Shot Selection; The 2 Worst Words in Cricket

Vocabulary…
What is shot selection? Can someone explain to me? I don’t understand what it means…

In reply to FanAttick

Okay, nobody seems willing, so I'll take the plunge. In my view, shot selection is how a batsman chooses to play a delivery. The shot selected can be good or it can be bad. For example, it's the first ball of a Test and a good length 85 mph outswinger starting on fifth stump is bowled at the batsman. Good shot selection would have the batsman cover his off stump and let the ball go through to the wicketkeeper. Bad shot selection would see him down on one knee aiming for cow corner.

In reply to Fivestar

We're you awake when you posed the question?

In reply to Brerzerk

Yes, why?

In reply to Fivestar



Looks like Berzerk doesn't understand that you need a question mark to ask a question. Maybe he needs to go to Liberia to learn some beautiful English.

In reply to Fivestar


They elected or selected to leave that one outside de off stump

Shot selection refers to whether to take a right shot or a wrong shot, for example, slapping the ball in the air rather than slapping it on the ground through cover.

the skill of determining what shot to play to each ball. Shot selection is continuous. It applies to every ball faced.

In reply to Prako

Thanks, I'm on my way to Liberia for both retirement and English lessons! Moreover it will help my early onset dementia so next time I can address the post author/questioniiner (The Troblesome Drapes) rather than responder Five S
Cheers

In reply to XDFIX



Is that Shot Selection or Shot Execution?

In reply to FanAttick

Gotta select to slap

The commentator decides if the shot was the right selection


First ball of a test match and you down on one knee and cream through the covers for 4, SKILL; nick to second slip, POOR SHOT SELECTION.

Crack a white ball 4 and a 6 in the first 3 balls of the over then take a single to get to the other end, SKILL. Slap the fourth ball into the pavilion for a maximum, SKILL.

The ends define the means, inhindsight, or in blindsight if Badders on comms

In reply to Halliwell



Have you ever heard a commentator say poor shot selection whenever a batter gets out playing a defensive stroke?

In reply to Fivestar


Technically, not a shot……therefore can’t be shot selection. No shot was played.

Unless you’re saying no shot is in fact a shot.

In reply to imusic

but a decision was made, so you made a selection.

Shannon Gabriel's shot in the 2017 Dominica test against Pakistan may be one of the best examples of shot selection. It is often talked about as one of the worse shot selection ever in test cricket.

Shot selection is the decision made by a batsman to respond in a particular way to a ball delivered to him by a bowler. Sometimes the batsman has already made up his mind what shot he has selected to play before the ball is even bowled (usually referred to as a premeditated shot). Sometimes the shot selection may be good but the execution of it is bad. Looking to drive a half volley through the covers is a good shot selection. Being caught at cover doesn't make the shot selection bad. It means the shot was executed poorly.

However, the circumstances in which a batsman chooses to play a particular shot may be deemed good or bad selection. For example, if 4 men are placed in the deep on the leg side, it may be a bad selection to try and take on a hook shot. Whether it goes for six or you get out, it was still a bad shot selection given the risk involved in getting out. The fact that there was a good outcome doesn't make it a good shot selection.

But it gets even more complicated when you dive deeper into the circumstances. If a team needs six runs to run off the last ball then choosing to leave the ball alone instead of taking on the hook shot to try and win the game would be a bad shot selection. So the circumstances of the game dictates alot whether the decision to play a particular shot is a good ot bad shot selection.

Maybe the only genuine and outright bad shot selection is the decision/selection not to play a shot and then the ball smashes into the stumps or the pads for a LBW decision.

For everything else, it's very subjective. Even for Shannon Gabriel ... https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/was-shannon-gabriel-s-brain-fade-in-dominica-a-calculated-move-gone-wrong-1224653

In reply to camos


But no shot was played so it can’t, by definition, be shot selection

In reply to FanAttick

One needs to be selective whether to play or not based on the line and length of the delivery while determining the risks associated in preserving one’s wicket.

In reply to b4u8me2

In reply to FanAttick


They say poor ‘technique’ for that one
Like when Ambi bowl dong Robin Smith who was posing for the text book

In reply to Halliwell


almost perfect foward defense....if only it was phil simmons bowling and not express ambrose. only dude who could have survived that spell was....scrap that, no one was surviving that one

In reply to Jumpstart

That shot selection was the right one but poorly executed

In reply to FanAttick

Trying to play a cover drive to a bouncer and getting smacked in the face. The batsman selected the wrong shot from his repertoire ...and elected to take a ride to the hospital because he was almost executed by di bowlah.