The role of pinch hitters

[Krishnan]

This thing just came to my mind when i saw kyle mills batting.There was a time from the mid nineties till 2007 maybe,when teams used to send a batsman from the bottom at the early fall of the first wicket,just to up the run rate and have wild slogs.It was fun to watch in a different way.I think it has totally disappeared these days.

Do you think teams can again try use people like mills,harbhajan,johnson etc etc and reinvent the concept of pinch hitting or just continue with the present trend?

 

[Amjid Javed]

I think in the WC to come in Asia i think this is something that will be used again!

 

[AZ]

they are well and truly defunct now.

 

[Crazy_K]

The way most batsmen play these days teams feel they're better off sending a proper batsman to do the job than someone who can swing the bat and occasionally connect

 

[hashbb]

We do that regularly, we send Afridi who is a bowler, to 5th or 6th position when a wicket goes we tell him to slog, works most of the time

 

[Krishnan]

The way most batsmen play these days teams feel they're better off sending a proper batsman to do the job than someone who can swing the bat and occasionally connect

Ya india,south africa and sri lanka can manage without these innovations for now, as batting heavy lineup.pak has already a heavy stack of hitters in the middle,but their opening is not so good so maybe can send people in some games..But nz,wi or even aus can send up people more, as they are struggling a bit now.

 

[ads101]

Most teams want a pinch hitter to send at no.6. Someone who can bowl and slog a bit. We've got one in afridi.

It's actually quite valuable to have one. A lot of teams try to have one but it's a lot harder to get someone who delivers consistently. One of the reasons why South Africa persisted with albie morkel, or West Indies with Pollard.

It's a lot harder than it looks to go all out hitting boundaries from the first ball then it looks. That's why it's a shame that afridi who is able to do this easily gifts his wicket away so many times. He's never lived up to his true potential.

 

[ads101]

Ya india,south africa and sri lanka can manage without these innovations for now, as batting heavy lineup.pak has already a heavy stack of hitters in the middle,but their opening is not so good so maybe can send people in some games..But nz,wi or even aus can send up people more, as they are struggling a bit now.

India have a pinch hitter. Yusuf pathan is basically one. Just his bowling has gone wayward. South Africa have Albie morkel (but he was dropped recently). Sri lanka have Thisara Perer.

 

[Krishnan]

India have a pinch hitter. Yusuf pathan is basically one. Just his bowling has gone wayward. South Africa have Albie morkel (but he was dropped recently). Sri lanka have Thisara Perer.

Sorry,i think i should i have made it more clear.I specifically referred to the one down position which all teams used for sending pinch hitters earlier,and people not considered as batsman or allrounders.meant people like van der merwe or harbhajan.Ya perera can be considered as pinch hitter,while pathan or morkel cannot i think.The confusion comes these days because,as soon as some bowler starts playing a bit well these days,commentators brand him as a allrounder instead of a occasional hitter.

 

[praveen]

We have powerplays remember?

 

[Gotham Cronie]

We do that regularly, we send Afridi who is a bowler, to 5th or 6th position when a wicket goes we tell him to slog, doesn't work most of the time

Fixed your post.

 

[Down2Earth]

sehwag still does it

 

[1137moiz]

TBH I always enjoy seeing these sorts of "Nineties" tactics being used. They're a failure usually but never fail to entertain!

 

[dinakar]

TBH I always enjoy seeing these sorts of "Nineties" tactics being used. They're a failure usually but never fail to entertain!

when the match fixing saga broke out in 2000, many suspected that these were part of the 'spot fixing'. out of blue you see Srinath, Agarkar, Warne, Vaas etc coming at no.3 or 4. Probably due to that 'paranoia' such unorthodox techniques vanished in this decade.

 

[insaaniyat]

Hit a six and try to hit another six next ball and get out. We have the best pinch hitter in that role, our captain.

 

[kingusama92]

Pinch hitters are useful, but with the addition of the batting power play its gone out of fashion.

Most teams have realized that as long as their batsmen stay in during the start - they can increase the tempo/pace at the end.

Pakistan does still use the ploy here and there with Afridi. I would like to see them use it more often with Razzaq who could do more damage. The problem with our pinch hitters is that they are also some of our more important batsmen.

 

[Random Aussie]

I don't recall it ever being that successful a tactic.

And:

1) Powerplays mean the batting side has some control of when to hit

2) T20 cricket means all batsmen are able to score at a heavy tempo

Pakistan probably use the hitters better than anybody but your batsmen can't bat which means they are usually rescuing from a sub par total rather than accelerating to massive one.

 

[kingusama92]

^

It probably worked once in a blue moon in the 90s.

Pinch hitters were only useful for strong teams and they usually wouldn't use them cause of their strong batting lineups.

 

[dinakar]

I don't recall it ever being that successful a tactic.

your team in 1996 WC semi final against NZ. Warne's little cameo shifted the momentum in favor of aussies.

another occasion i recall is in the India Pak final in the Dhaka independence cup. when Sachin fell, Robin Singh was send as a pinch hitter, but he built a crucial partnership with Ganguly instead of slogging.

 

[1137moiz]

I think it's a generally failed tactic but it's cute...a wannabe cool 90's kinda thing

 

[Sledger]

It only really worked in 96 with the SL openers, otherwise it was a pretty rubbish tactic (I'm not counting Gilchrist, he was a genuine class bat). It isn't really used nowdays but teams do tend to experiment with openers in T20s, from the pinch blockers like Kallis and Jayawardene to Dilshan who was a sort of pinch hitter early on, Shahzaib etc.

I remember recently Johnson saying he would be willing to open the innings in limited overs if the opportunity was presented, don't rate him myself. Anybody remember Vaas sent as a 'pinch hitter' against and in some Sharjah game? ) )

 

[1137moiz]

It only really worked in 96 with the SL openers, otherwise it was a pretty rubbish tactic (I'm not counting Gilchrist, he was a genuine class bat). It isn't really used nowdays but teams do tend to experiment with openers in T20s, from the pinch blockers like Kallis and Jayawardene to Dilshan who was a sort of pinch hitter early on, Shahzaib etc.

I remember recently Johnson saying he would be willing to open the innings in limited overs if the opportunity was presented, don't rate him myself. Anybody remember Vaas sent as a 'pinch hitter' against and in some Sharjah game? ) )

I remember that. I much prefer a consolidatory start meself--60 for nought after 15 overs trumps 100 for 4 anyday

 

[Prince_Pathan]

imran nazir will explain everything you want about the word pinch hitter :iamlegend

or chris gayle any1 will do

 

[MR__KHAN__JI]

If Kami is not playing... we will need an aggressive player up top....

 

[jzdanish]

Maybe the class of batsmen has decreased?

 

[gazza619]

I wonder why do teams not use Pinch hitter anymore.

Could Pakistan surprise NZ by sending someone at no.3.

Wahab? Or even Imad?

 

[barah_admi]

There are so many batsmen these days that can score quickly. Pakistan has Fakhar, why use a tailender and lose a wicket?