Cricketing Myths

[Vorador]

Where do some weird "conventional" cricketing notions popularly believed by captains, analysts, commentators, everyone really originate from?


#1) A right-left batting pair is better than a right-right or left-left batting pair.

Beyond the advantage of a shorter boundary on one side, I'm a bit skeptical if this confers any real advantage to the batting at all.

#2) An offspinner can't bowl to a batsman of the same hand as the bowler.

In recent times, there are at least 2 occasions I remember captains not bowling their best spinner because they supposedly wouldn't be effective at all against left-handed batsmen. Williamson did this against Australia in the last T20WC, when he didn't bowl Santner because of Australian left-handed bats. Babar yesterday did the same with Nawaz against SL left-handed bats.

Sure the bowl turning away is more threatening for most batsmen than turning in, but I refuse to believe that a good spinner is completely helpless when faced by a same handed batsman.

Do we have any stats to back these strange myths at all?

 

[Mamoon]

“Matchups” has become the new fashion in cricket these days but it means absolutely nothing. It is a pile of garbage.

Good thread.

 

[Mobashir]

No it isn't.
You should just not push them too far.

An off break bowls better Vs left handlers and a left arm spinner vs right hand batsmen.

 

[Rana]

Right arm off spin is a dying art in white ball cricket unfortunately

You might as well have part timers like Babar coming in and throwing pies to entice gun left handed batsmen in order to buy a wicket these days

 

[Jazx]

These myths comes into consideration only when the bowler or batsman are just bits and pieces player. If the off spinner is like a murli, saqlain or harbhajan's calibre, no captain will be afraid of bowling them against right handers.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Where do some weird "conventional" cricketing notions popularly believed by captains, analysts, commentators, everyone really originate from?


#1) A right-left batting pair is better than a right-right or left-left batting pair.

Beyond the advantage of a shorter boundary on one side, I'm a bit skeptical if this confers any real advantage to the batting at all.

#2) An offspinner can't bowl to a batsman of the same hand as the bowler.

In recent times, there are at least 2 occasions I remember captains not bowling their best spinner because they supposedly wouldn't be effective at all against left-handed batsmen. Williamson did this against Australia in the last T20WC, when he didn't bowl Santner because of Australian left-handed bats. Babar yesterday did the same with Nawaz against SL left-handed bats.

Sure the bowl turning away is more threatening for most batsmen than turning in, but I refuse to believe that a good spinner is completely helpless when faced by a same handed batsman.

Do we have any stats to back these strange myths at all?

Read the book, "Hitting against the spin: How Cricket really works" by Ben Jones and Nathan Leamon for comprehensive answers backed by numbers for these questions.

These are fairly basic things when it comes to match ups . The short answer is that, over a period of time , it has been found that left handed batsmen can generally score off right handed pacers easier than right handed batsmen ,(There are a few caveats included in the book)

As for the spin match ups, it has also been found that batters score more and at a faster rate against the ball turning in and significantly less when the ball turns away.

Only spinners who have a damn good carbon ball/legal doosra that they can execute at will will doequally well against both but that is very rare.

 

[Robert]

1. Malcolm Marshall - generally conceded to be the GOAT fast bowler - said he hated bowling at lefties.

The rationale is that the left-right combo mucks up the bowler’s line and makes getting into a groove harder.

2. Hmmm. Graeme Swann was the best England spinner of the past forty years, yet he had a sharply better record against lefty batters, moving it prodigiously away from them and into the hand of a very good England slip cordon. He could best eighties outside the bat as well with his drift ball, but not so often as against lefties with his off-break.

 

[Rana]

“Matchups” has become the new fashion in cricket these days but it means absolutely nothing. It is a pile of garbage.

Good thread.

Match ups 100% exist when an Afghan medium pacer or Bhuvaneshwar Kumar bowls to Asif Ali in the death overs

 

[Jazx]

1. Malcolm Marshall - generally conceded to be the GOAT fast bowler - said he hated bowling at lefties.

The rationale is that the left-right combo mucks up the bowler’s line and makes getting into a groove harder.

2. Hmmm. Graeme Swann was the best England spinner of the past forty years, yet he had a sharply better record against lefty batters, moving it prodigiously away from them and into the hand of a very good England slip cordon. He could best eighties outside the bat as well with his drift ball, but not so often as against lefties with his off-break.

But still that does not results into captains avoiding marshall or swann to bowl against them. Its the t20 cricket and bits and peices players where these things are given a more thought of.

 

[Vorador]

Read the book, "Hitting against the spin: How Cricket really works" by Ben Jones and Nathan Leamon for comprehensive answers backed by numbers for these questions.

These are fairly basic things when it comes to match ups . The short answer is that, over a period of time , it has been found that left handed batsmen can generally score off right handed pacers easier than right handed batsmen ,(There are a few caveats included in the book)

As for the spin match ups, it has also been found that batters score more and at a faster rate against the ball turning in and significantly less when the ball turns away.

Only spinners who have a damn good carbon ball/legal doosra that they can execute at will will doequally well against both but that is very rare.

Very interesting. I'll see if I can get that book.

Thank you!

 

[Markhor]

“Matchups” has become the new fashion in cricket these days but it means absolutely nothing. It is a pile of garbage.

Good thread.

Yes teams all the over world including your beloved BCCI and IPL franchises spend vast sums of money investing in researchers and analysts for the fun of it. They should follow your shoot from the hip opinions instead.

[MENTION=113824]Nikhil_cric[/MENTION] rightly referred to the book Hitting Against The Spin which I'm halfway through. It's brilliant reading with its chapter on spin bowling being particularly insightful.

 

[Technics 1210]

Keep wickets in hand. [LoIs]

 

[Technics 1210]

Read the book, "Hitting against the spin: How Cricket really works" by Ben Jones and Nathan Leamon for comprehensive answers backed by numbers for these questions.

These are fairly basic things when it comes to match ups . The short answer is that, over a period of time , it has been found that left handed batsmen can generally score off right handed pacers easier than right handed batsmen ,(There are a few caveats included in the book)

As for the spin match ups, it has also been found that batters score more and at a faster rate against the ball turning in and significantly less when the ball turns away.

Only spinners who have a damn good carbon ball/legal doosra that they can execute at will will do equally well against both but that is very rare.

Have read this book, absolutely amazing. Great insight!

 

[Punjab Kings]

Some myths in today's cricket
1) Pakistan mei talent hai
2) Rizwan and Babar rankings
3) Shadab Khan an All-rounder

 

[sweep_shot]

Where do some weird "conventional" cricketing notions popularly believed by captains, analysts, commentators, everyone really originate from?


#1) A right-left batting pair is better than a right-right or left-left batting pair.

Beyond the advantage of a shorter boundary on one side, I'm a bit skeptical if this confers any real advantage to the batting at all.

#2) An offspinner can't bowl to a batsman of the same hand as the bowler.

In recent times, there are at least 2 occasions I remember captains not bowling their best spinner because they supposedly wouldn't be effective at all against left-handed batsmen. Williamson did this against Australia in the last T20WC, when he didn't bowl Santner because of Australian left-handed bats. Babar yesterday did the same with Nawaz against SL left-handed bats.

Sure the bowl turning away is more threatening for most batsmen than turning in, but I refuse to believe that a good spinner is completely helpless when faced by a same handed batsman.

Do we have any stats to back these strange myths at all?

Very good point.

I totally agree.

A good batter can hit any bowler just like a good bowler can trouble any batter.

 

[Punjab Kings]

Mohammad Rizwan,"Our power-hitters are capable of hitting around 45 runs off the last 4 overs"

 

[KyoOne]

Some myths in today's cricket
1) Pakistan mei talent hai
2) Rizwan and Babar rankings
3) Shadab Khan an All-rounder

Shadab Khan is a decent ODI/test level all-rounder. In T20s his power game is still weak, but he seems to have improved that.

Talent is there but nurturing is missing. We hardly ever have A/ Shaheen tours & U19 tours, Domestic coaches are mediocre, International coaches since 2007 have been largely very very mediocre (Mickey Arthur, Paul Rixon, etc some exceptions), selections have usually been poor.

I agree with your point two. Both are some of the worst T20 batsmen batting at 100-120 SR usually which is criminal for players who open the innings. They statpad usually to rise in rankings. It was laughable how Saqlain defended both by pointing out to their rankings

 

[Rana]

Mohammad Rizwan,"Our power-hitters are capable of hitting around 45 runs off the last 4 overs"

Hahahaahhahahaah good one

Rizwan also said Khushdil Shah can become Pakistan’s best all rounder