Jamie Overton is striving for the subtlety of a “ninja” for England in India after admitting he let his emotions boil over during a recent Big Bash League stint in Australia. Overton shone with bat and ball for Adelaide Strikers but had a few flash points, most notably against Chris Jordan’s Hobart Hurricanes earlier this month at the aptly-named Ninja Stadium in Tasmania.
After exchanging words with Tim David, Overton was belted for 26 in an over in the Strikers’ defeat but he let his fast bowling do the talking in England’s win over India in the third T20 in Rajkot. Figures of three for 23 helped England claim victory by 26 runs to leave them trailing 2-1 in the five-match series and Overton admitted he is trying to channel his intensity in a more constructive fashion.
“It’s just passion,” he said. “Most of the time it’s trying to get me fired up, it’s not having a go at someone. It may look like I’m having a go at someone, but it’s more to get my energy going. “Sometimes, I take it too far and I lose control of what I need to do. I think there’s a balance. I chatted with Chris Jordan and I just had a few messages with him after that incident.
“The overs we bowl at the end, you have to be cool, calm and collected on what you need to be doing. If you’ve got other stuff going on in your head, you can’t execute what you need to execute. “It’s just trying to be like a ninja. Being quite aggressive but trying to sneakily do it rather than being like a warrior and be in someone’s face, just trying to have that little bit of balance.”.
