The Hook Shot in Cricket: Playing the Rising Delivery
The hook shot responds to bouncers and short balls aimed at the head. Learn the technique, the risks, and why some batters abandon the hook entirely.
What Is the Hook Shot?
The hook shot is a batting shot played to a short-pitched delivery that rises above chest height — typically a bouncer. The batter swings the bat in a horizontal arc above shoulder height, directing the ball toward fine leg or backward square leg. It is an attacking, high-risk shot.
Hook vs Pull: The Distinction
The pull targets deliveries at chest height or below; the hook targets deliveries rising to shoulder height and above. The hook requires greater bat-lift, a quicker backlift, and places the batter in greater danger of losing balance or glancing the ball onto the body.
Why Some Batters Abandon the Hook
Many top batters deliberately abandon the hook shot, especially early in an innings. Steve Waugh famously refused to hook fast bowling, daring bowlers to target him with bouncers he would simply sway away from. This patience meant he never gifted his wicket by hooking to a man on the fence.
Famous Hookers of the Ball
Ian Botham, Viv Richards, and Adam Gilchrist were fearless hook-shot players. West Indian batters of the 1970s and 1980s, raised on fast pitches, often used the hook to attack the very fast bowlers from their own attack who were serving up similar deliveries in the nets.
Frequently asked questions
Is the hook shot the same as the pull?
No. The pull is played to deliveries at chest height or below; the hook is played to deliveries rising at shoulder height or above. The hook is riskier because the ball is harder to control at that height.
What is the best response to a bouncer if you don't hook?
The safest alternatives are: ducking under the delivery, swaying backward and away, or leaving it to rise above the stumps and over the head. All of these avoid the risk of an edge.