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[uknsaunders]

A bit of a follow on topic but well worth debating. When I learned my cricket, we mostly played on uncovered wickets. They weren't that bad but you had more seaming wet decks than now. As such batsman were coached to play with soft hands and play bat pad under the eyes. My technique is still based on this but as decks have got flatter, younger batsman tend to hit through the line and go with hard hands. They hit on the up or over the top.  Naturally, they are an accident waiting to happen but it rarely does thanks to the surfaces we now play on. Have things changed that much?

[ProCricketer1982]

I've only played 4 years so can't really comment. Having looked at older players techniques and scoring rates compared to the modern <30 player. There is a huge difference in technique generally IMO and yet the modern ones have higher avg's and higher SR's. As you say, decks are so true and the bowling isn't as good so players can get away with hitting on the up, over the top etc.

It depends on what you like I suppose, the modern trend is for shorter games, high scoring as it's viewed as 'fun'. Just wish there were games for everyone and not just the guys wanting to smash 300 each innings.

[Gurujames]

I think it is true to say that in my day we were taught the forward defensive, then back foot defensive, then straight drive, off drive etc. This made us more defensive in approach as there was a real focus on correct technique. In those days test cricket was on BBC 2 and no 20/20 cricket around. batting for 2 days to construct your innings was seen as a skill. Now youngsters see the 'stars' as the players who biff the bowlers to all parts using an increasingly diverse range of shots.
Additionally, I question some of the coaching some young players receive. Should a 15 yr old bowl off of a 30 metre run up? Should a player of a similar age consistently get caught at mid off attempting to off drive every ball? Should these players crack their bats trying to hit Yorkers to the boundary?
We see so many test matches finish well within 5 days. Is it an indication of poor batting technique as the pitches seem fairly biased towards the batsmen?
the older batsmen in our team and the other teams we play show a more orthodox technique and this has been successful for them. All the batsmen and bowlers who are in the top 10 averages are in the 35+ age range.
I am an oldie and of course we are better than the youngsters. 20 yrs ago the youngsters were better than the oldies.

[SLC]

Certainly round here, a lot of youth cricket is played on artificials, which is obviously much more forgiving for see ball, whack ball.

[Manormanic]

At professional level it is not so much that techniques have changed as mind-sets have - a lot of the best test batsmen score very fast now, but with basically correct cricket shots - cf Warner, Kohli, De Villiers.  They have merely recognised through the surfeit of hit and giggle that some balls that would have been left alone thirty years ago can actually be attacked.

Club cricket?  Gone downhill quite a bit.  Not so much the pitch issue - though the lack of "professional" groundsmen means that there is no longer the pace in club pitches that there once was - but the influence of watching so much hit and giggle stuff.  I also wonder if the increase in percentages of guys from an Asian background playing influences this, because they tend to play in a more aggressive, sub-continental manner.

[tim2000s]

That's an interesting point Manormanic. One of my cricketing colleagues spent 6 months in India,  and his observation was that they didn't do a great job of building an innings when he played.

[Manormanic]

That's an interesting point Manormanic. One of my cricketing colleagues spent 6 months in India,  and his observation was that they didn't do a great job of building an innings when he played.

I think the game is slightly different dependant upon the conditions in which you learned it; and for a lot of guys of Asian heritage, especially those who grew up in confident independent states rather than in the immediate aftermath of colonialism, that means batting in an aggressive style and placing very little regard on more subtle skills.  Part of this is the lower levels of formal coaching as kids, some of it the nature of pitches, yet more than influence that maidan games has on the wicket being cheap because I you get out there will be two, three, four more chances to bat...

Contrast that with Aussies of ten years ago who grew up getting one bat a fortnight at the best and you'll see a very different attitude and approach.

[Buzz]

This is a good topic, my view is that young players have always been a bit gung ho in their approach.

Maybe they find new ways to get out but most players take a time to learn how to build an innings, which is the same as it has always been.

As for the Asian players, especially those of Pakistani origin, I agree, they love to throw the bat from the off. I also think they have always done that too. Hanif Mohammed was the exception!

[CrickFreak]

I think its a mix of both. Things have evolved and some old style technique still lives on and strong which is clearly seen in guys like Bell, Kohli, AB, Sanga etc.
I was reading an article on Rahane where he said, his coach would tell him that his bat will break if he played horizontal bat shot. This was exactly what we were told which was long long time back.
It was more of deterrent that coaches would use so that their pupil would play with straight bat. I feel the traditional style/technique of  batting still exists but has also evolved a lot. Change is constant.

[alee]

A lot more players are seen with a wider stance and a graham gooch style (bat raised before delivery) seen today and also promoted by current coaches. One reason is that it gives more power to a shot. However, I read an article by Martin Crowe and an excerpt of the article said:

"...my personal adjustment was to shorten my backlift significantly so I could adjust better to the inconsistent bounce and movement, swing or seam. By shortening my backlift I scored less quickly but managed to stay at the crease longer. This later also helped combat reverse swing."

and even Viv Richards, Adam Gilchrist (both devastating hitters) used to just slightly lift the bat before delivery, as was seen common in the 80's and 90's.

My theory is that another reason for higher backlifts seen today could also be due to better pitches with more consistent bounce etc.