Since the start of T20 cricket, batsmen usually come on the front foot to face deliveries and attack them. The back foot is a technique that is considered outdated in the modern era. Players playing on bouncy tracks such as those in Australia and South Africa usually remain on the back foot and take their time to play the ball. To hit late, hitters swing back, giving themselves a few precious milliseconds to hit. Batting players can thus avoid hitting the ball unnecessarily, and their playing time will be better. Presenting to you the Top 10 cricketers who played on the backfoot:
1. Vivian Richards
He is known as one of the best batsmen to ever exist in cricket. He was a destructive batsman from the West Indies who used to play on his back foot and smash the bowlers. He waited for the ball to come to his bat until the last second and then smashed it all along the park. He married Indian actress Neena Gupta and has a daughter named Masaba Gupta.
2. Ricky Ponting
He is a former right-handed batsman from Australia who has captained Australia in all three formats of the game. He is known for having the best footwork in cricket. He is an elegant backfoot batsman who punches the ball on boundaries. He has a variety of strokes like the late cut, square cut, and uppercut when playing on the back foot.
3. Rohit Sharma
Like his other impressive shots, even Rohit Sharma's late cut to the third man is worth seeing. Cutting the shots right to the seam is a key area for Rohit Sharma when given wide. Similarly, back cuts are Rohit's most important attack, especially against the turn, and he usually makes good runs.
4. Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson is without a doubt the best non-Asian batsman and has the best control in cricket over spin and seam. The New Zealand cricketer is famous for taking the best backfoot kick in the ground and probably puts his best touch when playing as late as possible. He moves back when facing spinners.
5. Joe Root
While Joe Root's overall shots are built and maintained according to the English Cricket Coach's template, his late cuts are particularly consistent when executed correctly. In particular, he is known for using the depth of the batting crease against the spinners and playing late shots to the third-man fielder.
6. Ross Taylor
He is a right-handed batsman from New Zealand who has played over 100 tests for New Zealand and scored over 10,000 runs across all formats. He loves to score on the leg side and remains on the back foot while he waits for the ball to come to bat. He has full control over pull shots and regularly punishes bowlers for bouncer deliveries.
7. Virender Sehwag
The word "fearless" fits Sehwag perfectly. He easily dominated world cricket. Sehwag was a hitter who doesn't back down from a challenge. He was a destructive batsman of the 2000 era; he used to pick bowlers from the backfoot and play pull and cut shots around the ground. He used to slog bowlers on their backfoot towards the midwicket region and terrorize them with his batting.
8. Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden was a former cricketer who was an opener for Australia. He contributed to Australia's ODI wins in 2003 and 2007. He was very dangerous in test matches, as he used to stand back in the crease and wait for the ball to smash into the midwicket area. He was a proper backfoot player, and he rarely stepped out against the bowlers.
9. Shikhar Dhawan
For Shikhar Dhawan, the entire ground area up to the third-man zone is an important area where he scores against both swinging and turning bowlers. Against right arm speed, slow cuts, and steady penetration are Shikhar Dhawan's good shots that look easy and perfect. Despite facing a tough challenge, Dhawan still hopes to secure the distinction and maintain his running record.
10. Ravindra Jadeja
With the percentage of right-handers in the game, usually a late cut to the third man or a small cut in the back of the ground area is the starting point for an early kick to Ravindra Jadeja. In fact, the entire area, from the retreating point to the third-man area, is where Jadeja fights from the firing line against right-to-left hitters. He has a unique way of celebrating his landmarks; he moves his bat like a sword.
