Best Player Of Each Shot

[irfan]

I thought we would try to come up with a consensus of who plays the best shot (players that you have watched)

Working counterclockwise
Off Drive: Hayden - In his heyday plonked the front foot down and murdered the pacers.
Inside-Out Drive: Laxman - Has the perfect technique for this shot and did successfully against Warne and MacGill
Cover Drive: Plenty of candidates for this one but I'd have to say Vaughan, aesthetically pleasing and played it numerous times against Aus in CT 2003 IIRC.
Square Drive: Theres no better sight in cricket than Lara's flashing blade meeting a wide overpitched delivery
Cut Shot: Jayasuriya - No one else can time it and hit it further than he can
Late Cut: Martyn, comes naturally to him since he plays the ball so late
Ramp Shot/Shot Over Keepers Head: Ryan Campbell, probably coz no one else plays this shot
Leg Glance: Umm.. Lehmann i seemed to recall he could it especially well when theres no fine leg
Pull/Hook Shot: Ponting - Can despatch it any where from midwicket to deep-backward square for 4
Square Leg Flick: Mark Waugh - he does it so elegantly and effortlessly
Slog Over Cow Corner: Afridi - when it comes off, (hardly) its a sight to behold
Drive Through Midwicket: Pietersen - when he drags the ball from outside off stump
On - Drive: Sachin - even his defensive onside pushes hit the boundary such is the timing of the great man

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

There's a thread just like this, somewhere.

Anyway, I think the most clear-cut ones are Lara's square drive and Ponting's pull/hook. Both are simply miles better than the competition with that particular shot, and play it flawlessly. I'd go for Hayden's off-drive, Tendulkar's on-drive, Gilchrist's cut and Pietersen's hit over midwicket.

From former players, David Boon's cut shot is very memorable, and Sobers' square drive was just like Lara's, absolutely brilliant. Greg Chappell's on-drive is also legendary, and Steve Waugh made the slog-sweep his own.

 

[C_C]

Off Drive: : too many to list- its one of those 'bread and butter shots' of any batsmen of class.

Inside-Out Drive: Viv. As good as Laxman is, Viv was simply jaw-dropping in slapping inside-out drives.

Cover Drive: Lara, Ganguly.
Square Drive: Again, too many to list.

Cut Shot: Jayasuriya - No one else can time it and hit it further than he can

Late Cut: Lawrence Rowe, Gundappa Vishwanath, Frank Worrell. They were absolute masters of this shot and i dont think anyone today has the same control over this shot.

Ramp Shot/Shot Over Keepers Head: Bah. Not a legit shot.

Leg Glance: Tendulkar, Azhar, Sidhu- pretty hard to go past Indian batsmen on leg glances.

Pull/Hook Shot: Alvin Kallicharan, Ritchie Richardson, Mohinder Amarnath. Class beyond anyting on display today and even Martyn is rather average and Ponting perhaps 'above average' at this shot compared to the exponents of this in the pre-helmet era. Of the active players, i'd take Tendulkar on his pull shot from his heydeys over anyone else. Not only is it technically perfect, he manages to keep the ball down very very well- somethig that most of the rest dont do with their pull shots.

Square Leg Flick: No idea really

Slog Over Cow Corner: Afridi, Klusener.

Drive Through Midwicket: Viv Richards Viv Richards Viv Richards.

On - Drive: Sachin - even his defensive onside pushes hit the boundary such is the timing of the great man

Straight Drive : Sachin, rest a lightyear behind.

 

[Perm]

Straight Drive: When Ponting unleashes this shot, the ball stays straight and stays hit. Pretty damn effective.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Ponting's straight drive is usually of a ball that most other batsmen would drive through mid off - bit weird really.

 

[Perm]

Tentative Prod that Misses: Chris Martin, the guy is an example of extremely poor hand eye co-ordination.

 

[_Ed_]

Ramp Shot/Shot Over Keepers Head: Ryan Campbell, probably coz no one else plays this shot

McCullum plays it pretty well too.

 

[Great Birtannia]

Andy Flower was a good improviser as well, it must be a keeper thing.

 

[Natman20]

Flemings shots can be quite elegant at times but only on his day. He has to survive the new ball first most of the time which he struggles with.

On another note what does everyone think is a batting weakness for these main contenders?

 

[irfan]

Flashing outside off stump needlessly: Sorry AAAS but Agarkar's 5 ducks in the 99-00 series down under was the best example of what not to do when facing McGrath and co.

 

[irfan]

Off Drive: : too many to list- its one of those 'bread and butter shots' of any batsmen of class.

Inside-Out Drive: Viv. As good as Laxman is, Viv was simply jaw-dropping in slapping inside-out drives.

Cover Drive: Lara, Ganguly.
Square Drive: Again, too many to list.

Cut Shot: Jayasuriya - No one else can time it and hit it further than he can

Late Cut: Lawrence Rowe, Gundappa Vishwanath, Frank Worrell. They were absolute masters of this shot and i dont think anyone today has the same control over this shot.

Ramp Shot/Shot Over Keepers Head: Bah. Not a legit shot.

Leg Glance: Tendulkar, Azhar, Sidhu- pretty hard to go past Indian batsmen on leg glances.

Pull/Hook Shot: Alvin Kallicharan, Ritchie Richardson, Mohinder Amarnath. Class beyond anyting on display today and even Martyn is rather average and Ponting perhaps 'above average' at this shot compared to the exponents of this in the pre-helmet era. Of the active players, i'd take Tendulkar on his pull shot from his heydeys over anyone else. Not only is it technically perfect, he manages to keep the ball down very very well- somethig that most of the rest dont do with their pull shots.

Square Leg Flick: No idea really

Slog Over Cow Corner: Afridi, Klusener.

Drive Through Midwicket: Viv Richards Viv Richards Viv Richards.

On - Drive: Sachin - even his defensive onside pushes hit the boundary such is the timing of the great man

Straight Drive : Sachin, rest a lightyear behind.

Try to keep it to ppl you have seen mate

 

[silentstriker]

Straight Drive - Gavaskar had a nice one too.

 

[Son Of Coco]

The French Cut: Pierre

 

[silentstriker]

The crew cut: my barber.

 

[PhoenixFire]

The best in the last 10 or so years.

Working counterclockwise
Off Drive: Tendulkar - Glorious at times, the best to watch anyway.
Inside-Out Drive: Gibbs - Just of the t=op of my head I can remember him playing some pretty nice ones for 6.
Cover Drive: Langer - I'm gonna break the mold and say Langer. A wonderful sight, perfect technique
Square Drive: Lara - Hits it harder than anyone I've seen.
Cut Shot: Jayasuriya - I'll go with Jayasuriya too, don't bowl short and wide to him.
Late Cut: Ramprakash - Plays it really well, and can hit it for 4 too.
Ramp Shot/Shot Over Keepers Head: Never seen anyone play it, except Tendulkar, so I'll choose him.
Leg Glance: Ponting - Anything on his legs is a certain 4.
Pull/Hook Shot: Ponting - Can hit it pretty much anywhere he feels like, and very hard.
Square Leg Flick: Chris Adams - An odd choice, but I seem to recall that he can hit it a long way with little effort, him or Pietersen.
Slog Over Cow Corner: Afridi - That 6 of Symonds at the WACA is the biggest I've ever seen
Drive Through Midwicket: Inzamam - Hits it hard, gracefuly, and with little effort.
On - Drive: Sachin - Nobody else really.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

Ramp Shot/Shot Over Keepers Head:

I have only ever seen it done once before in cricket, by Shane Warne. I use it nearly all the time,

 

[shortpitched713]

Fleming has as good of a cover drive as I have ever seen.

 

[Son Of Coco]

The Cover Drive Through Slips: Me

 

[Perm]

Fleming has a glorious Cover Drive, its absolutely beautiful.

 

[irfan]

Do you guys reckon Fleming's cover drive is better than Vaughan's ?