TOM MOODY EXCLUSIVE

Match-ups, strategy, data - Tom Moody's view of T20 evolution

by Tim Wigmore • Last updated on

"I think players recognise the significance of the growth of this game, and therefore there's a lot more attention on the detail of performance." © BCCI

Tom Moody retired from playing two years before the first professional Twenty20 match in 2003. But as a long-time IPL coach and tournament director of the Caribbean Premier League, he has had a front-row seat in the format's evolution. He discusses the development of the format, strategy and what lies next.

To go back to the beginning of T20, can you compare it now in terms of how it's evolved, the strategy and the thinking that goes behind it and how seriously it's taken?

It's always been taken seriously, but I think players recognise the significance of the growth of this game, and therefore there's a lot more attention on the detail of performance - whether it be team or individual. It's not an exhibition. Because I think T20, when it was first introduced, it was nearly seen as a bit of an exhibition - a show. But that very quickly faded into the distance.

How do you evaluate players in T20?

It depends on where you're starting. If you're starting from a team that's got a frame already - as in some personnel - you may be looking for specific skills. And I think that's the one thing with T20 cricket - that you need a squad that has adaptability and has got specific skills to make up a successful and adaptable side to all conditions, against all opponents.

Right back to the left-right hands options in your squad, whether it's bowling or batting, to your power hitters against your accumulators, obviously you need to take into consideration their all-round skills: do they bowl, can they contribute with the ball, what is it they're contributing with the ball, are they arable of bowling in power play overs, death overs, or can you just squeeze two in quickly when there's a left-hand batsman facing 'cause he's a right-arm off-spinner - so there's all those different things you need to take into consideration.

How important is data?

I think it's important, but I always tell the analysts that I work with in the IPL, 'Tell me something I don't know'. Having played the game and loved the game for a long period of time, and been involved in coaching for a long period of time, you tend to have a rough sense of whether someone's dot ball percentage is high, or whether spin is going to be particularly effective on this surface, so we need to probably have this - just the obvious things, you know, that tends to come out?

So I always challenge the analysts to tell the cricket people - and that's the captain, and the senior players, and the players in general, and the support staff - tell us stuff we don't know. Tell us stuff that we'll go, 'Oh, wow, that's interesting, I didn't expect to hear that'. And it may be certain player match-ups, that you looked at a certain player that has a really average strike rate against a particular style of bowling, or around the wicket against over the wicket. So it's all that type of detail that you may have a sense of, but you're not absolutely sure of.

So you look at match-ups, even mid-innings match-ups?

Absolutely. Match-ups from ball one to the last ball. Who is the best person to be bowling this over. Because in T20 cricket an over can lose you... a ball can lose you a game because you bowl a no-ball, that's a massive shift in the game. So every ball is so valuable, but let's keep it a little bit simpler, in that every over is absolutely critical, and if you can get the right match-up at the right time of the game and either steal a wicket or pinch an over that goes for four, for instance, against it being an average of seven and a half, you've got a win.

You've got a big win. Because it's not only that added pressure of that on the total and the projected run rate, but it's the pressure that creates on the next over, and then who is it you bowl the next over to take advantage of that pressure.

So when players and coaches sometimes say that they don't look at the opposition, that's untrue?

It is, to a certain extent. I think the players are probably right in saying that, but you can guarantee the engine behind the players have absolutely covered every base. And it's really important that the players don't get too wound up with too much information and strategy, so to speak, because it's a hard enough game as it is, and I think it's important that they play with a free mind, and are given that licence just to go out there and play with freedom, without worrying about the attention to that type of tactical detail.

They'll know if they need to know. A player will know that he's got to bowl a particular over at a particular time if this particular situation happens, and that's all he needs to know. Or a batsman, mainly, to know that if a certain bowler comes on, he will automatically know because of the general game plan that he is the perfect match-up against that bowler to make sure that that's the only over he bowls.

How about seeing non-specialist batsmen being used higher up the order to bat without caring about wickets? Sunil Narine in the IPL was a great example of that.

Yeah, but... it worked well - in equal measures it didn't work well. So, was it successful? Did KKR win the tournament? So did it stifle one of the most successful opening partnerships in the history of IPL, in Gambhir and Uthappa? So you've got to ask all those different questions as well. So that's not for me to answer - that's for them to review, reflect, and think. 'Well, is this something we're going to do next year?'. I certainly think it's a very good strategic move against certain opponents in certain situations, but I don't think it's something that you would consider as a lock-in immediately, because very quickly teams smarten up to that sort of left-field decision by making the changes in their side to accommodate it.

"I think you've got to be ready - simple as that - to bowl the first ball, face the first ball, hit the last ball, or bowl the last ball." ©BCCI

So you think we should see more flexibility both in batting and bowling line-ups?

Absolutely. I think you've got to have flexibility. I think from a management standpoint to a player's standpoint, I think you've got to be ready - simple as that - to bowl the first ball, face the first ball, hit the last ball, or bowl the last ball. You've just got to be ready to step up and be adaptable. In equal measures I strongly believe in role clarity; within a playing group it's really important that a player understands that ninety percent of the time this is what his role is, and this is what he's got to be the best at.

Is that hard - the balance between flexibility and role clarity?

No, I don't think so, because I think the flexibility is your 10%. You've got to train to be the best whatever type of player you are. Let's say you're an opening bat, you've got to practise to be the very best to be able to capitalise in power play overs, and see the game deep. But there's going to be times where you might want a Sunil Narine to open because of certain match-ups with an opponent you play, and you just feel that this is going to be our best approach, and you need that player to have an open mind and to be able to have the capability to be positioned somewhere else in the order. That might be coming in at the 10th over, and playing a different game.

How important is fielding?

Incredibly important. It is the third and critical wheel to any successful team. It's all well and good focusing on having a dynamic batting order and an incredibly diverse bowling line-up, but if you've got a team that can't field, you're not going to compete. You're really not going to compete. You need athletes. There's absolutely nowhere to hide. Because you see it so often when you're trying to maybe put your weaker fielder in a position at short fine leg, or... you can guarantee the ball goes there. They're like magnets, aren't they? You can guarantee the ball goes there, in the little period of play where you've tried to carefully place him two or three times - you get exposed, or they get exposed.

Have you got numbers on fielders? Minus five a game, or whatever?

We have done it like that in the past. We've looked at marking and evaluating players on everything from movement, to their speed to the ball, to their pickup, to their throw, to every single detail - we've tried to evaluate, and provide feedback. You're talking about when we're recruiting, or when you've got the team already on the deck?

Both.

I think it's really important, everyone needs to have role clarity with regards to where they may bat in the side or maybe bowling, but they also need role clarity to where they're going to be fielding. And their training needs to be geared around that specific position and role. So if you've got someone that operates square of the wicket, it's really important they are practicing those angles, and the movement of being an attacker on those angles. And likewise if you've got someone who's going to be in the death overs - last ten overs - in that sort of boundary position where they maybe taking those catches hanging over the rope, it's important that they practice that.

And you've got people that are more capable of doing certain positions than others, and it's important that they're in those positions. Right down to the obvious detail of making sure that - like in this field set - you've got the guy at point is a right-hander, because more often than not he's going to be coming in an attacking position on his right hand, when he's trying to pinch a single to his right side. So if you've got a good fielder there who is a left-hander, to me he's out of position. It's just not quite the right match-up.

Again, with the cover fielder, it depends on the batsman and the wicket. You might find it's a really slow wicket. So, because it's a slow wicket, the ball is going to more likely go out to deep cover than it is going to go to deep mid-off. So that guy at extra cover, you want to web a left-hander, ideally, because a greater percentage of balls are going to go to his left side than his right side. So it's just those fine details need to be addressed. And again, from a coaching perspective, all you can do is provide the information, because still the captain's the one who makes the decisions. But our role is to give them that information. Making sure that they're absolutely aware of what they have at their fingertips, and how they can best execute.

At auction, presumably fielding is part of the mix, but if you can't quantify it, is it just gut instinct then?

I think the game is played so often now, and it's so well-publicised, you know whether someone historically has got a very good record as a fielder or not. And also if you're unsure you're making the necessary inquiries to your various network of contacts. There's no data.

There's no proper data?

Yeah but it's very subjective, isn't it? It might be you're the analyst putting out all the information and you're thinking that was a good save, and I'm thinking, that's just a save. So you're giving him a three against a two? So therefore if your threes against what my judgement of twos are added up at the end of the day and suddenly you're giving him a ranking of 40 in the day and I'm giving him a ranking of 30, how's that work?

In baseball they have unearned runs. It's imperfect, but I guess they're saying it's better than nothing.

But it's been historically there, hasn't it? It's always been there, so it's something that is not going to be questioned as much as introducing it into cricket. Look, I get it. I understand that there's no doubt it would be wonderful to have that data available, but you've got to recognise it's going to be way off the mark in some cases.

How do you think strategy will change?

I think every team, every management, will be looking to strive to find an advantage somehow. And if they're not, they're not really onto it as much as they need to be. But whether implementing it immediately, or over a period of time slowly implementing it is the challenge for coaches. Because there are some ideas that people come up with that are a little bit left-field, but you probably think, 'Gosh, we don't know, one, if we're quite ready to be playing or activating something like that under pressure, but I think over time those things will slowly come into place. So I think there's still definite room for growth in that area.

As a coach, compared to other formats, are you more hands-on in T20 because there's more that you can plan for even though it's a short game?

In a way, yes, but ultimately it's got to be the players' game. They're the ones that are going to make the decisions under pressure. You've just got to create an environment where they're prepared to make the right decisions. Whether that be through your practise in preparation, or whether that be your analysis on your opponent and preparing your players accordingly.

What goes into auction strategy?

A lot. It's a fascinating process, because there are so many variables and unpredictables. Because you can have an idea, but you're not absolutely certain as to what other teams are wanting, and that's the curve ball - in balancing what's happening around you as well. So in your preparation it's all well and good looking at the areas you need to focus on and concentrate on, but you then have the other side of it, where out of left field someone is tracking down the same player, and then you're under budget restraints - salary cap challenges. And there's also games within the game. Because you know that a certain team might be particularly needing a certain player, and you'll make it difficult for them to get that player. And if they do get that player, they're paying the right price for that player.

So sometimes you'd actually bid to make another team spend more?

Absolutely, that goes on. Because it's a game within a game. If you're getting a certain player, at a certain level... but you've got to accept that you might end up with that player. So you've got to be happy with that. You're not going to do it recklessly. Because you might be left holding the baby and think, 'Hang on a sec, now we've got two left hand opening bats', or 'Now we've got two leg spinners' - it doesn't make sense. And we've spent five crore on this second leg spinner. Like, it doesn't make sense because the leg spinner we've got we paid three on, and he's actually been one of the best in the tournament. So you've got to be careful with it. But teams definitely look at things like that. And that's how an auction works. In any auction. Not just cricket. In house auctions, you have dummy bidders.

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