Allan Donald surely knows a thing or two about bowling quick and terrorizing the opposition. The South African legend who was one of the best fast bowlers in his prime, has now set his sights on helping Mitchell Starc rise on to a similar pedestal.
Speaking to cricket.com.au, Donald heaped praise on the young Australian pacer by labeling him as a ‘different animal’. In a new capacity as Australia’s bowling coach, the iconic seamer expressed his intent to inculcate leadership skills into their bowlers.
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Donald would have seen Starc from close quarters during his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. The 49-year old enthused, “I've worked with Mitch over here at RCB and I always judge people on how they lead with the ball. New ball or old ball he's ferocious and bowls 150 clicks with the new ball.”
He recollected the left-armer‘s strong showing in the 2015 World Cup which was instrumental in leading the Aussies to the title on home soil. Donald quipped, “He's a very highly skilled individual and he showed that in the 2015 World Cup. He's just a different animal with the ball in his hand.”
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Dubbed as the ‘White Lightning’, the Proteas speedster was equally potent in both formats due to the combination of a natural action and searing pace. However, Starc has not quite managed to extrapolate his white-ball success to Test cricket. Currently recovering from an ankle injury, he will soon return to action in the Caribbean during June.
With Donald’s arrival into the equation, maybe red-ball conquest is not too far away for the 26-year old. Aside from Starc, there are several other promising quick bowlers in the Australian set-up.
The South African affirmed, “I know Mitchell as an individual and leader with the ball, but the other guys I still have to tap into their psyche and philosophy and get to know them a little bit better.”
He added, “You see with Pattinson and Hazlewood, I've seen them a lot on TV. They love giving you a crack and they don't back away from a good fight. For me, it's how many leaders we can create within a bowling group has always been key.”
Given Donald’s tactical acumen and keenness to mold the present generation, his interim appointment could very well turn into a full-fledged role.
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