Updated: October 2, 2020 4:12:07 pm
Former West Indies Captain Daren Sammy.
For a few years now, the old visceral thrill of seeing a six has been replaced by a silent nod of admiration. The first 13 games of this IPL have seen 191 sixes, as most hitters have understood the science of maxing. You could see the method in Kieron Pollard’s four sixes, a hattrick of them came in the final over, against Kings XI Punjab. With your weight on your back foot, wait for the ball to be released and then step across the line.
Posture, bat lift, bat swing, weight shift, knee bend – every little detail is now deconstructed and reassembled in a batter’s technique. Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy, who has thrown 237 6s in domestic T20s and 149 6s in international games, offers a masterclass on the art of clearing boundaries.
Your bat was almost vertically straight, the base pointing skyward before you put it down, why is it such an important element in hitting a six?
I remember in 2002, when I was at the academy, Australian coaches said there was something in common in Sir Garry Sobers, Sir Viv (Richards) and Brian Lara. All had their wrist cocked before the ball was thrown, preparing for the set-up. I’m nowhere in that category, let’s clear things up, but I know where my bat lift came from. In childhood backyard cricket, it was a six over the fence. Since it was under the arm, there wasn’t much energy and not much bounce.
You had to get under the ball and generate power with a full swing of the bat. Like Andre Russell. I held the bat up and with that high bat lift, it was a full flow to make the ball disappear. The head should be still and the base stable. You could have the bat-swing and everything else, but without that still head and solid base, you’d be hitting the ball straight up.
On the subcontinent, you stay a little lower to hit six. Why?
I remember a game against Australia in Bangladesh. We needed 12 runs to win in the last over and James Faulkner threw two Yorkers at me. I realized that I couldn’t get under the ball. There it does not bounce much and skid. Having talked to the guys who have played there and even RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad, you always try to stay lower so that the invariable rebound doesn’t get to you. So if you’re already in a (low) position, and if the ball stays a little low, you’re better positioned to hit.
So when Faulkner threw the first two balls at me, my stance was upright and I couldn’t get under. So I decided to lower my stance and was able to get under the ball and hit two sixes. In Australia, you are more upright.
Would you change the position according to the conditions?
I would open the stance, expand to bring my center of gravity closer to the ground if the launch is true like in India. But in conditions like Australia, it would be a little more upright.
You also changed your posture with the slower ones, hanging onto your back foot a bit longer, almost delaying your reaction. Why?
Yes. Against slow players changing their pace, you didn’t want to compromise. So I would deliberately keep my weight on my back foot. You can adjust better. When they throw that ball slower, you’re not committing early. If you watch Kieron Pollard or Andre Russell, you can see them step back into the fold and wait. That is something that works. Also on more bouncy tracks, this technique can be useful. You don’t want to commit to your front foot early and get caught in a ravine or something. You don’t want to arrive too early and get hit in the butt joint of the bat or gloves. There you use the fold more, come back.
Do you remember your first six years of your life?
Oh yes, I remember. It was probably 1997. It was the first time I played for my school in Santa Lucia. I am playing for Vieux Fort Comprehensive School and I am 13-14 years old. This kid threw a short ball at me, I played that shot and the ball went out. Everybody was saying ‘yeah this kid could hit the ball’. There is a feeling about playing a shooting shot. Like catching a slip. I remember that feeling. To this day, when I sit down with friends, we always talk about that moment.
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