Visual cues from the batsman – can they help?

I've been wondering about how subconsciously bowlers and captains pick up a lot of information from the batsman (which if they were asked to explain they might not be able to do). I've noticed that players to whom things come naturally often aren't very introspective or articulate when it comes to analysing those components of their game which make them a success. However, those players who aren't naturals at the game have to work hard and rely on their acquired skills to develop as cricketers. These guys sometimes make for more analytical and thoughtful players. Generally speaking, that is.

This is why most outstanding ex-players don't make such good coaches compared to the less talented ex-players. The ability to first of all understand one's performance (or lack thereof) and subsequently explain it to another in such a manner as to make it practical is one of the most essential qualities a coach must have. If you have that ability then the certificates and the experience come in extremely handy but the absence of that ability in the first place makes for uninspiring and dogmatic coaches.

So, what are the cues that a bowler picks up from the batsman against whom he's playing for the first time? I'm assuming that this blog is addressed towards club cricketers and, to my knowledge, club cricketers aren't blessed with enough resources to have access to video footage of their opponents based on which to make their plans and set their fields.

There are clues in everything we do – the non-verbal sub-text to our lives. It is estimated that around 90% of communication is non-verbal. So, if we can learn to read the signs properly we may easily gather what the sensory information that we are receiving tells us. In cricket this input is generally based on the visual and auditory senses. We'll focus only the visual cues.

What do bowlers see when they observe the batsman at the crease?

1. Some don't see anything;
2. Others don't consciously see anything; and
3. Only the best see what needs to be seen and then let it register in their conscious minds.

The first type may make good cricketers but will most probably be overshadowed; the second type are naturals at what they do and have a sort of gut instinct about what to do which can't be explained but generally tends to work more often than not; and the third category is composed of those who not only are naturals but also have the ability to understand and communicate what their subconscious is telling them about. These are best teachers, mentors and coaches.

I've tried to cover the bases from what I've learnt about cricket from my father (while he was imparting his experience to us), the experts commentating on matches and partially from my own experiences. These are not hard and fast rules but general guidelines only – however, I do believe, though we all may know these principles, most of us tend to lose sight of them when needed most.

So, what do YOU see?

The batsman's grip

It is said that ideally the batsman's hands should be close together in the middle of the handle with the top hand firmer and the bottom hand there for support only. The batsman's hands form two 'vees' between the index finger and the thumb of each hand. The bottom 'vee' is in line with the splice of the bat while the top hand opens out towards the outer edge of the bat. Supposedly, this allows for a straighter/proper downswing and increases the probability of playing the ball with the full face of the bat.

However, there have been many notable exceptions to this generally held rule. Don Bradman had his top hand turned back also in line with the splice of the bat, Javed Miandad held his hands apart on the handle, Sachin Tendulkar holds the bat low on the handle, while Adam Gilchrist held the bat with his hands high on the handle and yet all of them are batting legends.

So, there's no one way to hold the bat but the way someone holds a bat tells us a lot about them.

If the batsman holds the bat closer to the bottom of the handle then the following may be inferred:

• Gives him more control over the ball;
• Gives him more power at the point of impact;
• Doesn't require a very high back lift;
• May prefer playing off the back foot;
• May prefer playing horizontal bat shots; and
• The batsman's reach is reduced thus possibly making it difficult to drive the ball.

If the batsman holds the bat higher on the handle the following may be inferred:

• The batsman's reach is increased;
• May prefer to play off the front foot because of the greater reach;
• May find that short pitched bowling causes some discomfort;
• Control over the ball may be reduced; and
• Requires a higher back lift to generate power at the point of impact.

If you see a batsman with a gap between the hands on the handle then his hands may not move together thus possibly sacrificing some fluency, however, this may result in added flexibility to nudge and work the ball around corners.

It would be appropriate to mention that these are general guidelines and there are exceptions to every rule. Don Bradman held the bat low on the handle, had his top had turned back and it is also said that he did not keep his hands close together either. He was a phenomenon. He mentions in his book 'the Art of Cricket' that because his top hand was turned backwards, therefore, his bat presented a slightly closed face. This resulted in him having some restriction when playing in the arc between mid-off and point, however, his leg side shots were always along the carpet.

So, the bowler still has to work out the pros and cons of bowling to a batsman's perceived technical disadvantages.

The batsman's stance

In case the batsman stands with his feet too close together the following may be inferred:

• Such batsmen are generally good back foot players; but
• They may sacrifice some balance.

Conversely, a batsman with his feet wide apart may have the following traits:

• Such batsmen tend to be stronger off the front foot; but
• They may lack adequate foot movement.

In case a batsman has too side-on a stance he may have some problems with sharply incoming deliveries but will generally fare better against away going deliveries as long as he maintains adequate awareness of where the off stump is.

Conversely, a batsman with a chest on stance may face more problems with the away moving ball but this stance makes it slightly easier to play the incoming deliveries (especially from the left armers) as long as the batsman does not lean over too much.

If the batsman leans over too much, i.e., his toes and head are not aligned properly, then the sharply incoming delivery can be a potential wicket taker (as such batsmen may be unsure of where their off stump is) and having a short mid wicket in catching position may be advisable (as his onside ground shots may fly uppishly). However, be warned that batsmen who tend to fall over are generally good onside players and prefer scoring runs on the leg side.

The batsman's guard

Batsmen who take the leg stump guard generally prefer to play on the off side and make room by staying alongside the line, whereas batsmen who take the middle stump guard tend to be good on the leg side and love to whip it through the onside.

The batsman's back lift

The main features to be observed here are the height of the back lift and the arc of the bat as it comes down to meet the ball.

First we discuss the height of the back lift.

• If the batsman has a high back lift he may find it hard to adapt to changes of pace as a high back lift requires earlier commitment to the shot; and it is possible that he may be late in bringing the back down to keep out the yorkers.
• A batsman with a low back lift though being adept at keeping out the yorkers may struggle if the ball has no pace on it as such a batsman relies on the bowler's pace to hit the ball forcefully.

In case you observe a wider back lift the following are reasonable inferences:

• Such batsmen need to make a circular sweep of the bat to get it down straight in line with the ball's flight;
• If this is not so then the bowler would be well advised to try the in-dipping delivery to check the gap between the bat and pad; but
• Such players tend to be extremely good at playing the cut, pull and hook shot.

Most batsmen coached in the orthodox art of batting reveal a very straight back lift, a la Graham Gooch, Chris Broad, etc. This allows the bat to move down straight in line with the ball's trajectory. But this has the disadvantage that the cross batted shots like cuts, pulls and hooks may be compromised. This is because, if you observe carefully, all cross batted shots begin with a back lift wide of the stumps. It's virtually impossible to play a decent cross batted shot with a bat taken straight back. Thus a batsman with a very straight back lift will have to instantly decide to switch to a wider back lift for the short and/or wide balls if he wants to play the cut, pull or hook. Otherwise when playing cuts he will be merely fending at the ball with an angled bat. Slip catching practice.

I hope the above discussion may be as interesting for my readers as it has been for me. If you have any comments, arguments, additions, input and/or criticism please feel free to comment. I look forward to reading your thoughts on the subject.