A proud Welshman, U2 fan and Del Boy connoisseur. Work in cricket, love speedway and rugby union, my family and friends. My heaven - Steak and Chips and malbec!
Another top performance today (75) from
@therealpcb
@babarazam
against
@windiescricket
.
Babar is currently ranked
#1
batsman in the world for One Day,
#2
for T20 and
#8
for Test Cricket.
He stands with his back toe and his head close to off stump
Babar is world class 🏏🇵🇰
Balance at Ball Release..
A wonderful still of Babar Azam taken during his Test century for Pakistan against
@englandcricket
today.
Even though the ball has just been released here, he remains aligned to the bowler’s stumps, beautifully balanced and still.
🏏💯🇵🇰
A comparison at ball release between
@realpakistancricket
Imran Butt and Babar Azam from the Test Match against
@windiescricket
.
Imran’s head moves outside his feet and outside off stump at ball release.
Babar keeps his head over his feet and inside the line of off stump 🏏🇵🇰
With three of Pakistan u19’s white ball batters this morning - Shawaiz, Shazaib and Arafat.
Worked from over and around the wicket, sharpened them up from close range and focused on them creating a stable and strong position at ball contact (in defence and attack) 🏏🇵🇰
Coaching Pakistan young batsmen Obaid Shahid and Farhan Yousaf. We discussed and worked on, with a series of drills, balance, alignment and weight transfer onto the front foot. Great that their coaches came for continuity of message 🏏🇵🇰
#keepitsimple
#balance
#alignment
A couple of clips from today’s session of arguably the world’s best all-format batsman
@babarazam
preparing for the upcoming series for Pakistan against
@englandcricket
.
I love the way he presents such a full face of the bat and almost wraps himself behind the ball.
🏏🇵🇰
HARRY BROOK - is another world class batsman who has his head close to off stump - the “business area” - at ball release.
* Back foot is on off stump to limit unnecessary movement and for head to be near off stump.
Sweeps / Reverse Sweeps …
Practice the sweep and reverse sweep from the “finishing position” - (base created, head beyond the front foot and hands and bat high)
Progress to sweeping and reversing from a normal stance
Here with Pakistan U19s Habib Ullah and Basit Ali 🏏🇵🇰
Two great days working with
@ECB_cricket
and
@KentCricket
@sambillings
as he prepares to fly out to the
@BBL
with
@HeatBBL
.
Focused on good balance and alignment (shoulders and hips) at ball release, and head moving directly to the finish line of the ball 🏏
Thrilled to have signed a three-year contract as batting coach for New Zealand’s Wellington Firebirds. Always admired New Zealand cricket and can’t wait to get started with
@cricketwgtninc
🔥🇳🇿🏏
An enjoyable session this morning with
@KentCricket
highly talented Tawanda Muyeye. His head is so still at ball contact and he regularly presents a very ‘wide’ bat to the ball 🏏
After 25 years of coaching and more than two years writing, I am delighted that my batting coaching book “Getting to Grips” - for players, coaches and lovers of the game - was published today. Available in book stores, on Amazon and as an e-book 🏏
#gettingtogrips
#keepitsimple
Great welcome from everyone
@kentcricket
in Canterbury today. Had a very enjoyable time working with the highly talented Joey Evison. Top player and a great lad 👏🏽🏏
Loved the past few weeks working with the Raiders. Well done to all the players and staff for their hard work and a huge thank you to all the supporters. Lots of talent on show and many wonderful performances the lads should be proud of. Thank you 👏🏽🏏🙏🇵🇰
I’ve had a wonderful winter as batting coach for the
@ECB_cricket
Young Lions in Sri Lanka and
@ICC
World Cup.
They couldn’t quite cross the line in yesterday final against
@BCCI
but had a terrific tournament.
Hopefully, it’s just the start of some big futures in the game 🏏
THE stages of the front foot shot…
A lovely example here from Babar Azam in practice demonstrating the three stages of the stroke
1 - At Ball Release - his hands are mid body (green circle) and his weight forward and close to the front foot (yellow arrow)
Good session today with
@yorkshireccc
Sabir Mahmood. Focused on good balance and alignment at ball release.
Dipping the head and front shoulder towards the bowler’s stump, limits early movement across the crease and enables strong positions to be created on front and back foot
Three wonderful days working with
@windiescricket
world-class all-rounder
@jaseholder98
as he prepares for the
@icc
World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe. Love his work ethic, application and desire to keep getting better - & he’s still the nicest guy in professional cricket. 🏏🥩🍷🇧🇧
Wonderful news. Great to see former High Performance batsman Mahmudul Hasan Joy score his first Test hundred and the first for a Bangladeshi against South Africa jn Test Cricket. Brilliant 👏🏽🏏💯🇧🇩🐅
Delighted to extend my contract with the
@bangladeshtigers
as their Head of High Performance. Absolutely love working with such talented and committed cricketers. 🇧🇩 🐅 🏏
The best want to get better!
Two days after scoring 192 for
@YorkshireCCC
against
@GlamCricket
in the
@CountyChamp
,
@shani_official
stayed the extra day in Cardiff for extra work on his game.
He’s a wonderful talent with a work ethic so often found in the very best
👏🏽🏏💯
Pakistan - thank you for an amazing two months
Cricket is your passion. A religion. Your love for it shines through like the steamy Lahore Sun 🥵
To players, coaches, support staff & administrators, who have been so welcoming, Thank You 🙏
Until next time. Inshallah ✈️ 🇵🇰🏏
A really enjoyable weekend working with the highly talented ECB Young Lions batsmen
@lborouniversity
and delighted to be batting consultant for the team’s winter tour to Sri Lanka and the Under 19 World Cup in the Caribbean early in the New Year 🏏 🦁
#toptalent
#hardwork
Thank you to Mr Scott Coombes and his team for removing a tumour from my neck this morning. I’m indebted to him and all
@heathhospital
Cardiff. Thank you ❤️
Wonderful innings of 179 not out from Jack Leaning for
@KentCricket
this week - Kent’s second longest ever (9 hours 48 mins) - Jack has worked incredibly hard on improving his balance (images below show how he is now waiting longer and meeting the end line of the ball) 👏🏽💯🏏
Great to be back working with
@KentCricket
@sambillings
as he prepares for the
@VitalityBlast
This drill without foot movement helps keep the contact point close to the body and under the head for optimum timing and control of the shot 🏏
An enjoyable session today with talented young batsman Jac Banton.
Keeping his head and weight slightly forward at ball release enables him to get into the ball quicker on the front foot.
Quick footwork gets him behind the line of the ball and he works well on the leg side 🏏
Was wonderful tonight to watch
@sambillings
make his first
@VitalityBlast
💯 - an incredible match-winning innings for
@KentCricket
. He smashed 106 from just 58 balls which included 14 x 4s and 2 x 6s in what was his 307th t20 match. Sam has worked very hard on his game 👏🏽💯🏏
An enjoyable morning with George Hargrave. George hit a mammoth unbeaten 322 last year for
@oxford_uni
against
@cambridgeuniversity
- the highest score in the almost 200-year annual varsity fixture. He judges length quickly, is fast on his feet and has a strong top hand 👏🏽🏏
His head is close to off stump to be near the “business area”.
His hands and bat are kept under his head and very close to his body for optimum balance and control of the shot.
He tracks the ball in flight and then moves to its “finishing line”
It’s been a real pleasure working with
@habib_ullah219
for the past couple of months - firstly as my captain for the
@rawalpindiraiders
and more recently as opening batsman for Pakistan Under 19s. He’s a wonderful young man and a real talent with the bat. 🏏🇵🇰
Great first day of pre-season on grass for the
@kentcricket
batters. Huge thanks to the ground staff for preparing such an excellent surface after all the rain👏🏽🙏🏏 ☔️
Enjoyable morning working with young
@surreycricket
batsman Adam Thomas.
Focused heavily on keeping his weight and balance forward and his head and hands inside the line of off stump at ball release.
This helped him access all lines of delivery and present a full bat face 🏏
Knee Bend - crucial but often overlooked in the set up.
Knees that bend outwards beyond the toes take weight towards off side and make accessing leg stump difficult
Knees that bend under the head (squat) keep hands under the head and allow easier movement to all lines 🏏
“Weight Transfer into the shot” - for optimum control, power and timing. A Great example here yesterday from top Bangladesh batsman Mushfiqur Rahim 🇧🇩 🏏
Delighted to hit the 7000 sales mark today with my new batting book - “Getting To Grips” - thanks to all those players and coaches who have purchased it over the past couple of months 📕 🏏
#keepitsimple
Was great to catch up and work again today with
@DerbyshireCCC
@AnujDal
as he prepares for the new season. After a wonderful 2022
@countychampionship
summer, he’s looking in top form again 👍🏽👏🏽🏏
Enjoyed working with highly talented young
@warwickshireccc
batsman / wicket-keeper George Maddy at the weekend.
We worked primarily on having his weight and alignment towards the target at ball release and the toe of his bat always visible for a direct path to the ball 🏏
An enjoyable afternoon working with
@kentcricket
batsmen Marcus O’Riordan and Ekansh Singh. Both highly talented and in great form as they prepare for the ‘24 season 🏏
An incredible innings of 335 not out from Sam Northeast for
@GlamCricket
against
@Middlesex_CCC
in the
@CountyChamp
today - the highest ever First Class score made
@HomeOfCricket
. Sam is a wonderful player and a top guy - always a pleasure to work with. Delighted for him💯💯💯
Great players have great Basics!
India’s Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill follow 3 key principles
1 - Head on off stump
2 - Feet, shoulders and hips align towards bowler’s stumps
3 - Hands close to body with bat towards first slip
#indveng
@ecb_cricket
@realteamindia
Good to be working again tonight with
@windiescricket
and
@rajasthanroyals
@jaseholder98
as he prepares for a winter of white ball cricket.
Focused today on driving his weight and power through the ball - playing with the swing and shape of the delivery🏏
Congrats to Mushfiqur Rahim for his Man of the Match 84 to help
@bangladeshtigers
beat
@officialslc
by 33 runs in their first One Day International. One of the most meticulous, hard-working and well-prepared professionals I have had the privilege of working with 🏏👏🏽 🇧🇩 🐅
Isolating the hands - hitting with top, bottom and then both hands - gives the player the feel and understanding of how the hands should work.
Top hand only - head over front foot at ball contact
Bottom hand - Keep the wrist in the direction of the stroke
#keepitsimple
Can’t believe it’s 30 years since I was playing for, and not coaching with,
@ECB_cricket
Under 19 team. There are some familiar names on the 1991 team sheets for
@ECB_cricket
and
@BLACKCAPS
and it was a great tour to a beautiful country 🇳🇿 🏏
Striking session today with
@warwickshireccc
George Maddy. We focused on…
* Hands back and toe of bat upwards
* Feet and hips aligning in the
direction of the stroke
* Head and bodyweight driving
towards the ball
* Hands and bat accelerating
through the ball
🏏
Last practice with Pakistan U 19s before their series with
@bangladeshtigers
.
Morning - spent playing spin (footwork/ sweep options / use of wrists / creating angles)
Afternoon - a new ball sharpener (15-yard fling) to quicken their reactions, judgment and foot movement 🏏🇵🇰
Enjoyed working again today with
@WarwickshireCCC
George Maddy.
Bringing his head and weight forward at ball release and his hands inside off stump helped him move easier and hit straighter
#KeepItSimple
Spin drills with
@TheRealPCB
High Performance Batsmen this morning - working on fast feet, balance at ball contact (sweeps/drives/punches) and the ability to hit comfortably all around the wicket (360 degrees)
🏏🇵🇰
Great win today by the
@ECB_cricket
Young Lions against
@ACBofficials
.
George Bell’s well-paced innings (56 from 67 balls), which earned him the “Man of the Match”award, a real highlight.
Everyone looking forward to a World Cup final on Saturday. Well done lads👏🏽 🌍 🏆 🏏🌴
Really enjoyable today to work again with top
@cricketderbyshire
all-rounder Anuj Dal and
@worcestershireccc
opening batsman Ed Pollock. Both fine players and top men 👏🏽🏏
Congratulations to
@BCBtigers
HPC batsman Shamim Hossain on his series-winning t20 innings against
@ZimCricketv
in Harare. 32 from 15 balls including 6 fours (rate of 206) 🏏🇧🇩🐅
Really appreciate
@essexcricket
Under 13 high-flying batsman Shaurya Singh and his family making the 9 hour round-trip from Southend today to work together.
A very impressive young batsman - with wonderful balance and timing 🏏
Have enjoyed watching
@_WesternStorm
Sophia Smale making big strides with her batting. She is striking the ball cleanly and consistently, from a more balanced position.
Having her head further forward at ball release, and ball contact, the main focus🏏
#keepitsimple
A good news story!
@kimani_melius1
flew to the UK last year for us to work together. His commitment paid off. He returned home and produced a great run of scores - 100*, 84*, 78, 67, 65, 49* - and has now been recalled as a top order batsman for the
@windwards_volcanoes
👏🏽🏏🏝️
Was good to work with talented young
@KentCricket
batsman Harry Fulton. Very well organised player and a quick learner. Worked on playing through mid on and mid wicket and the head position / balance required to do so 🏏
Well done to the
@ECB_cricket
Under 19s today for their 7-wicket win against
@BCBtigers
Under 19s in their first game at the
@ICC
U19 World Cup in St Kitts 🏏🌴🏝
picture credit ICC / Getty
Great technique here from Indian batsman Sai Sudharsan during his 73 for
@surreycricket
against
@hantscricket
in the
@lv_cricket
today.
1 - At ball release he remains well balanced with his head and weight forward. He keeps his hands close to his body and under his head.
Interesting how much junior, youth, university and academy cricket is only of the 20-over variety - even in April! It has its time and place but for young players, surely after they have the opportunity to bat for longer and learn their trade 🏏💯
HEINRICH klaasen - another world class player who keep his hands and bat mid-body and under his head in his set up.
He then takes the hands and bat backwards to create a rhythmical and smooth swing as he moves either forward or back to play the ball 👍🏽
#keepitsimple
#balance
Good first session of 2023 with
@warwickshireccc
Amir Khan.
* Top hand only drills on the machine to encourage the head and shoulder into the finishing line of the ball.
* Progression to both hands on the handle
* Finally, inc> pace and mixed line and length from the flinger
Lovely gesture by
@ECB_cricket
to send through a framed photo of the squad and staff from the recent
@ICC
Under 19 World Cup. Great memories of a really enjoyable winter spent with fine players and fine people 🏏 🦁
I thoroughly enjoyed delivering the “coaching batting” session yesterday morning for coaches and players
@wicket2wicket
. A big thanks to all who attended, especially those who travelled some long distances to make it. Thank you 🙏👏🏽🏏
#welearntogether
#keepitsimple
A brilliant innings of 154 not out today from
@hantscricket
Tom Prest for
@ECB_cricket
Young Lions
@ICC
Under 19 World Cup, to follow his 90 a couple of days ago. He was very well organised and played with great flair and plenty of power. A top talent 👏🏽🏏🏝🌴🥥 🦁
An enjoyable couple of days working with young
@surreycricket
batsman Adam Fox. Naturally aggressive and quick to seize on anything short. Focused on keeping his weight slightly forward and his head and hands inside the line of off stump at ball release
#keepitsimple
#balance
Great to see success for
@GlamCricket
yesterday. They’ve had many wonderful performances from their talented and settled One Day side. A trophy that’s richly deserved 👏🏽🏴