While batting, several things can stimulate the performance of the batter. Cricketing stance is one of them. There have been enough talks on what the ‘perfect stance’ looks like, or does there exist any? Since the inception of the game, there have been players who caught the viewer’s imagination worldwide with their batting stance. Following are a few of them.
1. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
West Indian batting legend Shiv Chanderpaul was the catalyst of many of the team's wins in the earlier part of this century. The Guyanese batting giant has represented the Windies team in 164 matches and has amassed more than eleven thousand test runs. Chanderpaul had a front foot stance, where the front side of the body would face the bowler. This rather amateurish-looking stance never hindered his batting, as he went on to score tons of runs for the teams he played for.
2. Saurav Ganguly
Ganguly’s wasn’t the most unusual stance. However, it was something that would surely catch the eyes of the viewer. The former Indian skipper was known for his six-hitting prowess. The left-hander would have most of his body weight on the front side of the body as the back was stretched more than usual. A bit of unorthodox stance did not become a hurdle for the batter, as he went on to score more than 7,000 test runs for his country.
3. Fawad Alam
Fawad Alam is one of the mainstays of the Pakistan batting lineup in the current test squad. He had a long gap between his 2 test appearances. Even after a decade his stance has remained very much the same. Alam has an open stance, like Chanderpaul even Alam faces the bowler till the very last moment. He gets his front foot ahead of the middle and leg stump just before the ball is delivered. His stance for the spinners is different than for the pacers.
4. Rory Burns
The Surrey captain is the newest inductee into the ‘funny stance club’. The left-hander has his head still while his bat is held in the air for longer than usual. In an interview, Burns said that the reason for an unusual stance is his left dominance. The technique helped him to find his rhythm; thus, he never thought of changing it. Although still in his early days, Burns has been the topic of discussion, as his failures to give starts are accredited to the stance.
5. Steve Smith
The former Australian captain is considered to be one of the greatest of the current generation. A giant in test match cricket, Smith, has proved his mettle on several occasions on different grounds in the world. The Right-hander has amassed more than 7500 runs in test cricket, with an extraordinary average of 61. However, the modern-day great is famous for his quirky and unique stance while batting. Especially in tests, Smith is often seen as moving across the crease before facing the ball and making full use of the depth of the crease. On numerous occasions, bowlers are seen to be making fun of this tiny facet of Smith’s batting.
6. Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch was a fine test cricketer of the 70s and 80s. Well known for his huge scores, Gooch was a loyal servant of English Cricket. Graham Gooch was one of the mainstays of English batting throughout his career. Although technically sound, Gooch was also famous for his stance. He would stand in line with off stumps, but the bat would be way higher up until his head. The stance was never an obstacle for the right-hander as he represented his country for more than 100 test matches and scored 8,900 runs in red-ball cricket.
7. Hashim Amla
For the more significant part of the last decade, South Africa was a dominant side in limited-overs cricket. Hashim Amla was one of the reasons for the same. The left-handed batter gained a reputation for playing long innings, but he could also change gears when required.Amla, though, had a slightly awkward-looking stance. He would rely more on the back lift of the body and have his bat facing the gully region on the ground. The proteas run machine holds the record for fastest 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000 runs in One-day internationals.
8. Abhishek Nayar
There have been several talented players in the domestic circuit of Indian cricket. However, not many got the chance to represent India as much as they would have liked. Abhishek Nayar belongs to the list. The Mumbai all-rounder had been a regular in Mumbai’s domestic triumphs over the years. The left-hander had an awkward-looking stance. With unusually more gap between the legs, Nayar’s bat would remain low to the ground. The stance was subject to change, as he would suit it according to his convenience.
9. George Bailey
George Bailey captained the Australian team for a very brief period in the 2010s. Bailey was respected among his peers for his captaincy tactics. However, he was also a handy batter down the order. Bailey’s can be considered to be the ever-changing stance among most modern-day cricketers. He would stand with his back partially open towards the bowler or the fielder in the midwicket region. In the 90 One Internationals that he played, Bailey scored more than 3000 runs with a healthy average of 40.
10. Harbhajan Singh
Besides having one of the most famous bowling actions in cricket, Singh also had a rather unusual way of facing the ball. Harbhajan Singh proved his batting ability on multiple occasions. He had the capability of hitting a few hard shots down the ground. His batting stance, though, wasn’t the most technically sound one. While batting, the right-hander would have half of his chest facing the bowler while the rest would bend down with the body. The bat was kept between the open area between the two legs.
