Marnus Labuschagne has the best technique of current Australian Test team

COMMENTS ON MARK TAYLOR AND BATTING TECHNIQUES

As you are aware I was a batsman whose game was based on a strong defence based on good technique and ability to concentrate for long periods rather than a powerful free scoring shot maker.

As I stated in my Stump to Stump article I greatly admire the one day and T20 skills of modern players but my priorities to keep State cricket strong were concentration on 2 day cricket and good batting techniques. (Obviously under 17 and 19 Aussie carnivals being shortened from 2 day to 1 day cricket is disappointing - and I note the under 19 World Cup was 50 over cricket).

I credit Barry Knight for teaching me proper footwork technique which involved:-

• moving your feet back or forward so you are not “stuck on crease” ie never finish with feet together;
• move feet so you are in line with the ball whether going back or forward;
• keeping your back foot square which enables you to keep side on or “keep your shape”.

This enables you to play with a straight bat and hit back down the wicket (or play in the “V”) and avoid an angled bat conducive to edging to slips and gully, and to “know where your off stump is” so you can leave the ball rather than playing at the ball and edging.

Modern players are taught to press forward towards the ball and keep still at the crease ie they are not concerned with moving into line nor play with a back foot technique.

As a result when the ball is moving and bouncing many batsmen are floundering ending up shoulder opening towards square leg and both feet stuck on crease and facing up the wicket ie they lose their shape entirely (ironically they pride themselves on keeping shape when hitting T20 sixes but do not understand keeping shape in defence).

In 4 and 5 day cricket many batsmen do play with “correct technique” although some bat on off stump or move whole body automatically across to off stump irrespective of the line of the ball. This leaves them susceptible to being hit on pads and dismissed lbw. Moving into line does involve your back foot moving towards off stump but also judging the line of the ball so your front foot does not move too far when playing back or moves towards the line when playing forward.

The best players in the world move into line, keep back foot square and keep defensive shape- Tendulkar and Kohli probably the best.

People suggest Steve Smith has an unusual technique but he has the fundamentals of moving across into line and keeping back foot square. What is unusual is his grip which results in him playing with closed face.

Marnus Labuschagne has the best technique of current Australian Test team (although he is prone to opening front shoulder too early trying to work ball to leg which has resulted in being trapped lbw a couple of times).

Tellingly when Marnus returned from Ashes tour in 2019 an interviewer observed he was moving back and across stumps and asked if Marnus had modelled himself on Steve Smith. Marnus replied “No” and said before Ashes at Glamorgan the coach Matthew Maynard had taught him the technique and it was now easy to know where his off stump was and he could work ball to leg. In other words he had been through the whole Aussie coaching system and not one coach had taught him that technique.