Rory Burns says he is “a decent player” of slow bowling as he prepares for a “trial by spin” on his debut Test tour of Sri Lanka.
“For me personally, it’s been a lot of hard work,” Burns told Sky Sports ahead of Surrey’s County Championship clash against Essex at The Oval, where the champions were bowled out for 67 on the opening morning. “I’ve tried to let my bat do the talking and churn out runs, and it’s satisfying to get the nod in the end and get the opportunity.
“I’ve obviously got five seasons of backing in my own head. I’ve got some self-belief, so you’ve got to trust your method and trust the processes that you go through.”
Burns also addressed the issue of his unusual method; a busy, twitchy technique that sees him not towards mid-on during the bowler’s approach to the crease.
“My method is slightly unorthodox,” he admitted. “There’s some nuances to it, let’s put it that way. I got told I was left-eye dominant, so that [head-twitch to mid-on] is about me trying to get my left eye on the ball as much as I can. Then it almost became a rhythm thing in terms of little routines at the crease. That’s how that came about.”
