When talking about a batsman’s technique, his stance is considered to be one of the primary aspects. Sometimes, a slight change in stance can completely change the way a batsman is performing and there are several instances in the game’s history that prove this fact.
Although budding cricketers are mostly advised by their coaches to use a conventional stance, there are numerous cases of batsmen achieving plenty of success despite having an unusual batting stance. Over the years, the game of cricket has seen some really strange batting stances which range from standing in front of the stumps to holding the bat in baseball fashion.
Here are some of the strangest batting stances in recent years:
5. Hashim Amla (South Africa)
South Africa’s Hashim Amla is one of the most prolific batsmen in the world at present and has been scoring heaps of runs over the past few years. Amla's success across all three formats of the game has been quite phenomenal and puts him on track to become a legendary figure in his country’s cricket.
The bearded Proteas genius is also known for his unconventional technique, particularly his unique batting stance. Amla has quite a high backlift and his bat is often found angling in the direction of the gully fielder as he prepares for the ball to come to him.
While Hashim Amla’s stance makes it easier for him to play on both sides of the wicket, it also puts him in trouble against deliveries dart in sharply after pitching. Nonetheless, his tremendous success with the bat nullifies any requirement for him to revisit his stance.
4. Michael Vaughan (England)
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan is remembered most for leading England to victory in the 2005 Ashes series. However, there is much more to Vaughan’s career than that as he was among England’s best batsmen at a certain point.
One of the things that stood out for the stylish English batsman was his unusual style of batting. Unlike most of the other batsmen of his time, Vaughan had an unconventionally high backlift and made a strange back and across motion as he got ready to play the ball.
Michael Vaughan’s stance made it relatively easier for him to drive the ball through the covers or pull it but it also made him susceptible to the incoming delivery.
3. Fawad Alam (Pakistan)
Despite having made his international debut for Pakistan back in 2007, Fawad Alam has still been unable to find himself a permanent spot in the national team. With just 3 Tests, 38 ODIs and 24 T20Is under his belt, the 30-year old’s career has not quite gone the way it was expected to go.
Rather than his batting prowess, Alam has gained popularity more because of his highly awkward batting stance. While the bowler charges in to deliver the ball, the southpaw stands way outside his leg stump and then takes a giant step towards the stumps just when the former is in his delivery stride.
Fawad Alam is often criticised for his strange batting technique which is looked at as the main reason behind his inability to make it big so far.
2. Lance Klusener (South Africa)
Former South African cricketer Lance Klusener was among the deadliest all-rounders of his time and one of the most explosive batsmen, too. Other than almost carrying his team to their maiden World Cup final, Klusener has a lot of achievements in his career to be proud of.
Nicknamed Zulu, his ability to hit the ball reflected right from his baseball-like batting stance. Klusener held his super-heavy bat almost as high as his head as he prepared to face the ball and that allowed him to swing it like a club when the ball arrived.
Although Lance Klusener’s backlift helped him achieve a lot of success, particularly in limited-overs cricket, it often proved to be a hindrance for him on slower pitches with low bounce.
1. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies)
Legendary West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the mainstay of the Test team’s batting ever since Brian Lara retired and remained so until he decided to call it a day for himself. Chanderpaul is the second highest run-scorer in Tests for his country and also among the leading run-getters of all time.
The prolific left-hander made news throughout his career not only for his batting but also for his bizarre batting stance. It was a front-on batting stance and it often appeared as if Chanderpaul is standing right in front of his stumps. Although the stance looked highly flawed as it did not stick to the ground rules of batting, it proved mighty effective for him.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a perfect example of the fact that technique is not the most essential thing to achieve success as a batsman.
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