The backlift techniques of cricketers in the : implications for the shorter format

Habib Noorbhai University of ,

Abstract

Cricket batting is a complex movement which can be broken down into a number of components such as the grip, stance, initial movement, backlift, downswing and follow- through. The batting backlift technique (BBT) is an important component of the overall batting technique, when the batsman lifts the bat in preparation for the downswing when impact is made with the ball. Research has demonstrated that the BBT appears to be a key contributing factor to successful batsmanship. For the purpose of this study, video footage of players from the Indian Premier League (IPL) season was analysed (n = 30). This was used to identify the type of BBT employed by the batsmen at the moment the bowler released the ball. The number of players using a lateral batting backlift technique (LBBT) (n = 27) was significantly greater than those using a straight batting backlift technique (SBBT) (χ2 = 19.2, df = 1, p < 0.001). The results showed that 90% of the top performing IPL batsmen during the 2016 season did not adopt the traditionally taught SBBT. Instead, they adopted a more looped action in which the movement of the bat at the moment the bowler released the ball was in the direction of the slips (i.e.: the fielders positioned at an angle behind the batsmen). From this study, it can be postulated that a LBBT is a key contributing factor for batting success, at least in the shorter version of the game, as represented by T20 . It is suggested that in order to score at a rapid rate, as required in T20 games, a LBBT is more effective for batsmen (particularly for presenting an open face of the bat), whereas a SBBT, which is a more a defensive action, may be more suitable for use in the more extended Test match version of the game.

Keywords: batsmen, biomechanics, batting backlift technique, Indian Premier League, cricket

Please cite this article as follows: Noorbhai, H. (2020). The backlift techniques of cricketers in the Indian Premier League: batting implications for the shorter format. International Sports Studies, 42(1), 47– 60. doi:10.30819/ iss.42-1.05

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Introduction

Batting in cricket is a complex skilled movement which can be broken down into a number of components such as the grip, stance, initial movement, backlift, downswing and follow-through (Stretch, Bartlett & Davids, 2000). The batting backlift technique (BBT) is an important component of the overall technique. Research conducted by Stuelcken, Portus & Mason (2005) and Noorbhai & Noakes (2016a) are among only a few studies which have documented findings on the direction of the backlift in both the frontal and transverse (lateral) planes. The legendary Sir Donald Bradman was the prime example of a player using the ‘looped’ or lateral backlift, which in modern times, has been exemplified by Steven Smith (Noorbhai, 2020). To a large extent, Bradman’s influence has provided a rationale for this study investigating whether batsmen who displayed elements of his looped action enjoyed any factors of success in their careers (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2016a). However, coaching manuals in Bradman’s era, aside from his own book (Bradman, 1958), hardly addressed this issue. Therefore, it was seen as important to document and analyse the BBT of current batsmen across various levels of cricket ability. With more modern coaching manuals, i.e. those published after 2009, it has become an acceptable norm for batsmen to lift the bat in the direction of the slips. A mixed- methods study conducted among 161 coaches around the world showed that most cricket coaches (83%) coach the straight batting backlift technique (SBBT) as opposed to the lateral batting backlift technique (LBBT) at various proficiency levels of the game (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2018). The LBBT is one in which the bat is lifted laterally in the direction of second slip or gully (a fielder positioned behind the batsman at an angle of more than 60 o). Using this technique, the face of the bat faces towards point or the offside (Noorbhai, 2017). In contrast, a backlift where the bat is lifted towards the or first slip and the face of the bat points towards the wicketkeeper or the ground, is known as the SBBT (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2016a). There is a growing realisation by coaches and sport scientists that many elite cricketers do not play the way most coaching manuals suggest they should. As early as 1912 (when C. B. Fry shared his coaching theories on batting) until today, 108 years later, there is still no consensus as to how the backlift in cricket batting should be coached (Fry, 1912; Penn & Spratford, 2012; Noorbhai & Noakes, 2015). As such, the debate regarding the BBT in cricket continues (Woolmer, Noakes & Moffett, 2009). Past research has demonstrated that the backlift appears to be a key-contributing factor for successful batsmanship at junior, semi-professional, professional and international levels (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2016b; 2016c). The LBBT in particular has been identified as not only a contributing factor for success for batsmen wanting to play at the highest levels of cricket (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2019a) but also as positively affecting other components of the batting technique, such as the stance and scoring areas on the field (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2019b). In recent years, there has been a growing amount of emphasis given to the shorter . It is, therefore, timely to investigate the BBT of cricketers playing the shortest and currently popular version of the game, known as twenty-20 (T20) cricket.

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Method

Participants. For the purpose of study, video footage (http://www.youtube.com) of players from the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) season were analysed (n = 30). Cricinfo (www.espncricinfo.com) was used to identify the top 30 batsmen from the IPL season of 2016 who scored the most amount of runs and who had better strike rates. The top 30 batsmen from the IPL season of 2016 were used because the IPL is a tournament that chooses the best T20 players from around the world. In particular, the tournament chooses batsmen that score runs at a rapid rate (such is the nature of T20 cricket) and only four international players are allowed to play for their team in each game at a given time. The IPL batsmen were ranked according to the total number of runs scored in the 2016 season. There is no scientific reference to the above selection criterion. It was conceptualised so that the best batsmen would be analysed.

Biomechanical Analysis. The analysis was performed using the methods adopted in previous studies (Stuelcken, Portus & Mason, 2005; Noorbhai & Noakes, 2016a) whereby the initial movement of the batsman was determined from the first frame before the initiation of the backlift and the initial movement patterns were assessed qualitatively by viewing the footage. The backlift was represented by the period from the initiation of the backlift to the point of maximum vertical displacement of the toe (bottom) of the bat. Similarly, in this study, the video frame immediately before the bowler had released the ball was selected. The ball release was visible in all the footage for all the batsmen analysed. Three categories were used to identify the type of BBT employed by all batsmen at the moment the bowler released the ball. These were coded as: 1 - toe of the bat directed straight back or towards first slip (between 0° – 25°); 2 - toe of the bat directed between second and third slip (between 25° – 45°); 3 - toe of the bat directed towards gully (between 45° – 80°) and the face of the bat facing towards the off-side. If the bat was directed straight back or towards the slips but had an open face of the bat, it was still classified under number 3. The open-faced backlift was categorised based upon the direction of the toe of the bat irrespective of what angle it created, as long as the face of the bat was open. Classifications 1 and 2 indicated a SBBT whereas classification 3 (including any BBT with an open face of the bat) indicated a LBBT. No exact angle could be calculated, as the videos were not of a high quality. Therefore, angle ranges were conceptualised to determine these classifications (Noorbhai, 2017). The BBT of each of the 30 IPL batsmen was classified by the first author. An expert reviewer (a colleague with considerable experience in the sports sciences) then independently classified the same data set and confirmed the reliability of the coding judgments. For the purpose of this study, the toe of the bat is defined as the vector orthogonal to the toe being the pointer (Glazier, Davids & Bartlett, 2003). This strengthens the validity and reliability of the analysis as the backlift can be readily detected and analysed at different positions and time points in the lift (Hopkins, 2000). Drawing a vector is a common approach in defining the toe of the bat and how it will point in a particular direction (Kreighbaum & Bartels, 1996). The following lines and vectors were drawn 1) vertically from the head to the hands (green line), 2) a line drawn horizontally to show where the hands rest (blue line) and 3) a line drawn obliquely to show the direction of the bat during the backlift (red line). The still photo (which was captured from the video

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footage – the last frame just before the bowler had released the ball) was analysed when the ball had just been released from the bowler. These lines create an angle to show how far away the bat is from the body in the frontal plane and how much rotation has occurred before making impact with the ball (Figure 1). The researchers accounted for perspective error by limiting the type of videos observed to those which included only the following deliveries bowled to the batsmen (to the off-side, middle and leg-side; full length, back of a length and short length) as well as adding horizontal (grid) lines in the background on the Microsoft Word document during the analysis. After analysis, the horizontal (grid) lines were turned off.

Data analysis. Percentage data of IPL batsmen adopting either the LBBT or the SBBT were compared. Pearson’s Chi-squared tests were performed to determine whether the frequency of the BBT differed over time among IPL batsmen. Analyses were performed using R (R Core Team, 2014) at a significance level of α = 0.05. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Cape Town (HREC: 586/2014). This study conforms to the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki on Ethical Principles for Research Involving Human Subjects.

Results

The number of IPL players using the LBBT (n = 27) was significantly greater than those using the SBBT (χ2 = 19.2, df = 1, p < 0.001) (Table 1, Table 2 and Figure 1).

Table 1

Average performance statistics for the Top 30 IPL batsmen using the LBBT and straight SBBT batting backlift technique during the 2016 season

BBTT N Total runs Average runs 1 2 No. of 4’s No. of 6’s LBBT 27 400 ± 35.96 38.3 ± 2.81 137.8 ± 3.21 38 ± 3.75 14 ± 1.65 SBBT 3 317 ± 25.36 29.9 ± 3.23 131.4 ± 7.89 35 ± 3.18 8 ± 4.40

Total 30 392 ± 32.70 37.5 ± 2.58 137.2 ± 2.98 38 ± 3.39 13 ± 1.57

1Average runs = total number of runs players have scored divided by the number of times players have been out (dismissed); 2Strike rate = average number of runs scored per 100 balls faced by a batsman

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Table 2

Individual player statistics for the Top 30 IPL batsmen during the 2016 season

Player Team in 2016 Runs Average 1 Strike Rate 2 4s 6s BBT 16 973 81.08 152.03 83 38 Lateral Hyderabad 17 848 60.57 151.43 88 31 Lateral AB de Villiers Bangalore 16 687 52.85 168.80 57 37 Lateral Hyderabad 17 501 38.54 116.78 51 8 Lateral 15 501 38.54 121.90 54 6 Lateral 14 489 44.45 132.88 49 16 Lateral Ajinkya Rahane Pune 14 480 43.64 126.65 54 9 Lateral Murali Vijay Punjab 14 453 34.85 124.45 50 10 Lateral Delhi 13 445 37.08 136.09 52 13 Lateral Gujarat 15 399 28.50 127.88 39 10 Lateral Lokesh Rahul Bangalore 12 397 44.11 146.49 37 16 Lateral Kolkata 15 394 26.27 136.33 45 8 Lateral Gujarat 12 393 39.30 131.44 45 11 Lateral Kolkata 13 361 72.20 145.56 33 13 Lateral Karun Nair Delhi 12 357 35.70 120.20 40 6 Straight

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Player Team in 2016 Innings Runs Average 1 Strike Rate 2 4s 6s BBT Brendon McCullum Gujarat 16 354 22.12 135.11 38 16 Lateral Gujarat 15 335 25.77 125.94 38 3 Lateral Mumbai 12 334 30.36 120.14 28 12 Lateral Dwayne Smith Gujarat 12 324 29.45 146.61 35 16 Straight Delhi 14 291 26.45 112.36 20 8 Lateral MS Dhoni Pune 12 284 40.57 135.24 18 14 Lateral Wriddhiman Saha Punjab 12 270 24.55 127.36 29 1 Straight Steven Smith Pune 7 270 45.00 153.41 27 8 Lateral Mumbai 14 255 23.18 138.59 23 11 Lateral Kolkata 11 248 31.00 135.52 17 9 Lateral Mumbai 9 237 39.50 191.13 22 13 Lateral Yuvraj Singh Hyderabad 10 236 26.22 131.84 22 13 Lateral Bangalore 10 227 22.70 151.33 17 21 Lateral Mumbai 12 208 26.00 144.44 11 16 Lateral Pune 6 206 34.33 127.16 17 9 Lateral 1Average = total number of runs scored divided by the number of times dismissed; 2 Strike rate = average number of runs scored per 100 balls faced

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Note - All batsmen, except for K. Nair, D. Smith and W. Saha, employed a lateral batting backlift technique.

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Discussion

This paper has outlined the practices of the backlift among current batsmen in the IPL. The main finding of this study was that 90% of IPL batsmen did not adopt the traditionally taught SBBT. Instead, they adopted a more looped action in which the movement of the bat at the moment the bowler released the ball was in the direction of the slips or in extreme cases, the face of the bat was towards point (the fielder positioned perpendicular to the batsman on the off-side) (Noorbhai, 2017). Asserting the LBBT to be a key determinant of success would be a bold statement as there are other components that deserve consideration, for example: the grip, stance, downswing, impact, follow-through, as well as the morphology, psychology and physical characteristics (fitness, physique and stature) of the batsman. All batsmen are unique in their technique and approach and may display attributes that are idiosyncratic and suit them best as an individual player. As such, scientists and coaches need to take the above factors into consideration in order to assist players recognise the subtle discrepancies that may hinder their performance. Innovative coaching tools (in the case of the backlift) in the form of a coaching cricket bat and a mobile application, are also available for coaches and players to improve and assist with the coaching of the LBBT (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2016c; Noorbhai, Chhaya & Noakes, 2016). A LBBT may not come naturally to some professional players. However, coaches must understand that players will compensate if their head and feet are not balanced or aligned accordingly. With this, coaches should also pay attention to the direction of the backlift with players, especially when correlating the backlift used to the various scoring areas on the cricket field. However, at semi-professional and professional levels, a coach can only do so much to ensure optimal performance and subtle technical optimisations. Much has changed in the last fifty years of the game, in part, arguably due to rapid adaptations to the shorter forms of the game. Although cricket has only been in existence for less than 240 years (since 1788), there have been considerable fluctuations in coaching and batting methods in the past (Noorbhai, 2017). The role of the changing forms of cricket appears to be significant in the observed changes in batting practices. Batsmen will continue to evolve in their individualistic way and apply unique shot selections. Batsmen will also be driven to score runs at a more rapid rate due to the changed demands of the shorter forms of the game. For scientists, biomechanists and coaches, it is imperative to evolve their thinking and approaches to keep pace with the developments within modern-day cricket batting (Noorbhai & Noakes, 2019c). Furthermore, individual variations will continue being observed among a variety of batsmen, in which a number of factors will contribute to their success. From this study, we can postulate that a LBBT is one of the key factors associated with batting success in shorter forms of the game - at least in the T20 format. It is envisaged that in order to score at a rapid rate, as required in T20 games, a LBBT is more effective for batsmen (particularly with an open face of the bat). The SBBT is essentially a more defensive action, and therefore, can expect to be more commonly used in the test match format. The BBT is only one of the components of batting technique. As a result, the entire technique does not change when in the shorter format of the game. Further research is needed to identify the extent of other possible and related changes in this context. However, this research has identified the prominence of a BBT which is lateral rather than straight with the face of the bat open rather than closed (Noorbhai, 2017).

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Conclusion

This study showed that 90% of the most successful batsmen in the IPL did not adopt the traditionally taught SBBT while playing in this competition. Instead they adopted a more looped action in which the movement of the bat at the moment the bowler released the ball was in the direction of the slips or in extreme cases, the face of the bat was towards point. It was noteworthy to also see the distinctive loop in their backlift before downswing. The BBT is just one of the components of the batting technique. As such, the entire technique may not change in the shorter format of the game, but changes are prominent with the BBT in terms of the direction in which the bat is lifted (straight or lateral) and whether the face of the bat is open or closed. Further research still needs to be conducted on whether and how the BBT affects other components of batting technique such as the grip, footwork, downswing and follow-through.

Limitations. A limitation of this study was the resolution of the player images and dots per inch (dpi) quality. To mitigate this limitation, the researchers accounted for perspective error by limiting the type of videos observed and including horizontal lines in the background.

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