Cutters in Cricket Bowling
What are cutters in cricket? Learn the off cutter and leg cutter — how they move off the pitch and why they are the fast bowler's spin.
Cutters are pace-bowling variations where the bowler cuts their fingers across the ball at release to impart side-spin. Unlike outswing or inswing (which move in the air), cutters deviate off the pitch — making them effective on dry, turning surfaces where conventional swing is minimal.
What Is a Cutter?
A cutter is bowled at a similar pace to the standard seam delivery but the fingers are dragged across the seam at release rather than driving down behind it. This imparts rotation that causes the ball to grip the surface and move sharply in one direction after pitching. There are two types: the off cutter and the leg cutter.
Off Cutter vs Leg Cutter
| Cutter | Finger action | Movement after pitching |
|---|---|---|
| Off cutter | Fingers cut from right to left (right-arm bowler) | Moves from off to leg (like off-spin) |
| Leg cutter | Fingers cut from left to right (right-arm bowler) | Moves from leg to off (like leg-spin) |
When to Bowl Cutters
- On dry, dusty pitches that are starting to crumble (subcontinent conditions).
- When the ball is too old for swing but the surface offers grip.
- Against batsmen who struggle with lateral movement off the pitch.
- As a change delivery to break a partnership in T20 cricket.
Disguising the Cutter
The best cutters look identical to the standard seam delivery until the moment of release. A bowler who telegraphs the cutter (by slowing the run-up or obviously changing the grip) loses the element of surprise. The grip change should happen only at the last moment in the gather before delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Who is famous for bowling cutters?
Zaheer Khan, Mitchell Starc, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are famous for effective cutters. In T20 cricket, Sunil Narine uses variations that resemble cutters from a spin-bowling base.
Are cutters slower than a standard delivery?
Yes, slightly — cutting the fingers across rather than driving through does reduce pace by 5–10 km/h. This variation can itself be useful, deceiving batsmen with the change of pace.