When you look at cricket history and some old matches, terms like googly ball are seen very often. That is why people who are new to cricket matches always ask what is googly ball in cricket. A googly is a deceptive delivery bowled by a leg spinner that turns in the opposite direction. At first glance, the ball looks like a normal spin ball, but it deceives the batter by going the other way than expected. You can also understand this like sending the goalkeeper to the wrong corner while taking a penalty in football.

Because googly ball in cricket is a very technical term, it may feel a little complicated. However, together with our guide, we will talk step by step about how the technique is applied, why it is difficult, and the famous leg spinners in IPL T20. If you are ready, let us take a closer look at why is it called a googly in cricket without making the topic more complicated.

How to Bowl a Googly - Grip and Technique

Googly, which is accepted as one of the hardest moves in cricket matches, is a technique that is difficult to master. Stance, run up, and even finger position are among the things that need attention for ideal googly bowling. After betting on cricket matches at 1xBet, you may see unexpected actions and positions. Under this heading, you will be able to learn googly techniques step by step.

1. Understanding the Googly Delivery: As a bowler, you first need to understand the purpose of the googly. The aim is to make the batsman wrongly think, “a leg break is coming.” For this reason, simply spinning the ball is not enough, and you need to pay attention to factors such as the run up, arm action, and ball grip.

2. Ball Grip: The most important factor in cricket googly in cricket is the grip. The seam of the ball should stay parallel inside the palm or balanced under the fingers. The index finger and middle finger provide full control on the top part of the ball. The ring finger is placed close to the side seam of the ball and has a supporting role. To achieve this successfully, you definitely should not put too much pressure on the ball. When doing finger spin bowling, the ball should be held lightly in the palm as if it were a feather.

3. Run Up and Approach: The biggest mistake made by people who are new to bowling is changing the run up position while bowling a googly. When training sources are examined, it is said that the normal leg spin approach should be kept. Because of this, definitely do not disturb the normal run up, keep your balance on the final step, and try to release the ball with speed.

4. Arm Position: The front arm and shoulder should always be kept high. Keeping the elbow at shoulder level and giving the weight to the target will be the smart option.

5. Important Point - Wrist Control: The most important magic in googly bowling in cricket is wrist control. In a normal leg break, the batter usually sees the palm side. In the googly, however, as the ball comes out, the back of the hand faces the batter. For this reason, the forearm needs to be taken into pronation and the inside of the shoulder needs to be brought into rotation. The elbow points more upward, and with a wrist release during the delivery, the ball is released so that it turns in the opposite direction.

6. Ball Release: The most important point when the ball leaves the bowler’s hand is not only turning the wrist, but also the ring finger cutting down from the side of the ball. The role of the ring finger in producing spin is quite large.

7. Where Should the Ball Be Bowled?: When bowling a trick ball in Cricket, its effect should not be reduced. Because of this, the target area should be set outside off stump. The aim is for the ball to turn back in from there. Also, while practising, you can try bowling fuller, meaning delivering the ball to a point a little closer to the batter’s feet.

As you can understand from the technical application steps, googly is actually a trick ball. Once the position, wrist, shoulder, and run up are adjusted, it becomes quite simple to master.

Googly Bowling Drills for Beginners

We have talked about specific details regarding googly meaning in cricket, how it is applied, and why it is important. Now, we will focus on drills for those who want to master this kind of delivery. In the table below, you can see the number of sets and how many minutes of practice should be done.

The average duration of the drill is between 30 and 45 minutes. A one-minute rest break can be given between stages.

Why is it Called Googly? - Origin and History

In terms of word origin, there is no clear etymological record about the history of googly. However, there is historical information regarding googly meaning in cricket. English cricketer Bernard Bosanquet is said to have invented this delivery in the early 1900s. However, it is said that while inventing it, he was playing a table game called “twisti-twosti.” He reportedly flicked a tennis ball across the table in such a way that the ball changed direction unexpectedly. Because this wrist spin incident greatly pleased both Bernard and the people watching, he decided to bring it to cricket grounds.

In the early 1900s, this technique was used in a match between Middlesex and Leicestershire. According to historical sources, Bosanquet first tried this new technique in front of Sam Coe. The delivery also caused a stir in the Ashes series he played against Australia in 1904.

Although the use of the technique began this way, it is still unclear why its name is googly. For example, for the googly technique, some people in respect to Bosanquet also use the phrase “the bosie.” Likewise, in Australia, the expression “wrong one” is also often used.

However, the most common name is googly, and there are several theories about its use. For example, it is also said that it may be linked to the idea of “guile” or cunning. Despite all this etymological information, it is generally understood as an entertaining nickname because it is a deceptive delivery.

Googly vs Leg Spin - Key Differences

The difference between a googly delivery and leg spin is separated by several main reasons. For this reason, we wanted to prepare a list instead of giving a general explanation. The explanation below has been prepared with a right arm leg spinner and a right handed batter in mind.

• The most basic difference is always the direction of turn. A normal leg spin ball usually turns from the leg side toward the off side against a right handed batter. A googly, on the other hand, looks like leg spin at first glance, but suddenly changes direction after pitching.

• While explaining the topic of what is a googly in cricket, we mentioned that it is a trick ball. Leg spin is a straightforward basic delivery. Leg spin is classically the main delivery of a leg spinner. A googly is a surprise delivery added into the main ball mix.

• A good spinner uses leg spin and googly in a similar way while making a delivery. The arm angle and general action are very close to each other. The aim is that the batter cannot read how the ball will be delivered.

• When it comes to technical differences, we need to talk about the wrist and release. In Leg spin, the wrist and finger movement send the ball naturally. In googly, however, the wrist closes differently and the ball has a reverse turn the batter does not expect at all. In short, although the grip and action are similar, the release is different.

• Leg spin is a much safer delivery. However, googly spin is a very risky variation. If it is not mastered, it can become a full toss. For this reason, beginners first learn leg spin and then move on to googly.

The most basic difference between Googly ball and leg spin is the direction of the ball. While Leg spin is applied directly, googly is always used for deception.

Famous Googly Bowlers in Cricket History

There are many names in Cricket history who have become identified with the googly. Throughout tournaments, we have seen many players who bowl left arm orthodox spin. However, we would not be exaggerating if we said that those who use the googly technique can be counted on the fingers of one hand. In this part of our guide, we will explain the names that come to mind when googly is mentioned and who have written their names into world cricket history.

1. Shane Warne (Australia): According to expert cricket commentators, Shane Warne, regarded as the greatest leg spin player of all time, uses googly ball delivery masterfully enough to mesmerise people. Warne also uses many variations. For example, he sometimes creates perfect traps with variations such as the flipper and sometimes the slider. According to ESPN, Warne’s official bowling profile is “legbreak googly”. Also, if you search what is googly in cricket on the internet, the Shane Warne legend will most likely appear before you.

2. Subhash Gupte (India): Subhash Gupte is known as one of India’s greatest leg spinners. He became popular with his very deceptive googlies. According to ESPN’s data, he had an extremely misleading googly. Research from other sources also states that he had two different googly variations. His skilful use of various googly variations makes Gupte not just a good leg spinner, but a true googly master.

3. Anil Kumble (India): When ESPN data is checked, it is understood that Anil Kumble’s style is “legbreak googly”. Kumble does not have the classic leg spinner image of Shane Warne and Abdul Qadir. His style is based on quick pace, highly accurate deliveries, and unexpected bounce. It is also important to note that he stood out from time to time with the difficult variations he used.

4. Abdul Qadir (Pakistan): Abdul Qadir is an important player known in cricket history as the “Master of the Googly”. He emerged at a time when the art of leg spin in modern cricket was close to dying out. Thanks to the googly technique, he brought the leg spin position back to life. Abdul Qadir could apply more than one type of googly. In this way, batters could never work out which delivery was coming from him. The run up and arm movements he used while releasing the ball were extremely complex. He disguised the wrist movement so well that he hid the ball perfectly.

5. Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans - IPL): Rashid Khan is one of the standout names in the history of modern T20 IPL. In official sources, his bowling style is directly listed as “legbreak googly”. Most importantly, Rashid uses the googly as a weapon that is very difficult to predict. This sets him apart from being just a leg spinner who occasionally bowls a googly. The most important thing that makes him special is that he has managed to disguise the googly with the leg break while bowling it at very high pace.

When doing cricket betting on IPL matches, it is necessary to identify the googly masters in the teams well. In live betting, a well executed googly ball at the most critical moment of the match can change the course of the entire contest. For this reason, it is necessary to learn modern googly bowlers like Rashid Khan well.

Googly in Modern Cricket - IPL and T20

The T20 and IPL match format usually has a very high tempo. In fast formats, the googly ball appears as a surprise option. It has become a very useful technique in modern leagues to break batters’ rhythm. Since batters attack early in the IPL league format, leg spinners set traps with different googly variations within the same action. When looking at effective wrist spinners in T20, not only turn, but also pace, accuracy, and the use of other variations stand out.

For example, Rashid Khan is one of the most skilful practitioners of the modern googly ball. He is regarded as one of the most difficult T20 bowlers in the world to read and predict. As a result, we can say that googly ball in cricket is used as a critical technique to take wickets and put pressure on the opposition in IPL and T20.

FAQ

What does googly mean in cricket?

Googly ball in cricket is when a bowler who bowls leg spin delivers the ball in the opposite direction to the normal turn. For example, a skilful bowler can bowl a trick ball that turns into a right handed batter rather than away from them.

Who invented the googly?

The first cricketer known to use the googly technique in cricket history was the English cricketer Bernard Bosanquet.

Why is it called a googly?

Etymologically, the origin of the word “googly” is unknown. However, it is thought to be derived from the word “guile” to describe a confusing and deceptive action. In addition, terms such as “the bosie” and “wrong one” are also used in different regions.