Sunday 29 May 2016 20:47, UK
England paceman Steven Finn "needs to get a bit nasty" in order to rediscover his bowling rhythm, according to Sky Sports pundit Sir Ian Botham.
The tall Middlesex seamer has been struggling for form since returning prematurely from England's victorious winter tour of South Africa with a side strain picked up in the series-clinching win in Johannesburg in January.
Finn, who admitted to be "striving for rhythm", has been down on his usual pace in the first two Tests of the summer, with the fast bowler's average speeds hovering around the 80mph mark.
And despite England's three other seamers being among the wickets as the tourists were bundled out for just 101 in their first innings in Durham, Finn himself went wicketless through seven overs.
However, the 27-year-old did finally managed to capture his first scalp of the Test on Sunday when Kaushal Silva tried to hook the paceman, only for the ball to loop up in the air to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.
Earlier in that over, though, Finn had uncharacteristically chosen to exchange in a few words with the Sri Lankan opener in an apparent effort to gee himself up.
Michael Holding said he looks like someone who is bowling within himself and setting his sights on bowling 25-30 overs in a day
And Botham thinks the bowler should at times take a leaf out of team-mate James Anderson's book by showing more aggression towards the batsman in an attempt to focus his mind.
"The problem that Steve Finn has is that he is actually just a nice guy and he needs to be a bit nasty and to get into their faces a bit more," the former England captain told Sky Sports after the day's play.
"I think that he tried to do that, and he is right in that suddenly everything else goes out the window and all you are thinking about is that batsman.
"It is a way of focusing and I think that maybe he needs to do it a bit more.
"Maybe one of the other bowlers, like Jimmy Anderson, needs to have a quiet word with him and say: 'Come on, get into him. Get yourself going and fired up.'"
In fact, Botham believes Finn - who returned match figures of 3-45 in England's innings and 88-run win in the first Test in Leeds - could do worse than just trying to run in and bowl flat out as he looks to return to form.
"Just sweep everything away, run in and try and bowl as quick as you can," he said.
"When you have four seamers, you can say to one guy: 'Finny, you are here to bowl a quick burst and I want wickets from you and you to bowl as quick as you can.'
"Go out there and do not think about it too much."
