The Importance Of Sheet Anchors In Slam-Bang Cricket

The role of a sheet-anchor is to offer a solid defence in order to minimize the damage and let the other batsman take the charge of the game...

- Mohd. Asim

According to fans of cricket, the shortest format of the game is all about hitting where a batsman likes to go after the bowlers. There is no room for stabilizing the innings. However, the reality is completely different. If someone had told a cricket fanatic few years back that the role of a sheet-anchor is very important in the slam bang version of the game, he would have received a bashing. It is because T20 format is considered to be tailor made for aggressive cricket and there is no place for holding back for few overs. The likes of Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Sunil Gavaskar and many others were considered to be the best in business when it comes to holding up an innings from breaking down after the loss of few early wickets. The role of a sheet-anchor is to offer a solid defence in order to minimize the damage and let the other batsman take the charge of the game.

This definition needs a change and alteration in terms of T20 format but the basic idea remains the same. A team need somebody who holds an innings together for some time if not entirely. It is his presence who allows the dashers to go for big shots while he himself scores at a low pace. But let me clarify that low pace is not actually slowing down as this will derail the winning chances. The strike rate of a sheet anchor is more than 100 and there is no way of compromising with stroke making.