Quote:Pundits never tire of mentioning the uniqueness of his technique: his grip; his “pick-up” in the region of gully; his excessive movement at the crease; and his tendency to walk across his stumps. Bowlers, not unreasonably, often think they should bowl straight to him thinking his bat, presumably coming down at an angle and therefore slightly across the line, makes him a prime candidate to be dismissed LBW. But he hardly misses a ball on his legs. West Indies pacer Jerome Taylor actually executed that plan to perfection at Sabina Park in July 2015. But by that Smith was 199.

Players and coaches frequently worry too much about what is supposedly proper technique. A technique is only relevant to the extent that it enables the player to achieve his objectives. “The basic technique of a straight bat is sound for defence,” wrote Bradman. “However, there should be all possible emphasis on attack, on the aggressive outlook, and if the technique is going to prove the master of a player and not the servant, then it will not be doing its job.”

Hitting Across The Line is the title of Sir Viv’s first autobiography. He has spoken, on occasion, of others distrusting his technique when he arrived in England as a raw, young strokeplayer from Antigua: “When I first came to this country there were folks who felt I was coming from a hotter climate so I wouldn’t adapt to English conditions. They thought I wasn’t going to do well because of my style of play – of hitting across the line. I didn’t call it hitting across the line. I felt it was inventive…I felt I was an artist.” The “Master Blaster” went on to become one of the most dominant batsmen in the game’s history.