The Backlift Techniques of Cricketers in the Indian Premier League: Batting Implications for the Shorter Format Abstract
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The backlift techniques of cricketers in the Indian Premier League: batting implications for the shorter format Habib Noorbhai University of Johannesburg, South Africa 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 cricket. 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 49 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 wickets 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 forms of cricket. 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. 50 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 51 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).