Amol Bhavsar
Right Hand Fast Bowler
Introduction:
Amol could have easily qualified to be ranked among the all-rounders of the team had he applied himself in the batting department on a more consistent basis. Nonetheless, his bowling ability would be sufficient to make him part of any playing 11. The shortest run-up you could ever see a fast bowler having, Amol is a pretty slippery customer. He generates a very decent amount of pace and generally swings the bowl away from the right handed batsmen, unlike the other WVUCC faster bowling options who curve the bowl back in. When in full rhythm, Amol is one of the most natural outswingers of the cricket ball and is a favorite for many a wicket-keeper, including myself, providing the ball with the maximum chance of take the outside edge.
Progress:
Amol is definitely one of the most senior players of WVUCC alongside Manish and Ashok. Earlier on, he was given the role of opening the bowling for WVUCC due to his innate ability to swing the ball at good pace. However, he always struggled to control the new cherry and used to give away a lot of extras. He proved to be a more lethal weapon with the slightly more older ball finding more control and troubling the batsmen.
For the last two years Amol not only stabilized the middle period of the bowling innings for WVUCC but also picked up crucial top-order batsmen and controlled the flow of runs. He is a dream bowler for any captain in the middle of the innings. The batsmen are completely at sea against his pace, unable to understand how he generates such pace with such a short run-up. He even troubled the best of us during the net sessions. A natural wicket-taker, Amol attacks the stumps and loves bowling in yorkers. At times he gets carried away with this idea and gets punished. It is always hard for him to find that short of good length spot and just bowl wicket to wicket. However, it is this burning desire of his to take wickets which makes him a natural competitor and a thorn in the opposition's plans.
In 2006 Amol picked up 19 wickets at an extraordinary average of 15.11. Being his first season in the PCA league, Amol surprised many with his outswingers and pace. In 2007 the other teams came up with a plan against him, playing him out and testing his patience. That is where Amol gets restless. He is the kind of a bowler who wants to get a wicket every time he delivers the ball from his grip. When they don't come his length becomes shorter and the smaller dimensions of the square boundaries make him an easy target. For this reason alone, I had to use him sparingly this season and with the other magnificent bowling options I had this season, I was able to bring Amol on for short, quick spells. Even then he managed to pick up 15 wickets at an average of 16.73.
My favorite Amol Bhavsar ball: Outswinger from middle stump kissing the outside edge on its way to the keeper.
My favorite Amol Bhavsar spell: 4 for 17 in 5 overs against the Gladiators, ripping through the top order.
Amol's batting never took off the way it should have. I personally think that Amol has a lot of batting ability but he throws away his wicket unnecessarily at times. He has played a few, more than useful innings for WVUCC. One of them was a matchwinning 30 against the Strikers this last season when the top order had failed chasing in a low scoring game.
Technical Analysis:
Bowling:
Amol's bowling technique is very simple yet highly effective. He hardly uses his back and legs for rhythm and pace. All his pace is generated through his bulky shoulders and quick release through the arms. He is probably among the very few bowlers who can swing the ball away from the batsmen even with a chest-on bowling action. The reason for that is his follow-through taking his arm well away from his body and a perfect seam position. I have seen his seam slanted towards the slip cordon coming out of his hand when I have kept up to him. It is simply wonderfully done. The only thing he needs to develop is the inswinger which should not be a big problem given his bowling action. He suffers at times with his length, which in my point of view has to do with the mind more than his technique.
Batting:
Amol always thought like a pinch-hitter and could not develop the temperament for staying at the crease for long. Against the Strikers when he was playing his career-best innings, he thought like a batsman and was able to form a partnership with Abhijeet. When the ball is delivered Amol opens up himself clearing the front foot and setting himself up to loft the ball over the straight boundary. When he connects it is hard to find the ball, but when he misses, it is hard to find the stumps. He is weak playing on the legside and defending balls pitched short.
Mental Analysis:
It is this area which has hampered Amol's batting success and, at times, his bowling. A fast bowler bowling in the batsman's world, where the boundaries are short and the bats are thick, requires a lot of self confidence and a big heart. If you are able to hit Amol for a boundary Amol very quickly tries to bowl faster and in the process loses his rhythm and length. He still needs to learn the art of patience as a cricketer. With the amount of ability that Amol has, he can do wonders only if he is able to absorb the humiliation of being hit a little better. Every bowler has a bad day and every bowler gets hit. A true cricketer is he who fights the tough day out to succeed on another day.
What Else:
Amol is one of the toughest guys to handle for a captain. He has a dominating personality which helps him as a competitive cricketer but can overspill at times and cause problems in the team. He was a bowler who always wanted that extra over, a batsman who always wanted to bat higher up in the order, and a fielder who always wanted the easy fielding positions. Apart from that, he was a great asset for the team and a very good friend. He always tried his best to support the younger bowlers and pass a tip or two standing in his favorite mid-on position.
Marks out of Ten this season (7.5/10)
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