Journal of Society of Indian Physiotherapists 2020;4(2):65–69

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Narative Review
Overview of biomechanics and movement patterns of cricket spin bowlers

Apurva Mathankar1, *
1 Dept. of Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning Academy, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article history: Cricket has gained huge popularity in Asia in recent years, but unfortunately, the research about the spin
Received 26-06-2020 bowling is yet at infancy level. Much of the available research is based on our knowledge of ball kinematics
Accepted 30-08-2020 such as ball flight, drift, and dive, etc. Less is known about the link between spin bowling biomechanics
Available online 31-08-2020 and injury prevention strategies and training programs needed for the optimal performance of a spin bowler.
The performance of the spin bowler is currently more targeted to his/her technique of ball delivery and skill
parameters. To overcome these challenges, we need to first understand the biomechanics in detail and the
Keywords:
movement patterns of each phase of spin bowling. This article gives an overview of spin bowling movement
Cricket patterns involved in each phase. This will help in developing new training strategies for injury prevention.
Spin bowling Also, physical therapists and strength and conditioning professionals will be able to format sports specific
Biomechanics
workout plans for spin bowlers.
Bowling
Offspin © 2020 Published by Innovative Publication. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license
Legspin (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

1. Introduction it more challenging for the batsman to play. 2 Thus, Spin

bowlers play an important role in bowling attack against the
Cricket is a global sport of bat and ball, played between
batting team. Therefore, to improve the team’s performance,
two teams with 11 players in each. The International
we need to focus on improving the performance of the
Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body that
team’s spin bowlers along with other positions. To achieve
organizes various world championship events. There are
this, understanding the biomechanics of spin bowling is very
three established event formats namely (T20) Twenty -
crucial.
Twenty event (game ranges from 20 overs per team), (ODI)
One Day International event (game ranges from 50 overs Although cricket spin bowling specific literature is
per team), and Test match (approximately 100 overs per day available related to ball kinematics such as ball drift, flight,
with the match lasting 4-5 days). 1 The team comprises of and dive, etc, 4–6 articles on spin bowling biomechanics and
six specialist positions such as batsmen, a wicketkeeper and injury prevention are not as readily available. Australian
four specialist bowlers, and one of which is usually a spin injury surveillance data encompassing the years 1995–2001,
bowler. demonstrates that shoulder injury prevalence among batters
Bowlers are an integral part of any cricket team. 2 In was 0.3%, fast bowlers 0.9%, and spin bowlers as 1.1%. 7
cricket, bowlers can be classified as fast bowlers and spin This means that the injury rates in spin bowlers are
bowlers. All bowlers propel a 5.5 oz ball towards a batsman increasing. It is prudent to understand the biomechanics of
or his wickets, but a spin bowler imparts rotation to the spin bowling in detail, to format injury prevention strategies
cricket ball, which makes the ball deviate from its original for spin bowlers. This article focuses on movement pattern
direction of flight when it hits the ground. 3 A ball bowled analysis of each phase of spin bowling technique, to
with spin, affects the flight and bounce of the ball, making help physical therapists and strength and conditioning
* Corresponding author. professionals in the development of spin bowling specific
E-mail address: apurvaatkar@gmail.com (A. Mathankar). training programs.

https://doi.org/10.18231/j.jsip.2020.009
2456-7787/© 2020 Innovative Publication, All rights reserved. 65
66 Mathankar / Journal of Society of Indian Physiotherapists 2020;4(2):65–69

2. Biomechanics of Spin Bowling

Spin bowlers deliver the ball at a relatively slower speed
as compared to fast bowlers. To deceive the batsman, spin
bowler use multiple skills like controlling the flight of the
ball such as the drift, dip and side spin, etc. Depending
on the method of adding spin to the ball, Spin bowlers
are classified as finger spin (Off –spin) bowlers and wrist
spin(Leg spin) bowlers.

2.1. Finger spin (FS) bowling Fig. 2: Grip for wrist spin bowling (right handed bowler)
The finger spin bowler grips the cricket ball firmly across
the seam, with slight flexion at interphalangeal joints of the
index and middle fingers. The thumb is held clear of the ball 2. Delivery stride / Front Foot Impact
(Figure 1). The ball leaves from the radial side of the hand 3. Cradle position
controlled by first and second phalanges, while the wrist 4. Ball release
flexes and deviates to ulnar side with the elbow supination 5. Follow-through
and extension. 2 It is documented that the spinning of the
ball does not specifically depend only on finger action but, 2.2.1. Back foot impact (BFI)
majorly on the supination of the forearm and the body’s Spin bowlers have very small run-up. BFI is a phase from
kinetic chain mechanism. 2 the run-up to the landing on the ipsilateral foot before the
delivery of the ball. E.g. it is the right foot for a right-handed
bowler. It is documented that elite athletes, demonstrate side
on bowling position at BFI (Figure 3) with the trunk in 25-
degree hyperextension 11 as the front arm points out and
stretches towards the batsman. The hip joint of landing leg
moves from the external rotation to neutral as the weight-
bearing happens, with lumbar vertebrae laterally flexed and
extending ipsilaterally, which results in a combination of
movement.

Fig. 1: Grip for finger spin bowling (left handed bowler)

2.2. Wrist spin (WS) bowling

(Figure 2) The wrist spin bowler grips the cricket ball in
the palms in between the index and middle finger with the
seam of the ball parallel to palm. The index and middle
finger are spread apart to firmly grip the ball. The proximal
interphalangeal joint flexion of the ring finger (also known
as the third finger, excluding the thumb) grasps the seam. In
this type of bowling, the ball is released from the ulna/fifth
phalange side of the hand, under the influence of elbow
pronation and extension with radially deviating wrist. 2 The
ring finger imparts the spin to the ball.
As described throughout coaching manuals and
books, 8–10 the complete bowling action is broken into five
Fig. 3: A male professional spin bowler demonstrating back foot
distinct positions or phases;
impact (BFI) phase
1. Back foot impact
 Mathankar / Journal of Society of Indian Physiotherapists 2020;4(2):65–69 67

2.2.2. Delivery stride/ front foot impact (FFI)

(Figure 4) The delivery stride is characterized by the bowler
being in a side-on position with trunk hyperextended and
away from the batsman. The front foot lands pointing
in the direction of the batsman with an angle of about
30 degrees to the leg side of the target(batsman), with
a shorter stride length compared to a fast bowler. In
this phase, bowlers rotate (approximately 30 degrees)their
shoulder girdle clockwise, in the transverse plane, resulting
in dissociation between shoulder to pelvis alignment. 11
Also, the bowling arm is abducted and externally rotated
with humerus which is approximately parallel to ground,
termed as upper arm horizontal position of the balling
extremity.

Fig. 5: A male professional spin bowler demonstrating cradle

phase

Fig. 4: A male professional spin bowler demonstrating delivery

stride phase / FFI

2.2.3. Cradle position

(Figure 5) This is a preparatory phase for releasing the ball
from balling extremity. In this phase, hips begin to rotate
forward to reduce shoulder pelvic separation at the ball
release phase. Thus, the weight gets transferred from the
back foot to the front foot with internal rotation of rear foot,
while maintaining the side-on position, as the front foot is
in slight internal rotation and adduction. Furthermore, just
before ball release phase when the bowling arm begins to
drop in its final swing, bowlers undergo quick acceleration
at the wrist joint which is then transferred to the hand
segment for ball delivery.

2.2.4. Ball release

(Figure 6) At the time of the delivery, the bowler pivots his
body on the metatarsophalangeal joint of the front foot with
trunk forward flexion of approximately 55 degrees. 11 This
helps the bowler to rotate his rear leg hip joint to increase Fig. 6: A male professional spin bowler demonstrating ball release
ball revolutions 5,6 by kinetic chain mechanism, resulting in phase
more deviation of the ball from the pitch.
In FS and WS bowling, wrist joint movement mechanics
play a crucial role in imparting spin to the ball. 9,10,12
68 Mathankar / Journal of Society of Indian Physiotherapists 2020;4(2):65–69

In particular, wrist joint undergoes flexion and adduction will be helpful. 13

during ball release phase to increases axis of rotation of In Figure 4, FFI/Delivery stride is characterized by
the ball in finger spin bowlers, whereas wrist cocking (a side on bowling action which shows lateral flexion and
combination of hyperextension and radial deviation at wrist hyperextension at the trunk. The rotational emphasis of the
joint)takes place in wrist spinners to help them to apply bowling action means that the training programs should
greater revolutions 3 to the ball. focus on developing core musculature strength and stability.
Therefore core exercises predominantly training explosive
2.2.5. Follow through trunk action through sagittal and transverse planes must be
(Figure 7) After the ball delivery, the bowler continues to prescribed to the spin bowler.
pivots on the front foot at the metatarsophalangeal joint
The front foot contact creates an impact force that is
while changing the forward loading of the body.
absorbed by soft tissues and lower back. 14 This means
that the FFI phase requires a spin bowler to have maximal
strength to absorb ground reaction forces and effectively
transfer them up to bowling arm through the kinetic
chain. This supports, the inclusion of closed chain exercise
prescription which strengthens the knee joint and increases
its stability. Also, exercises with sequential lower limb triple
(ankle, knee, hip) extension must be included as a part of the
advanced strength and conditioning program.
In Figure 5 and Figure 6, we can observe, vigorous
shoulder internal rotation while the arm circumducts during
the ball release phase. Repetitive pitching at high velocities
over time leads to chronic adaptations of soft and osseous
tissues that comprise the glenohumeral joint. 15 Internal
rotation difference between dominant and non-dominant
side is documented suggesting glenhumeral joint posterior
Fig. 7: A male professional spin bowler demonstrating follow capsule tightness in overhead athletes. 16 This means that
through phase glenhumeral joint capsule stretches must be an integral part
of the flexibility programs of spin bowlers.
Above mentioned are generalized movement patterns, The muscles in front of the chest and trunk (pectorals,
but as spin bowling is a tactical art, these biomechanical abdominals, quadriceps, and biceps) act as the primary
movements may change slightly depending upon the accelerators of the bowling arm and therefore increase
technical maturity of the athlete. The study done by A. the spin of the ball, while the muscles in the back of
Chin et al 2009, 11 has compared elite and sub-elite spin the body (rotator cuff, trapezius, rhomboids, and back
bowlers on various kinematic domains to judge its influence extensors) act to decelerate this balling arm during the
on ball speed and spin. They concluded that there are several follow-through. 17 This indicates that the training must be
key mechanical characteristics that international spinners such that muscles surrounding the glenohumeral joint must
employ to maximize ball velocity and rotation as compared be trained concentrically as well as eccentrically.
to sub-elite athletes. Finally, muscles responsible for controlling wrist
movements such as flexion, extension, and radial / ulnar
2.3. Implementing biomechanics knowledge in training deviation must also be conditioned for repeated high-
and injury prevention velocity performance.
The information presented earlier in this article can be
used as a framework for the development of strength and 3. Conclusion
conditioning programs specific to cricket spin bowler.
In Figure 3, BFI requires more stability and summation Nowadays the matches are shorter which leads to high
of forces sequenced largely proximal to distal (legs, trunk, physical as well as physiological demands. Spin bowlers
bowling arm) fashion. This requires a coordinated sequence must be trained in a biomechanically correct way to prevent
of movements with the proper timing of each body segment. or minimize injuries. Spin bowling performance must not
Therefore, including power exercises in training programs be considered only based on the technique of spinning but
for improving the rate of force development in addition to coaches should consider strength and conditioning aspects
sport-specific plyometrics to train spin bowlers for force also and the training programs should include exercises that
absorption and teaching them proper landing mechanics, are simulating the spin bowling movement patterns.
 Mathankar / Journal of Society of Indian Physiotherapists 2020;4(2):65–69 69

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