Training

[guyfs@yahoo.co.uk]

I have uncovered a glitch, which I have long suspected. Training bowlers seems to have no effect. If you go to the personal details of a batsman you are training you see the effect of training expressed. If you do the same thing for a bowler you see zero (although strangely you can sometimes see the effect of batting training).

It seems to be the case that you cannot train up young bowlers in the same way as you can young batsmen. I routinely now release my bowlers and hire new, experienced ones. However, this is still a problem as when they run out of form bowling practice does not seem to work either.

Finally, could it be made explicit what the effect of playing inexperienced players is? Do their abilities imcrease by a set amount for each game? There is a reference to them needing to play 15 games before you can get a good idea of their abilities. How much expertise do they gain in each match? And do one day matches count the same as county matches?

And at how many games played doea training cease to have much effect? Or is it time / age rather thaun number of matches?

I have emailed about this glitch, but received no reesponse.

[Cyril Washbrook]

This isn't a glitch. "Coaching effect" illustrates the effect of "Batting Practice" and "Bowling Practice". It does not illustrate the effect of "Batting Technique" and "Bowling Technique".

To clarify:

• Practice refers to training for the purpose of improving form. If a player's "match form" is below 60%, practice will help improve their "overall batting form". Both of these can be found on the Batting Form and Bowling Form screens.
• Technique refers to skills training for the purpose of improving their capability as a batsman or bowler. Improvements in a batsman's or bowler's skill do not show up under "Coaching effect".

Young batsmen and bowlers (the suggested ages vary, but a good figure is 25 or below) should be given technique training, as that is the best way of improving their skill. More experienced players will not improve much if given technique training. Instead, they should be given practice: but only if their match form is below 50-60%.

Apart from training, it can be safely assumed that playing matches at any level - whether that be county or second team - is useful in the development of young players. I do not have access to the exact algorithms, but in real life you don't get algorithms handed to you on a plate either. The advice in this case should be common sense - match experience at any level combined with regular skills training will maximise your chance of turning promising youth players into first team players.

[guyfs@yahoo.co.uk]

Training

Hmm! Many thanks for this, but I'm not convinced. How is it that young batsmen improve (often quickly and dramatically) with training but young bowlers do not?

[Sureshot]

I think the non-existent bowlers union would say that is because bowling is harder than batting, which it most certainly is.

[str]

Fast bowlers never improve with training . Spinners only improve IMHO .