To hook or not to hook?

[KungFu_Kallis]

In light of England's dismissals from the 1st & 2nd Tests - best illustrated by this chart courtesy of another post:

Workbook: Ashes wickets

Taking into account the differing strategy and psychology of the 2 approaches, and the effect it has on both batsman and bowler - hooking or not hooking - I've felt the need to pose the question - to the English batsmen not so much the Aussies.

Should Flower/Gooch/Cook in fact ban the hook? Much as the sweep was once banned on a tour long ago following a spate of outs? Or should they leave it to discretion and keep trying to fight fire with fire?

 

[sledger]

Should just start using the hook shot appropriately to be honest.

 

[Burgey]

No I don't think they really can ban it. It's one of the most instinctive shots going around. If blokes play it, I don't think they can just switch it off.

It's probably worth not playing it til you're in for half an hour so though.

Johnson bowls 4-5 over spells. 30 balls max at a time. It's his extra pace that's killing them. I'd thinkers of breaking down his spells. Youre going to face 15-20 balls from him in a spell, on average. Maybe half of those will be short. I'd just be looking to get through them tbh. Make him bowl differently.

Easier said than done though.

 

[GIMH]

Root has shown the right application to the short stuff. Unfortunately he's then got out to other deliveries, presumably due to the pressure of not scoring much off the quicks.

An in-form Cook could take it on, I reckon. But his dismissal in the second dig at Adelaide showed where he is at currently.

 

[Riggins]

No I don't think they really can ban it. It's one of the most instinctive shots going around. If blokes play it, I don't think they can just switch it off.

It's probably worth not playing it til you're in for half an hour.

How do you not play it for the first half hour if you can't switch it off?

 

[wiff]

Riggins, It's the old riddle isn't it. If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat!?
English schoolboys have been served up a bland dish for years, but at the end comes the irresistible reward.

 

[Tangles]

If you can't control it then you shelve it like Steve did. Grow a set and wear some for your team if its needed.

 

[sledger]

Ooooh Brad Haddin, he hooks when he wants.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Root has shown the right application to the short stuff. Unfortunately he's then got out to other deliveries, presumably due to the pressure of not scoring much off the quicks.

An in-form Cook could take it on, I reckon. But his dismissal in the second dig at Adelaide showed where he is at currently.

Summed up well.

Probably Cook's best shot normally but he is totally gone at present.

 

[Daemon]

 

[OverratedSanity]

Loved this article, personally.

Ed Smith: Champs today, chumps tomorrow | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Burgey]

How do you not play it for the first half hour if you can't switch it off?

No I just mean you be a bit selective about it. Some guys are compulsive but not as many as there used to be. But I really don't think you can just say to a KP, Cook or a Prior not to play the shot at all.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Think with Johnson, quite difficult to duck under because you don't pick it up as easily, so guys are standing up for longer and can't get underneath it. If it's aimed over leg stump, you can't sway back; a lot of this stuff is quite instinctive really, and they end up with not many options but to hook out of self defence.

 

[Uppercut]

Think with Johnson, quite difficult to duck under because you don't pick it up as easily, so guys are standing up for longer and can't get underneath it. If it's aimed over leg stump, you can't sway back; a lot of this stuff is quite instinctive really, and they end up with not many options but to hook out of self defence.

I think that's pretty much it. If they put the hook away they'd be resigning themselves to getting hit a lot. Some batsmen are fine with that but it's hardly a long-term, team-level solution. You can't just sit everyone down and say "here's the plan: we all get the bat out of the way, stand still and cop it".

It's funny though, they never had trouble picking up Johnson before. Until this series they played him about as well as any team plays any bowler.

 

[Debris]

No I don't think they really can ban it. It's one of the most instinctive shots going around. If blokes play it, I don't think they can just switch it off.

It's probably worth not playing it til you're in for half an hour so though.

Johnson bowls 4-5 over spells. 30 balls max at a time. It's his extra pace that's killing them. I'd thinkers of breaking down his spells. Youre going to face 15-20 balls from him in a spell, on average. Maybe half of those will be short. I'd just be looking to get through them tbh. Make him bowl differently.

Easier said than done though.

Steve Waugh?

 

[Burgey]

Steve Waugh?

Steve Waugh went away when he was dropped and developed a method of playing it over a year and a bit tbf. It's a bit different to switching technique and approach mid series.

 

[Daemon]

ffs, does no one play this