With the batsmen coming up with new techniques to increase the scoring rate in the Indian Premier League, the bowlers have reverted to the good old weapon in a bid to apply the brakes — the yorker.

Lasith Malinga, Ajit Agarkar, Brett Lee and Ashish Nehra have been spot on with their toe-crushers while Munaf Patel won a close game for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians getting five on five.

And while the West Indians are renowned more for their bouncers, Deccan Chargers’ Fidel Edwards used the yorkers so well that he proved difficult for the batsmen to get away with.

“Without doubt the yorker has been my trump card. One needs to put in countless hours of practice to get it right,” says the bowler. For former South African pacer Fanie de Villiers, it’s a must-have in a fast bowler’s armoury. “You’re going to get clobbered if you don’t have a good yorker. Malinga has the best yorker, probably because he bowls with a slinging arm,” he says.

NO MARGIN OF ERROR

A good yorker undoubtedly is an effective weapon at any stage of the game but attempting one can be a double-edged sword, as Mashrafe Mortaza learnt the other day. The Kolkata paceman tried to get it in the block hole during the match against Hyderabad but instead bowled full-tosses to Rohit Sharma, who duly dispatched them over the ropes.

“If you talk about yorkers, there are different places to bowl to different players at different times. In the end, they need to be executed. If not, the batsmen can take full advantage of it,” says Kolkata coach John Buchanan.

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