After watching Maxi do his thing at training, here's a step-by-step guide to the unorthodox
Twenty20 trick shots: the playbook
Reverse sweep
Degree of difficulty: 5/10
Description: Using an unchanged grip and orthodox stance, a batsman swings around his front shoulder from leg to off horizontally to access the off-side
Risks: Hard to control, often aerial, exposes front leg
When to use: When the leg-side perimeter is protected and the off-side field is up inside the circle, the reverse-sweep, when executed properly, penetrates the field to find the boundary from cover to third man
Best exponents: Glenn Maxwell, Mike Hussey
Switch hit
Degree of difficulty: 8/10
Description: A batsman changes his grip and stance completely to switch from one hand to another, i.e. a right-hander switches into a left-hander
Risks: Lots of moving parts, timing difficult
When to use: When one side of the field is heavily guarded, a switch-hit frees up scoring options on the opposite side
Best exponent: David Warner, Kevin Pietersen
Ramp/Scoop
Degree of difficulty: 4-9/10
Description: A batsman uses the pace of the bowler to guide the ball behind the wicket with a horizontal bat pointed down the wicket. To gain extra elevation, a batsman can rise with the shot or whip his wrists upwards
Risks: Batsman defenceless, wicketkeeper and short third man/fine leg in play
When to use: Against a pace bowler when the field behind square is up
Best exponent: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Brendon McCullum
Vault/Upper cut
Degree of difficulty: 6/10
Description: When challenged with a short ball, a batsman lifts the delivery over the wicketkeeper/slips with a horizontal bat pointed behind the wicket
Risks: Caught behind dismissal increases if timed wrong, gloves exposed, inconsistent bounce
When to use: When a bowler drops too short, sending the ball well over the batsman's head
Best exponent: Sachin Tendulkar, David Warner
Paddle
Degree of difficulty: 3/10
Description: A sweep shot bereft of power, a batsman uses the pace of the bowler to guide the ball fine on the leg-side
Image Id: ~/media/2AB6C453FE8C45FEBC9266B254F17791Risks: Exposes front bad
When to use: When fine leg is up inside the circle
Best exponent: Mike Hussey, Joe Root
Flamingo
Degree of difficulty: 4/10
Description: Advancing to the pitch of the ball outside off-stump, the batsman makes contact with a vertical bat before dropping his front elbow to work the ball towards mid-wicket
Image Id: ~/media/7CA1DCE3ABDB4F618D2F7A18F282FBD1Risks: Getting too far leg-side of the ball, stumps exposed
When to use: Against a bowler targeting wide of off-stump with an off-side dominant field
Best exponent: Kevin Pietersen
Helicopter
Degree of difficulty: 3.5/10
Description: Played off the back foot, the batsman attempts to get under a full-length ball by whipping through with his bottom hand and finishing in a lasso-arc above his head
Risks: Exposes stumps, difficult to generate power
When to use: Against full bowling on small grounds
Best exponents: MS Dhoni, Ben Cutting
Bazooka
Degree of difficulty: 9/10
Description: Horizontal bat lift turned with face of the bat facing skyward with elbows tucked in, the batsman runs the ball past the wicketkeeper with minimal movement
Risks: Seaming deliveries, inconsistent bounce, wicketkeeper in play
When to use: When the batsman is seeing them like watermelons
Best exponent: Glenn Maxwell
The fake
Degree of difficulty: 10/10
Description: The batsman shapes to play one shot only to change his mind to play a different shot and fool the opposition
Risks: Ball selection crucial, shot selection crucial
When to use: When the fielders are premeditating where the ball is going and gaps are opened
Best exponent: Misbah-ul-Haq
Fly swat/Tennis serve
Degree of difficulty: 7.5/10
Description: In a chopping motion from high to low, the batsman uses a vertical bat with the toe pointing skyward to 'swat' a short ball straight down the ground
Risks: Batsman loses sight of the ball, difficult to control
When to use: When quick runs are needed with a guarded leg-side field
Best exponent: Steve Smith, Adam Gilchrist
The nutmeg
Degree of difficulty: 10/10
Description: To gain access to the leg-side off a yorker-length delivery, the batsman clamps down on the ball while pivoting, sending the ball between his legs to the leg-side
Risks: Miss it and you're out
When to use: In the final overs with the leg-side field up
Best exponent: Steve Smith