Dynamic South African batsman AB de Villiers has revealed that he learnt how to execute the sweep shot by watching the veteran Younis Khan use it effectively against the spinners. The Express Tribune reported the wildly popular de Villiers speaking about the intricacies involved with negotiating quality spin bowling.
The 32-year old is renowned for attempting several variations of the sweep shot even against quicker bowlers. His X-factor arises from a inclination towards doing exactly the opposite of what the bowler expects.
In a simulation tutorial with former England skipper Nasser Hussain, de Villiers heaped praise on Younis Khan's technique against the slower bowlers. He went on to describe his body position while sweeping the ball off the pitch.
Younis Khan’s approach to playing the sweep
Affectionately called ‘ABD’, the South African Test captain enthused, “I just make sure I get as low as possible. I don’t like the ball to beat me under the bottom of my bat while I am sweeping. So, I always try and sweep it like a broom; I learnt that from Younis Khan, the Pakistani batsman.”
Elaborating on the disadvantages of bringing out the sweep shot on surfaces which assist spinners enormously, he added, “ I mean he gets his bat very very low. He doesn’t mind getting out to a top-edge but he doesn’t want to get LBW or bowled.”
Younis is widely acknowledged as one of the best modern day batsmen against the turning ball. One of the reasons behind the label is due to his clear thought process and attacking instincts which do not allow a spinner to settle down.
Khan is currently the highest run scorer in Test cricket for Pakistan also has scored a national record of 31 centuries in the longest format of the game. AB de Villiers too has had a remarkable career with more than 8000 runs from 106 Tests at a healthy average of 50.46.
Clearly, the most admiring aspect regarding the present-day cricketers is their openness to respect and learn from each other.
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