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[VIDEOS/PICTURES] Who in your opinion has/had the best cover drive in cricket?

In modern day cricket? Babar

In olden area? Tendulkar/Yosuf
 
Rizwan's inside out's over extra were sumptuous today :riz

Overall, I think you'd be hard pushed to find a more elegant driver of the ball (or batsman period) than Brian Charles Lara.
 
Brian Lara for me. Left handers generally seem so pleasing on the eye when playing the cover drive.
 
Watch Shubman GIll. Equally adept at backfoot and front foot cover drive. And also stand and deliver cover drive an unusual shot. Also he uses wrist like Kohli and powers through cover. He is going to soon eclipse Rohit, KL Rahul, Kohli in terms of attractive stroke play.
 
From current players, Shubman Gill's cover and straight drives when I watched the Australia Tests were out of this world.
 
Babar azam Kohli and root from current era, from old era ponting and lara
 
My personal favorites: Jaques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Vaughan, Mohammad Yousaf,Adam Gilchrist.
 
Titan24 said:
Babar is class but Haider’s cover drive is also a delight.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Happiness is ... cover-drives ��<br><br>On the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalDayOfHapiness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalDayOfHapiness</a>, let’s look back at the best cover drives from our last three World Cups �� <a href="https://t.co/6rs5xEK86L">pic.twitter.com/6rs5xEK86L</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1240888354331340802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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This is my problem with Haider you are THIS!

You're not a hack stop the wild slogs, your cieling is much higher you should be replacing Imam as an opener in Odi who is a nobody in front of you as far as batting telent is concerned

But he is hell bent on becoming the next Umar Akmal...
 
Bigboii said:
This is my problem with Haider you are THIS!

You're not a hack stop the wild slogs, your cieling is much higher you should be replacing Imam as an opener in Odi who is a nobody in front of you as far as batting telent is concerned

But he is hell bent on becoming the next Umar Akmal...
Click to expand...

Absolutely. He can be so much more than he has shown at international level till now. He is struggling to remain calm, have a stable base at the crease and sometimes you can see that bit of nerves where he just want to get going on any ball on any side. International cricket can be overwhelming and Haider doesnt have much domestic experience as well, in such cases there is huge responsibility upon coaches to get him into that right zone and mindset for this level.
 
Of course no where in the league of the greats or top players in the game today but good to see Kashif Ali believing in a bog standard conventional shot to get quick runs in even the shorter form of the game:

E-WgYBMX0AAymj-
 
If Babar does stay on for a while, we should be treated to some good ones today.
 
ça marche

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/uxx0fg" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>
 
Brett Lee on Babar Azam:

"Babar Azam has an amazing technique and he could have the best cover drive in world cricket"
 
Taking to Twitter, a KKR fan asked Aaron Finch, “Aaron who do you think plays the best cover drive #AskKKR”

The Aussie immediately responded saying, “Virat Kohli and Babar Azam - it’s an absolute treat watching the two of these guys play that shot.”

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I don't know much about past cricketers but right now
It's babar Azam. He just plays that shot so so beautiful.
Virat Kohli has beautiful cover drive as well but babar is the most classiest batsman in world cricket right now.
 
Mohammad Rizwan

“[Babar Azam] has a very down to earth personality. His intention is to take the Pakistan team to new heights,”

“The entire world is a fan of his cover drive"
 
With apologies to Indian fans, Nasser Hussain feels Babar Azam has the better cover drive than that of Virat Kohli :)


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From an ICC video:

Question asked is who would young kids want to emulate from a cover drive point of view

Nasser Hussain:

"KL Rahul, for someone who plays so much white-ball cricket, I watch him a lot; Kane Williamson, again someone who plays it right underneath him, I don't think there is any other cricketer in the history of the game who has played the ball later than Kane Williamson; Joe Root, his cover drive and that open face that he gets going through the ball but I am going to be biased, I am gonna go, sorry Indian fans, I am going to go for Babar Azam"

"I nearly went for Virat Kohli because he is slightly different; Kohli has more of a flick of the wrist with it but Babar Azam has just a lovely little...If I was teaching any young girl to watch a player, I would ask her to watch Meg Lanning, if I am teaching any young boy to watch a cover drive, I would say watch Babar Azam"

"Cover drive is not an easy shot but some of the greats of the game make it look easy and when they do, its worth the money you paid to watch it"
 
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David Gower. His cover drives were grace personified and had a fluidity and elegance which were unrivalled.
 
1) Babar Azam..(Best cover drive)
2) Virat Kohli....(2nd best)
3) Mohammad Yousuf
4) Sangakkara
5) Ricky Ponting
 
Babar Azam's cover drive now mentioned in text books for physics in Pakistan!

"Babar Azam has hit a cover drive by given kinetic energy of 150J to the ball by his bat. a) At what speed will the ball go the boundary if the mass of the ball is 120g? b) How much kinetic energy footballer must impart to a football of mass 450g to make it move at this speed?" says the question, according to the screenshot now going viral.


A few variables are also seen written below the question along with a formula to solve it.

FchD6i9XgAAGsqo
 
Mohammad Yousuf

He could play cover drives with variations of the shot depending on the landing and bounce of the delivery . He was so elegant with his wrists

A cover drive master.
 
Kallis had a very effortless cover drive. Actually it used to be only a touch that would go for a four.

KP had a good bludgeoning cover drive as well with some Caribbean flair
 
Babar Azam's one today as good as I have seen

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/qnsx7u" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>
 
The sheer pleasure of watching BA's cover drives...

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/yudk7h" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>
 
Pakistan cricket these days equals delight at a cover drive or a yorker.

Gone are the days when delight used to be fighting the great West Indies team for the number 1 spot in Test cricket.
 
Shubman Gill besides his glorious frontfoot cover drive he has this semi backfoot cover drive that is equally glorious.

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/qk4luo" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>
 
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Rashid Khan on who plays the best cover drive:

“I think Virat Kohli plays that shot [cover-drive] better than anyone in the world. His cover-drive looks good and sounds good and is a treat to watch"

“Definitely, Babar is very close. It is tough competition between Babar and Virat and also Kane Williamson,”

“Younis Khan is someone who played the sweep shot better than anybody else. I learn by watching his YouTube videos and observing him play the sweep shot,”
 
Cover drive was Kohli's signature shot. So not surprising Kohli is mentioned. But over a period Gill will eclipse him as he has wide range of cover drives.
 
Kohli or Babar from balance to playing the shot. Not up there but I like how Liton Das makes the cover drive look so aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well. One other guy was Faf Du Plessis (aesthetically pleasing to the eye).
 
During a conversation on a YouTube channel, Rohit stated, "Kohli, Babar, Joe Root. But I think Kohli has the best technique when it comes to the cover drive."
 
Kohli still has one of the best cover drive pose, but over the years the resultant ball direction has gone from cover to second slip.
 
Who doesn't play the cover drive well. Pretty much anyone who plays cover drive is going to be good. Washington Sundar's cover drive is no less than anyone else's. You can bring 1000 right handers. But one left hander cover drive will beat them.
 
Babar Azam for me

Virat’s cover drive is very silicon
Babar’s is natural which how i like. Swing low sweet chariot.
 
I will rate the top 3 from the current era:

1. Babar Azam
2. Virat Kohli
3. Quniton De Kock
 
Fanti78 said:
Baber Azam and Mohammad Yousaf…

Throw in Moin Ali as well….
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Moin gets off balanced while playing the cover drive.

No doubt it looks stylish but technically not good enough.

I would rather put Abdullah Shafique in.
 
Maliq_Mudasir said:
Ian Bell
Virat
Babar
Williamson
Sangakara
Yousuf
Salman Butt
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Salman Butt was more like a wristy player whos leg side flicks were a treat to watch. I will place Saeed Anwar here in this list instead of Salman because I have never seen any left handed player play cover better than him
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Salman Butt was more like a wristy player whos leg side flicks were a treat to watch. I will place Saeed Anwar here in this list instead of Salman because I have never seen any left handed player play cover better than him
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Sanga was way better than Anwar in cover drive
 
For aesthetic excellence a left hander against a right arm over bowler always looks wonderful.
So either David Gower or Brian Lara.
Gower, when on song, had the best timing I have ever seen — only one close was Mark Waugh
 
I always loved Mark Waugh's cover drive. What a sweet timer of the ball he was!
 
Sangakkara and Babar Azam have the best drives with 100% correct technique.

Virat has some issues playing the shot away from body.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Sangakkara and Babar Azam have the best drives with 100% correct technique.

Virat has some issues playing the shot away from body.
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Butler drives better then babar, but otherwise yeah I agree.

Gotta give babar credit where its due. No one else plays a cover drive better then him In this era. But that's not saying much.

That's like saying no one plays legside better then rizwan so he's a goat. Ofcourse no one plays legsode better then rizwan, that's because no one takes 2 steps out of their crease to slog sweep balls going away from their body, they just play an onside shot 😂
 
mominsaigol said:
Butler drives better then babar, but otherwise yeah I agree.
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problem with Buttler is that his feet doesnt move at all while playing a drive and he usually just throw the bat on the ball which pitches outside the off so any change of pace can get him out quite easily.
 
Last edited:
Cricket Warrior said:
problem is buttler is his feet doesnt move at all while playing a drive and he usually just throw the bat on the ball which pitches outside the off so any change of pace can get him out quite easily.
Click to expand...
Who says his feet don't move? This is butler bro, not Abdullah shafiq. He always plants that front foot down.

Butler is one of the smartest players in t20 PP, because during the PP he just plays grounded drives and attempts to clear the fielders for a 4.

If he needs to hit a 6 he'll play unorthodox strokes over the keepers head.

He's a textbook example of risk free PP player. The drives he plays ensures he can't get out. Only way to get him out is via lbw or bowling him, or maybe edging it to slip.

Theirs no way you'll get him out by catching him out on the inner ring.

Butler doesn't go for lofts until he's well set and PP is over even then he hardly ever goes for lofts, most of his sixes are unorthodox 360 degree shots.
 
Sachin Tendulkar - technically correct, perfectly balanced, fully in control on where he wants to place it, and that cracking sound right from the middle of his bat.
Many others are quite good too.
 
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