Backlift

Kevin Pieterson, practicing in the nets, prepares to hit the white ball with a straight backlift, and the face of the bat slightly angled

Backlift is the term used in cricket, describing how a batsman lifts his bat in preparation for hitting the ball.^[1]

While the bat should be raised as vertically as possible, coaching manuals often suggest that correct technique is for the bat to be slightly angled from the perpendicular; a common instruction is to point the face of the bat in the direction of first or second slip.^[1]

Some players (notably, in recent times, Brian Lara)^[2] have employed an exaggerated backlift. Others, who have employed the more unorthodox open stance, such as Peter Willey, had a more abbreviated backlift.

References