Left Handed Batsmen

[Caesar]

Left Handed Batsmen

Something I was thinking about the other day. The percentages of specialist/'primary' batsmen in each current Test XI that are LHBs are as follows, with the assumption that all sides carry 4 specialist bowlers and the keeper is expected to bat. I didn't bother with ZIM or BAN as I don't even know who's in their side these days.

Australia - 3 of 7 or 43%
England - 2 of 7 or 29%
South Africa -3 of 7 or 43%
West Indies - 3 of 7 or 43%
India - 2 of 7 or 29%
Pakistan - 2 of 7 or 29%
Sri Lanka - 2 of 7 or 29%
New Zealand - 2 of 7 or 29%

I have restricted myself to recognised batsmen because there's an argument that bowling selection may be slightly biased towards left-handers due to natural advantage (either as spinners or seamers). Indeed, if you include the batting preference of 8-11 the percentage remains consistent or increases for (I think) every side.

Now, consider that left-handedness is commonly found in seven to thirteen percent of any country's adult population.

Even allowing for the very small samples we're dealing with, this is a consistent overrepresentation - and one that's typically borne out if you widen your view to first class and limited overs sides. What's the explanation? Further muddying the issue is that batting preference often does not correspond to 'handedness' in other areas of life (such as writing, or even bowling).

Now there are some notable exceptions (e.g. Hussey remodeled his action to emulate Border). But there must be more to it than this. Are left-handers more adept batsmen? Does batting lefthanded give batsmen an inherent advantage over their competitors? Or do good batsmen naturally gravitate towards batting as southpaws for some reason (e.g. greater control with the dominant hand on top)?

Interesting little factoid to consider. Combining with the bowlers, us of the sinister persuasion are certainly overrepresented on the cricket field.

 

[bushie]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

Bloody mollydukers

Nah, interesting stat. Pretty sure that it would stack up historically as well, if anyone could be stuffed doing the analysis.
And not only in cricket but other sports like footy, baseball, yet strangely enough not golf. Mickleson is a recent exception to the rule.
Maybe the lefties brains are better wired for hand-eye co-ordination?

 

[D.K]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

So there is still a chance that I could make it?

I have found when batting a lot of the bowlers take time adjusting to bowling to left handers and will send down a few loose balls to hit before getting it right. I have played at a high level and even with the better bowlers the ones that should trouble me they often don't have the same venom to their deleveries when bowling to me or other left handers.

JUst what I have found when playing

 

[Boris]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

A large number of them though are right handers when it comes to everything else. I am thinking that those who at a young age, or are just inhuman like Hussey, and didn't play with their normal 'orthodox' hand and played the other way around with their dominant hand on top, has allowed their brain to progress through the stages of skill acquisition at a faster rate, and therefore allow them dominance in the game at a younger age, giving them the time to acquire more and more skill. This put them ahead of the rest of the pack and put them up for selection.

It's true for those 7 to 13% of people that are left handed. A lot of them turn the other way round and bat right handed as well. Take Michael Clarke for example, and there are others, but since the population is small there are much lesser true lefties in the side. The only one there currently is Katich. Then there is Hussey, Clarke and North that swapped their hands around from their normal. This is true in quite a few sides.

And then there is as D.K. said above. With most clubs you encounter very few left handers. And since they are different they can quite often succeed due to everyone else's uneasiness. I can tell you know I hate facing left handed bowlers for just that very reason.

 

[gandalf]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

young players can be taught to be either left or right hand batters - regardless of what is their naturally stronger side. And it would seem sensible to teach as many of them to be left handers as they are usually harder to bowl at.

 

[breeno]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

I'm pretty sure left handedness is due to a more dominant side of the brain (can't remember the side), and if this side of the brain is also responsible for hand-eye coordination and visuo-spatial activities, if it's dominant, you would expect them to be better at visuo-spatial activities. Maybe that could be a theory.

 

[Boris]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

The thing is though, Breeno, what do we call left handers, and what do we not?

If that theory is true then it will only apply to those whose dominant hand in all other activities is their left. That is only one batsman in the Australian side, Katich. The rest of the left handers use their opposite hand for everything else and are clearly their dominant and much stronger hands, even a right handed batsman is left hand dominant.

These are only examples at a high level though.

The right side of the brain (which controls the left side) allows for more creative thinking and often attributes to greater visio-spatial abilities. This would mean though, that the left hand would, IMO, have to be the top hand on the bat to allow for the 'control hand' which requires more co-ordination than the 'power hand'.

I think the answer is that an ambi-dextrous person would be the best person to have on your team.

 

[breeno]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

The thing is though, Breeno, what do we call left handers, and what do we not?

If that theory is true then it will only apply to those whose dominant hand in all other activities is their left. That is only one batsman in the Australian side, Katich. The rest of the left handers use their opposite hand for everything else and are clearly their dominant and much stronger hands, even a right handed batsman is left hand dominant.

These are only examples at a high level though.

The right side of the brain (which controls the left side) allows for more creative thinking and often attributes to greater visio-spatial abilities. This would mean though, that the left hand would, IMO, have to be the top hand on the bat to allow for the 'control hand' which requires more co-ordination than the 'power hand'.

I think the answer is that an ambi-dextrous person would be the best person to have on your team.

Yeah, there's a lefty in my team who bats right handed and bowls left handed. He also throws right handed though. I was only talking about the pure lefties.

 

[Boris]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

Yeah, there's a lefty in my team who bats right handed and bowls left handed. He also throws right handed though. I was only talking about the pure lefties.

That is one unusual teammate you have there.

It is very rare to find a bowler that throws with the opposite hand that he bowls.

I would think he would be a good fielder, if I can make that assumption? And not just because he might have the ability to use both hands.

 

[breeno]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

That is one unusual teammate you have there.

It is very rare to find a bowler that throws with the opposite hand that he bowls.

I would think he would be a good fielder, if I can make that assumption? And not just because he might have the ability to use both hands.

Better than average, but nothing special.

 

[Boris]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

Better than average, but nothing special.

Dang.

As a general rule it is thought that people with the ability to have chosen what hand they wanted to use when they were young, as in they didn't have definite dominant hands, as I am suspecting he was one, they have an extra ability for acute proprioception, which is the sense of happenings around your body. These include things such as being able to touch your nose without looking, or jump in the air and know when you are going to hit the ground without looking, just sort of 'know'. This allows a cricketer to be a better fielder because movements are able to be more 'graceful' as the body knows exactly where all its limbs are. It also means that he wouldn't have to watch the ball as closely into his hand for the same result, his brain can predict the path of the ball and at what stage of a bounce it is without having to watch it.

Just a fun fact.

 

[breeno]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

Dang.

As a general rule it is thought that people with the ability to have chosen what hand they wanted to use when they were young, as in they didn't have definite dominant hands, as I am suspecting he was one, they have an extra ability for acute proprioception, which is the sense of happenings around your body. These include things such as being able to touch your nose without looking, or jump in the air and know when you are going to hit the ground without looking, just sort of 'know'. This allows a cricketer to be a better fielder because movements are able to be more 'graceful' as the body knows exactly where all its limbs are. It also means that he wouldn't have to watch the ball as closely into his hand for the same result, his brain can predict the path of the ball and at what stage of a bounce it is without having to watch it.

Just a fun fact.

Well he dropped a simple catch off me to rob me of a 4 fa. So maybe not.

 

[Boris]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

Haha well the guess was worth a try

 

[Caesar]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

That is one unusual teammate you have there.

It is very rare to find a bowler that throws with the opposite hand that he bowls.

I would think he would be a good fielder, if I can make that assumption? And not just because he might have the ability to use both hands.

It's less unusual than you think. I'm left-handed at most things (bowling, writing, tennis, etc.) but I bat and throw right-handed.

 

[Mousey]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

I'm left in everything except for batting, bowling and throwing.

 

[Boris]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

I'm left in everything except for batting, bowling and throwing.

The way it should be. Should be illegal to have left handers in cricket.

 

[D.K]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

The way it should be. Should be illegal to have left handers in cricket.

Yea yea but the most exciting players are left handed. (batting that is)

Gilchrist, Lara, Gayle, Katich , Warner, Singh, Jaysuria.... the list goes on

 

[Boris]

Re: Left Handed Batsmen

Ok, domestic and above cricket only!

That way those damn lefties won't keep getting me out.