Cricket is a world in itself. With every new era, we witness this world being the home to several trends. Some of these were borrowed whereas the others are innovations. But in the end, all of them carry the essence of this game. Over the years, several styles have become trends overnight and interestingly the innovators had absolutely no clue. Some of them may have been just an effective cover up for the moment but now others use and master them.
Home to a lot of hipster trends, the cricket world witnessed breakaways in the orthodox techniques of its core as well as secondary aspects. From the core components such as batting and bowling techniques, to something as fun as celebrating the win, everywhere there is something new. These changes became popular overnight and before anyone realised, they were already the trends that everyone was implementing.
Here, we have discussed the five most popular hipster trends in cricket along with their histories.
#5 Huddle by Team India
Huddling may seem a common sight now but the history of this trend in the cricket world dates back to the year 2003. Thanks to the Indian cricket team which introduced this act. This style of the team gathering began when the Indian team marched towards the finals of ICC Cricket World Cup fifteen years ago.
Although the team had to settle for the runners-up trophy, they had first used the huddle.
It was reported that Sourav Ganguly's team practised it to boost their spirits and direct their focus towards a single goal. Strategies or celebrations, the Indian team had a new way of expression. Soon, it became popular in the cricket universe and the other teams followed. Now, in international or domestic games, the huddle is a customary 'move displayed by almost every cricket team.
#4 Ball Wave by McGrath
Glenn McGrath is undoubtedly one of the best fast bowlers we have ever witnessed. His best gift to the cricket was the ball wave. While batsmen raised their bats after a milestone, bowlers have never had a similar way to acknowledge a milestone, until McGrath started it with the wave of his hands with the ball to all corners of the ground.
The Aussie legend combined his pace and perfectly analysed bowling line to deliver the perfect spin. His style left no room for any error in judging the approaching ball as it would only lead to the stumps being hit. He also used his height in order to facilitate his this style of delivery.
The way he swung the ball made him the master of the moment. There was nothing as fantastic as these spectacular bowling spells and these words hold true even to this date. This is the only justification for the fact that every fast bowler aspires to execute the delivery like him.
#3 Switch Hit by Kevin Pietersen
The cricket world undergoes one revolution after another. In every era, there is a new style or technique born. The switch hit is a gift to cricket fans by the modern era batsmen. Kevin Pietersen pioneered this hit against New Zeland in a one-day international on 15th June 2008. While performing this, the batsman switches the bat from his right hand to his left hand (or vice-versa) just before the delivery of the ball. Pietersen used this technique to hit two sixes during this match.
It is definitely one of the most exciting techniques of batting as it puts off bowlers and the fielding captain and their plans and strategies. Efficiently switching the bat in between his hands within seconds, the batsman gives a tough time to the bowler and the fielders. This shot became a popular trend and is mostly used in T-20s. The switch hit is Pieterson's innovation but David Warner is known for putting this batting style to its optimum use.
#2 Doosra by Saqlain Mushtaq
While bowlers across the globe constantly strive to devise new techniques to deceive batsmen, Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq holds the credit for bringing the ‘Doosra’ ball into practice. In this technique, the ball is turned from the leg-side to the off-side. Contrary to the traditional style of off-spin bowling, this delivery is another type of off-spinner which is why it is named ‘Doosra’ which implies ‘the second one’ in Urdu.
However, this delivery had its own share of criticism and controversy. The fact that slight miscalculation in the degree to which the bowler wishes to straighten his arm while delivering can lead to it being deemed a throw and hence an illegal delivery. Despite having raised several eyebrows, the Doosra has won a lot of appreciation as well because it ultimately proved useful in dismissing the batsmen without being illegal.
#1 Dancing by Dwayne ‘DJ’ Bravo
Team and player celebrations have witnessed many styles over the years. But Dwayne “DJ” Bravo's version of expressing the triumph is our favourite. He began his unique dance routine after the West Indies team lifted the ICC T-20 World Cup, 2016. The entire stadium grooved to the “Champions” track along with the team and it was one of the most memorable moments in the history of cricket.
Surprisingly, the trend never died after that night. We saw the players dancing in order to celebrate even during the Indian Premier League, 2016. Accompanied by a signature step, the West Indies players used this style to celebrate wickets, catches, centuries and victories. Commercials, campaigns or celebrations, the cricket world has new trends, none better than the ‘Champions’ dance.
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