New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) As T20 cricket continues to tilt heavily in favour of batters, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowling coach Eric Simons has called for a mindset shift among bowlers, urging them to reclaim control by dictating terms rather than reacting to the opposition.

Simons stressed that bowlers must view themselves as the initiators in the contest, capable of forcing batters into uncomfortable situations. “As a bowler, I’ve got the ball in my hand. I must make the batsman play in a certain way. We start the dance, if you like, as bowlers. They’ve got to react to what we do,” he said in a video released by IPL on X.

Highlighting the importance of controlling the narrative of each delivery, Simons added that bowlers should aim to influence how and where batters score.

“If we keep control of that, we are the masters of the destiny of that delivery. From that perspective, you make him score in a certain way, make him bat in a certain way, and then we control it,” he explained.

With IPL matches frequently witnessing totals in excess of 200, Simons acknowledged the growing dominance of batters but believes bowlers can still turn the tide through smarter planning. Instead of reacting to batters’ strengths, he emphasised a proactive approach.

“We’ve tried to look at batting and say, how do we make a batsman play rather than watch what he does and react. Where are his vulnerable areas? Can we make him score to our protection?” he noted.

Simons also underlined the importance of preparation and clarity before stepping onto the field.

“You need to go into the middle with absolute clarity around your tactics and field placements. You can’t go out there uncertain and try to make decisions on the fly,” he said.

“If we agree as a team to bowl to a certain field and tactic, and a batsman hits a really good ball for six, we must understand it’s still the right tactic. Our job is to execute the plan, not take full responsibility for the outcome,” He added.

He further called for bowlers to adopt the same fearless mindset that modern-day batters display.

“There’s a fearlessness to batting now. That same fearlessness around tactics must shift into the bowlers. We should see aggressive batting as an opportunity to take wickets and slow teams down,” he said.

Meanwhile, CSK are placed at sixth position with eight points in nine matches. They will next clash with the Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

–IANS

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