Rogers: Batsmen need two techniques

Cricket365
April 2, 2016

Former Australia Test opener Chris Rogers feels batsmen need two very different techniques in their arsenals in they want to play international cricket in all formats, given the very different requirements.

Rogers, not a big player of the shorter formats, thinks a mere adaptation of technique is not enough any more, and that batsmen who want to play all three formats have to have an almost split personality when batting.

Rogers, in England for his season with Somerset, told cricket.com.au: "I think if you want to go to the highest level you've got to have another technique now.

"The thing I say to young guys these days is that you do probably need to have two techniques, because T20 is so relevant these days and financially it can be amazing as well.

"So you'd be silly not to develop that technique and you can't have just one technique that goes for both (Test and limited-over) games, you've got to have two different techniques.

"Other guys might say otherwise, and fair enough, but I think if you want to be able to have a defence in the longer version you've got to shorten your swing for instance.

"Whereas in the one-day game you've got to have a long swing to get that power, so you've got to develop a different game these days that’s for sure."

As for his own career, which saw no international caps for white-ball cricket, he conceded that his technique was not made for smash and grab batting, and he was fine with that.

He added: "With the (50-over) scores now, it’s 300 plays 300. I was okay when it was 230, I could keep up.

"But you have to get your strike rate up around 100 (runs per 100 balls faced) these days so you have to make things happen.

"And I think Australian selectors will only pick if you can have that kind of fifth and sixth gear in your batting."