“Terry Jenner has a passion for leg-spinning,” explains Salisbury, who, like Jenner, has just nine Tests to his name “And if you haven’t got that passion then there is no point It is different from everything else I love bowling leg- spin. I love it.”Terry Alderman’s swing bowling was almost an art form and fast bowlers are strong and clever, but there is a bullishness about them A slow bowler is like an elegant batter Leg-spinning has mystique and romance. Everybody wants to know how and why, but no one really knows.”I think the public have got a little bit bored with fast bowling. Just watching them running in and bouncing a batsman, maybe getting a catch, maybe hitting them on the head is all very well, but it is nothing compared to the excitement that has been generated by Warne-mania.”Warne has taken leg-spin to another level.
As a performer and as an artist and entertainer he is in another league. The more people take an interest in Warne and the more they find out about him, then the more they will appreciate what’s going on out there in the middle, and that’s where the fun’ll start Warne is a superstar He is the best there’s ever been. I hope he bowls well.”The torrent of praise is dammed for a second as Salisbury filters his words through a sluice gate of moderation. He resumes with the qualification: “I don’t want him to to get too many England wickets But he is the catalyst You ask any other leg-spinner in the world. You can compare him with anyone from the past and he is the best He is up there.”Which is where Salisbury wants to be. His last Test appearance, at The Oval against Pakistan last summer, was hardly what might be deemed a howling success.
His 29 overs went for 116 runs and all he picked up was a solitary wicket. Mushtaq, on the other hand, claimed eight victims in a match the tourists won by nine wickets.But although Salisbury acknowledges that it was a poor show still he feels he can draw some encouragement to buoy him as he attempts to resurrect his England career during The Ashes series this summer. “In that Test, once I changed ends, shortly before the finish, the ball started to spin a lot. In fact every time I’ve played at The Oval it’s turned.”He is nothing if not industrious. Salisbury is always looking to fine- tune here and tweak there The latest thing is flight “Flight is everything,” he explains. “It is probably the single most important thing for a leg- spinner. Flight is what does top batsmen and that is what I will be working on.” Stand by for take-off..
