LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE REVERSE SWEEP | TROGON CRICKET ACADEMY

When played across all levels, it’s a shot which provokes debate from fans and players alike. It can produce boundaries, wind-up an opposition bowler and captain, but can also produce a dismissal. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, say hello to the reverse-sweep!

Just like its twin, the sweep, the reverse-sweep is a cross batted shot played on one knee against slow bowlers. However, the sweep shot sends the ball into the on-side whereas the reverse-sweep sees the ball sent into the off-side. Let’s learn a bit about the origin of the stroke.

Although there is some debate about who did it first, our mini-history lesson begins in December 1928 when Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji unfurled the reverse-sweep, much to the surprise of the opposition, with his side needing quick runs to declare in the Bombay Quadrangular tournament. Fast forward half a century, and Mushtaq Mohammed Pakistan’s became the first player to start using the shot on a regular basis.

Nowadays, you will rarely see an over from a spinner in the IPL without at least one reverse-sweep attempted and, even in Test cricket, it is a shot which has become far more common. This is because it can be played to the best ball from a spinner and still see a boundary scored!

Up until 2021, batters were dismissed every 28 balls when playing the reverse-sweep in Test cricket but, at the same time, the shot generated 47 runs per dismissal.

The shot is seen as a good pro-active option for batters particularly if the opposition captain has not put in either a point or backward point fielder.

Modern day players who have excellent returns from the reverse sweep are Phoebe Litchfield, Rohit Sharma, Glenn Maxwell and Ollie Pope.

The Technique for playing the reverse sweep:

Picking the length of a delivery is always important but never more so than when playing the reverse sweep as it is very hard to adjust the shot once in position.

In the below image you can see our batter has picked up the line and length nice and early when in his stance.

Similar to the traditional sweep shot, when playing the reverse-sweep, the batter needs to get low and move their front foot to the line of the ball.

In the below image, you can see how the batter is getting low, keeping his weight over his front foot, head over his front leg, is nice and balanced and is getting very low. He has also reversed his hands on the bat, he hasn't changed grip, just the backlift position, so instead of the bat being close to his right hand shoulder (as a righthanded batter) in his backlift, it is now close to his left shoulder.

Instead of sweeping the bat around the front leg into the on-side as per the sweep shot, the batter brings the bat over the front foot and sweeps into the off-side, using the same arm to generate power and placement.

Although the shot can be played in the air, if looking to reduce the risk of an already tough shot, close the face of the bat on impact to send the ball into the ground - the below image perfectly demonstrates the batter hitting the ball down into the ground, you see from the angle of his through the shot and his follow through. At no point (in this demonstration) has he tried to play the shot ariel.

Conclusion

Playing the reverse-sweep is the sign of a batter who is confident and wants to manipulate the bowling. Always take a good look at the gaps in the field before playing the shot as if there are not many gaps to exploit then there is not much of an upside for a risky shot!

If you want to become a great reverse-sweeper then you will certainly need to put in the practice. It will be well worth it though so get into the nets and start to make a shot which some describe as ‘audacious’ into one of your own.

The pro player we have used for the videos and images uses a Trogon Cricket Grade 1+ English willow bat with our black and white sticker range.

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