How Alastair Cook should play spin

Gary Palmer, the PitchVision Academy batting coach, takes a look at the techniques of some of the England team. He has some ideas for positive changes that will benefit that player’s performance. Today it's Alistair Cook. If you would like coaching from Gary, check out CCM Academy.

If you think about 'ABC': Alignment, Balance and Completion of shot it will help you understand my analysis. Improving these key areas will benefit the player and result in improved performances.

Alastair Cook's main technical error is that he puts his foot down the line of the delivery before it turns.

By the time the ball has bounced and turned in he is 'closed off' and his only game plan option is to play around his front pad to hit the ball square on the leg side or to sweep, this minimises his scoring options on the leg side.

As the ball turns he ends up playing around the front pad presenting half a bat at the ball. The only area he can score is square of the wicket on the leg side. This is a high risk shot because he is using half a bat while hitting across the line.

You can get away with this on flat wickets against average bowlers but against world class bowlers or on wickets that are doing a bit it's an inconsistent method that results in under performance.

This is illustrated below:

Alastair needs to be strong straight and through mid on where the full face of the bat is presented to the ball. Scoring down the ground along the ground or in the air is the best scoring option because you minimise the risks of getting out. His current technique is preventing this.

To play straighter well, especially against spin bowling, it is essential that Alastair adopts the correct foot and body position to allow the most efficient bat path to the ball. From back swing to completion of shot the bat needs to swing in as straight a line as possible towards the target area. To be able to do this he needs to manoeuvre his body in to such a position that this is possible to achieve.

Aligning the body to the target area is the key.

Aligning to the target against spin

The key to aligning correctly is to play for the spin: Putting your foot to the side of the line. This position is in line with your head.

• Turning in. Alastair's foot and leg should open out towards the leg side so the ball turns on to the line where the bat can swing in a straight line towards the ball; At this point he is playing with the spin.
• Turning away, pitching on middle, leg or outside leg line. Here Alastair needs to step inside the line of where the ball pitches. This means that by the time it gets to him it is under his eyes and in line with the body.
• Turning away, pitching on or around off stump line. Alastair should look to plant the front foot slightly to the leg side of the ball, in line with the inside of the front foot but forward of the body. The inside of his big toe should be touching the ground and his back heel should be off the ground.

The diagram below illustrates the foot position and alignment for the ball turning in:

It is of vital importance that he makes contact with the ball forwards of the front pad, letting the ball come to him prior to contact.

If Alastair put his foot straighter up the wicket and allows for the ball to turn in to his hitting zone, he will be more open and he now has the option to hit the ball down the ground with a full blade of the bat which is less of a risk.

Also, the slog sweep will now be easier to play: He just needs to plant his foot even wider on the leg side. The slog sweep gives him a wide scoring area to score in on the leg side when improvising. Putting his leg down the line of the ball makes it difficult to play the slog sweep effectively.

Using this method he still has the option for the conventional sweep as a backup. He just needs to put his leg down the line of the ball before it turns for that option.

Scoring through the leg side

If Alastair was to open up slightly in his stance and adopt a target area between straight mid on and mid wicket he will find it much easier to play the ball turning in to him when the ball pitches on or just outside off stump.

To be able to hit this scoring area he will need to make sure his back heel is off the ground so he can get his head as far forward as possible thus lengthening his hitting zone when driving.

It's important that he pushes his head to the ball prior to contact rather than his shoulder. His front foot needs to point up the wicket more and most importantly his back foot needs to turn in slightly so his hips are well aligned to where he is going to hit the ball.

round the wicket

over the wicket

All this means there is less chance of him being blocked off. Making these minor changes would widen his scoring areas and make his less vulnerable of getting out and score more runs consistently.

Conclusions

• Areas to improve. Getting closed off to straight deliveries on the front foot
• How to improve. Open stance slightly, get his head at the ball more than shoulder, allow the back foot to turn in when playing through mid on and straight.

Alastair Cook is a very talented cricketer. I feel he could be even better if he was to think about these technical changes. They will help him to play against the ball turning or swinging in to him.

SOURCE:- http://www.pitchvision.com/how-alistair-cook-should-play-spin