Different Strokes
The best batsman in the world make their own rules. Dangerous to drive on the up? Ask Sachin Tendulkar, who makes a good percentage of his runs with that shot. Suicidal to reverse sweep? Ask Andy Flower, the acknowledged master of the shot and one capable of playing it to pace and spin. You never pull the length ball off the front foot? Try telling that to Herschelle Gibbs. Leave the short lifting ball alone outside off? Sanath Jayasuriya has made a career out of slashing them for sixes.
But these batsmen break the rules because they have first mastered them. Because they have studied the how-to of every stroke in cricket's grammar and through hours of intense practise, made these shots part of their muscle memory.
The theory is simple -- if you do not know the rules, you cannot break them.
And so -- the Rediff primer to every shot in the book, and then some.

The Leg Glance
Can the leg glance be called a drive? Probably not. But the initial movement, forward or back, is the same as for the straight drive.the shot is either played square or behind the wicket. The forward leg glance is played in front of the pad with the bat angled to steer the ball. Never choose the ball on the middle stump or further to the off when you wish to play this shot. The difference between the drive and the glance is that though the latter is played with a virtual straight bat, at the vital moment the bat is angled with the face of the bat being shut.

The Sweep
This shot is invariably played against the spinner. This should be played only to balls pitching outside the line of the leg stump. The ball must be hit all along the ground. If you roll your wrists properly at the time of execution of the shot you can keep the ball well down. Remember that the front pad should be between the pitch of the ball and the stumps. If you place your feet wrongly you might find yourself bowled around your legs. The full toss and the long hop, of which much will be seen in junior cricket, can be hit very profitably to leg provided that you follow these tips.

The Hook
Hooking the short pitched ball is one of the glories of the game. A good hook shot player can make the most of fast, short pitched bowling. The back foot should not only go back but also far enough across to the offside so that the line of the foot is outside the line of flight of the ball. It is extremely important to keep your eye on the short ball to be able to bring off this shot safely.
The shot is dangerous to play on fast wickets as a miss would mean the ball making painful contact with your helmet or face. Do not attempt to play this shot unless you have been in for a reasonable period of time and feel well set to be able to meet the ball confidently.

The Pull
The arguments over which is a hook shot and which is a pull shot may be many. But that should not worry you so long as your are able to get the short ball racing through the onside. The shots are also very similar except that the hook is played inevitably off the short ball that rises shoulder high and the pull is played to balls not that short. The pull can be played effectively off the front foot too.
The pull is hit hard into the ground. The shot is best played to the short ball that does not rise too high. The back and across movement will position you perfectly when you size up such a juicy short ball coming up. Remember to roll your wrists before contact so that the ball is kept down.

The Late Cut
This shot is played to a ball pitched outside the off stump. Playing late means exactly that. Instead of hitting the ball square as it passes the body, it is hit late. This is shot can be very useful in limited overs cricket but is not to be readily recommended at your grade of the game. Unless you are well in and wish to make use of gaps in the field, it is best not to attempt to play the late cut.

The Cover Drive
With the right foot remaining grounded - there are some differences from the ordinary forward stroke. The bat is raised with a much higher backlift, both hands should grip the handle tightly and a turn of the wrists makes the blade face the position of point fielder when the bat is at the top of its lift. The movement forward of the left foot is shorter,the body is fairly upright and the left leg unbent. The bat must travel in the direction that the ball will take and stay on this course after it has actually been hit for the full follow-through to give maximum force. The weight of the body should continue to travel in the direction of the shot with the left shoulder and hip remaining firm with the right shoulder released so that when the stoke has been completed the batsman's chest should be in line with the bowler.

The Straight Drive
Going forward to drive balls that pitch closer to you is a natural extension of the forward defensive shot. Remember that the left shoulder is the key to all shots off the front foot, particularly the drives. The wider you intend driving to the offside the more should your shoulder go in the direction of the shot.
The left hand must be in total command of all drives. If your left hand is slightly in advance of you right hand it will ensure that the ball stays on the ground as you drive. In defence there will be no follow through. When driving the bat should follow through freely. never play this shot until you are well settled and you are sure of the away movement of the ball.

Front Foot defence
The forward defensive shot is the most basic of all shots played in front of the wicket. It is played to a delivery which is pitched short of good length.(This particular delivery is risky to pull and not of drivable length.) The left foot should take you as near the pitch of the ball as possible. The left knee must bend just a bit so that there is no gap between bat and pad.

Back Foot defence
It's very important to have a good back foot defence to survive at the international level where fast bowling rules. Once you see the ball short, important to rock back quickly close to the stumps, making full use of the ample space provided in the batting "box".
Get that left elbow high. And keep that head in front. Dont push too much with bottom hand keep that hand soft and closely tucked to your body.
Back foot well back into your stumps in line with the off stump. The front foot follows. Stay side on. Front elbow rises up in line with the ball. Bottom hand loose on the handle. Weight in front.

The Square Cut
A square cut is played to a ball which is short in length on the off side . The back foot plays a vital role in the execution of the shot. To cut well, judgment of length, timing and flexibility of wrist are very important. Look at how well Ricky Ponting brings off the shot, sometimes with both his feet off the ground to pack greater power from the weight of his body. Get the bat up high so that it comes down on the ball. Don't jerk your head in any effort to get a lot of power into the shot. Meet the ball at the right time. The best cut shot is the one that uses the pace of the ball to send it on its way to the boundary. Let your right hand control the execution of the shot. Use all your wrist power to guide the ball into the ground.