The art of spin bowling

The art of spin bowling

From Test Match Special by BBC Radio 5 Live

April 27, 2026 · 48 min

About this episode

The episode explores the nuances of spin bowling in England, discussing the impact of franchise cricket and the mental aspects of being a spinner.

Mark Chapman, Sir Alastair Cook, Jack Leach and, Phil Tufnell discuss the attitude towards spinners in England, how franchise cricket has affected the art of spin and whether England know what they want from their spinner heading into the summer. How do you become a spinner? Is it down to the player or coach? Jack Leach and Phil Tufnell give insight into how they found themselves becoming spinners and, whether a batters’ attitude changes as you get older and as they get older. As a spinner, what do you need from your captain? Is it blind faith? Is it protection if you are going for runs? The panel dive into the mind of a spin bowler and how they can adapt their game. TIME CODES: 00:00 Intro and London Marathon 01:50 County Cricket’s substitute rule 04:03 The art of spin bowling 05:30 Captains and spinners 15:32 The nuance of spin 17:30 How did it start? 25:05 English attitude towards spin 33:26 When were you at your peak? 35:00 What if you started as a spin now? 38:20 The mental side 41:40 What do England want this summer?

People in this episode

Host: Mark Chapman

Guests: Sir Alastair Cook, Jack Leach, Phil Tufnell

Topics covered

  • spin bowling
  • franchise cricket
  • captaincy
  • mental aspect of bowling
  • English cricket

Keywords

  • spin bowling
  • franchise cricket
  • captaincy
  • England cricket
  • Jack Leach
  • Phil Tufnell
  • mental game
  • attitude towards spinners

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: England

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