Bowlers need to keep what makes them unique: Glenn McGrath

How should one ideally bowl in T20s?
Bowling in any form of cricket – Tests, One-dayers and T20 – comes back to execution. You should have the skill levels to be able to bowl the ball you want to and be able to land it exactly where you want to. You have to hit the yorkers (regularly). I feel yorker is a very dangerous delivery. I don't think bowlers actually execute it well enough these days. That's one thing they need to work on. Obviously, slower balls, change of pace are effective. It all comes back to control. The team plan will be to take early wickets. If you take early wickets in T20, it really restricts the score and puts pressure on the batting team. If the batting team gets off to a flier, they can do anything. So, bowling is about execution, really hitting the yorkers along with a variety of slower balls to be able to succeed these days.

Talking about yorkers, Jasprit Bumrah has been revelation, hasn't he? Captain MS Dhoni is impressed with his ability to bowl yorkers regularly. How do you look at him?
I have seen a little bit of Bumrah at the MRF Pace Foundation when he came for a couple of camps. He has got a unique action, no doubt about that. When he is bowling at that pace, he looks pretty good. If he can bowl pretty good yorkers, he can be a dangerous bowler. He is bowling exceptionally well at the moment and Dhoni has got faith in him. When you can come in and bowl at a reasonable pace like he does, and hit the yorkers, that makes it a little more difficult (for the batsmen). Some batsmen would not have seen his unique action and would not have played against him. It takes a little while to get used to him and that will be another thing that will be in his favour.

As a coach, what do you tell bowlers with unique action?
At the MRF Pace Foundation, we don't try to change bowlers' action. We allow them to get the most out of their action. Whether it is front on or follow through, just a little bit of refinement. When you come up against guys with very unique action, if you try to change them too much, you will destroy their action. They won't be able to bowl a ball. You just do a little more where they get a bit more out of their action. Bowlers need to keep what makes them unique. As long as they are not getting injured every second match, I have no issues with it.

Is Bumrah's action injury-prone? Recently, Aaqib Javed said he won't last long in international cricket...
It is interesting. Some people have bad action but never get injured. It also depends on how much hard work one does off the field, getting fit and strong in the gym, getting strong core. If you have a really good strong base and a strong core, you can put up with the challenges of being a fast bowler, especially with a unique action. That is the most important thing. You have to be physically strong and if you have a stronger core, that will help him. Bumrah has to maintain his fitness and strength. Otherwise, like any fast bowler, as is the nature of the beast, you will get injured.

Can you give examples of bowlers with bad action who remained injured-free?
You'd never say bad action. It is unique action. There is no one who stands out with a horrible action. You look at someone like Lasith Malinga, a bit of a freak. He has been getting injured too much. When he has good control, he can still do it. We work on technique here to allow the bowlers to be able to have less chance of being injured and just be a little more efficient by getting more out of their action. At the end of the day, it is being strong enough to be able to bowl day in and day out. If he can do that, then happy days.

Would you like to see any changes in T20, which is heavily tilted in favour of batsmen?
I don't mind the rules as they are. I have no issues. In 20 overs, you can't do too much. The only thing is bowlers' skill level needs to increase. They need to be able to hit the true length, bowl short ball, good length, yorkers at will and have a variety of different slower balls. If a fast bowler has all these and if he has got very good control, hits his yorkers whenever he wants, he is going to be successful at T20 cricket. I'd like to see skill level of the bowlers increase rather than change within the rules of the game.

Speaking of skill levels, someone like Ashish Nehra plays only T20 format. Yet, bowling four overs needs a lot of effort, isn't it?
T20 has different intensity. It is not a huge workload. But still you have to recover well, still have to perform well. Someone like Nehra has loads of experience and that holds him in good stead for T20 cricket. The work load for bowling in T20 doesn't compare to Test matches but it is just a different intensity. They have to have a good game plan, recover well and be ready to go.

Who are your favourites to win the World T20?
I think India have to be favourites without a doubt. Playing in their home country, in front of the home crowd, being ranked No. 1 T20 team in the world, India had a good hit in the Asia Cup. I'd say India would have to go in as favourites.

And the challengers?
I always like to think Australia have a chance. They need to really play exceptionally well. Their T20 form, of late, has not been the best. They lost to India in Australia plus they lost to South Africa in a fairly tight match on Friday night (before winning the second game off the last ball on Sunday night). South Africa are a fairly good unit and are in with a chance. England have played reasonably well. Teams like Pakistan and Sri Lanka really need to do something special. They are not the same team as they have been in the past. Once you go into the World T20, anything can happen.

When other teams prepared for World T20 by playing T20 series, Australia played two Tests in New Zealand. Was it the ideal preparation for World T20?
It is the way it is. You have to play everyone home and away in the international schedule. So, that's the way it has turned out. Australia played a few one-day games and T20s as well including the three T20s in South Africa leading to the World T20. Obviously, South Africa are different conditions to what they'd get here in India. But it's about getting their mindset back on T20 cricket and hopefully get a little bit of form and confidence going into the World T20.

Has Australian bowling suffered badly with the absence of Mitchell Starc and retirement of Mitchell Johnson?
There is enough spice in these (current) boys. Andrew Tye has done well in the Big Bash League back home in Australia, so he deserves his spot. Nathan Coulter-Nile did well against South Africa, taking three wickets on Friday (in the first T20I). John Hastings has a lot of experience as well. I like the way Adam Zampa goes about it, he bowls with good confidence. Obviously, the big blow is Mitchell Starc. To me, he is one of the best short-game bowlers in the world. Not having him in the team is a big blow. That's the way it goes. Australia will have to play really well if they have to be in contention, and bowlers will have to do the job.

Last week, the cricketing world lost New Zealand great Martin Crowe. Your career started around the time his ended. Did you get to bowl against him?
He was a quality batsman, no doubt about that. He was class. I was lucky enough to play a couple of games against him. When I first started my career playing for New South Wales, I played a practice match against New Zealand in Newcastle. He made some favourable comments about my bowling after the game, saying 'this fellow had good potential and can go on to play for Australia and do very well'. It's very sad to hear that he passed away a couple of days ago. Our thoughts are with his family. He was a class player.

Who has impressed you at the MRF PF, now that you are on a review visit to Chennai?
This trip is to catch up with our boys, see how they went this season, and also have a selection camp where about 40-45 boys have come to show me what they can do and stand a chance for selection for the Pace Foundation. Two boys, Ankit Rajpoot and Nathu Singh, stood out. Both were selected in Rest of India squad for Irani Cup. (Rajpoot was included as a replacement for injured Nathu in the squad). It's a reward for their hard work. They had a good season. I'm very proud of them.