Flick Shot in Cricket — How the Leg Flick Works and When to Use It
The flick is an attacking batting shot played off the legs, redirecting a delivery angled into the body toward square leg or fine leg. Learn the technique of the leg flick, how to time it correctly, and which batsmen have made it a signature stroke.
The flick is an attacking batting stroke played against deliveries that are angled into the batsman's body or on leg stump. Rather than defending or leaving these balls, the batsman uses the bat face to redirect the ball's energy sideways — 'flicking' the wrist and rotating the forearms to glide the ball toward square leg, mid-wicket, or fine leg. A well-timed flick is almost impossible to field: there is no fielder on the leg side at that angle who can stop a ball hit with the full pace of the delivery behind it.
Technique
The flick requires the batsman to open their hip toward the leg side and rotate their wrists and forearms at the moment of contact, closing the bat face slightly to direct the ball toward mid-wicket or fine leg rather than straight back at the bowler. The ideal flick comes off a delivery on or just outside leg stump at a full-to-good length — the batsman steps forward, meets the ball early, and rotates through the shot. Against shorter balls, the equivalent stroke is the pull or hook; the flick is specifically for fuller, straighter deliveries.
Famous flick batsmen
MS Dhoni (India) was renowned for his wrist flick off the legs — a natural adaptation from his early club cricket background in Ranchi. The shot became one of his signature strokes in the IPL. Virat Kohli uses a powerful hip rotation to flick through mid-wicket with power that belies the apparent ease of the stroke. Saeed Anwar (Pakistan) and Brian Lara (West Indies) were noted for their exceptional wrist softness in the same area. The flick requires flexible wrists and a naturally open hip position — batsmen from subcontinental cricket traditions often develop it early due to the slower, spinning pitches that demand on-side play.
Frequently asked questions
Is the flick the same as a glance?
They are related but different. A glance is finer — it redirects the ball backward of square leg, toward fine leg. A flick is squarer — it sends the ball toward mid-wicket or backward square. The distinction is in the direction of the shot: glances are played with minimal wrist rotation, just deflecting the ball; flicks involve active wrist and forearm rotation to redirect the ball squarer.
What fielding positions guard against the flick?
Square leg and mid-wicket are the most relevant fielding positions. At T20 scoring rates, captains sometimes deploy a deep square leg or deep mid-wicket to guard against aggressive flicks to the boundary. In Tests, where batsmen flick more conservatively, the fielder may be brought in from the boundary to save singles.
When does a flick go wrong?
Mistiming the flick — hitting it too early or too late — redirects the ball at different angles. An early flick can go to a midwicket positioned close. A late flick can go fine, to fine leg rather than square leg. The most dangerous error is playing the shot against a ball that moves in the air or off the pitch — a delivery that swings late into the batsman can hit the inside edge and deflect the ball into the stumps or to the keeper.