada, and then raised in Australia, Davison played first class cricket for New South Wales and West Australia. He then moved to Canada to play international cricket. Although known for his fireworks with the willow, he was also useful as an off-spinner with 111 first class scalps.
Involved with Cricket Australia as a spin bowling coach and a consultant for the last seven years, the 45-year-old Davison is now here with a group of spin bowlers and batsmen at the MRF Pace Foundation. The Hindu caught up with him for an exclusive conversation. Here are excerpts from the chat.
On travelling to the MRF Pace Foundation with spinners and batsmen
It’s a world class facility and Cricket Australia has a long association with MRF. They also have wickets and a ground (MRF-Pachaiyappa’s) where there will be some assistance for spinners too.
It’s not about bowling alone. It’s about understanding the sub-continent’s culture, people and weather, all of which contribute to your cricket.
I think leg-spinners Jonte Pattinson and Mitchell Swepson and left-arm spinner Riley Ayre should evolve from the tour. They will get match practice.
On the constant Australian batting collapses in the sub-continent
We are working on that. The three batsmen here, Cameron Bancroft, Ashton Turner, and Kelvin Smith could learn a lot.
Bancroft and Turner are from West Australia where the pitches have pace and bounce, so it will be a new experience for them.
On working with the much-improved Aussie off-spinner Nathan Lyon
I was with him during the India-Australia Test series this summer and it was a breakthrough moment for him when he won the Adelaide Test for Australia on day five. His stock delivery — the off-spinner — is the best by any bowler in international cricket now. There is overspin, the ball drifts, drops, turns and bounces. He has a good top-spinner too and we have been working on things such as control, variations in speed and angles. Lyon is reading the game well, picking when to attack.
On R. Ashwin and the return of Harbhajan Singh to the Indian ranks
Ashwin is a good bowler. The Indians blundered by leaving him out of the first Test in Adelaide. He has variety, can get batsmen out. Harbhajan has over 400 Test wickets. Both these bowlers will be pushing each other hard. Competition is good.
On the current crop of spinners in Australia
Well, Lyon should be around for a long time. Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar is developing. Leg-spinner Fawad Alam is bowling really well.
On the legality of the contentious doosra
It’s almost impossible to bowl an effective doosra with a legal action. The carrom ball can be bowled legally. Look at Greame Swann. He proved that you can be very successful bowling classical off-spin.
On ICC’s clampdown on bowlers with illegal bowling action
It’s good but it has happened two decades too late. In these 20 years, young bowlers had spinners with extremely suspect action as their idols and it has done considerable harm.
