As a batsman, it's never advisable to have a predilection for one stroke.

The fielding team will set the trap, the bowler will produce the bait and the batsman's eyes will light up only to be dismissed.

Pavlov's Dog never had it this bad.

There have been celebrated cases such as current Australian selector, Andrew Hilditch who was known as the 'Happy Hooker' because of his indulgence for the notorious stroke which often caused his downfall.

If the fielding side does their homework they can turn the opposition batsman's strengths into weaknesses. Stephen Fleming displayed that last year with much success against the Australians when he had a different field for every batsman.

So what about Nasser Hussain and the sweep? It seems as though this is the only shot he can play when he is facing the spinners.

In the first VB Series game against Australia at the SCG, Hussain was doing his best to allow the sweep to get him out; either via lbw, bowled, top edging one or being caught on the fence.

It is a low percentage shot for just one run. With there being only four men in the circle, singles are on offer everywhere. He would be better advised to push through the vacant mid-on, mid-off area for the easiest of singles than trying to be too clever by half.

Hussain scored 52 from 81 balls. Against Shane Warne he scored 13 runs from 23 balls. From Darren Lehmann, 11 runs from 29 balls. The spinners had him bogged down, or rather is it that he had himself bogged down?

Against the bowling of Warne and Lehmann, his highest single scoring shot off either was two runs, which he managed once off each.

Fifteen times he played the sweep for a return of five singles. He played the dreaded reverse sweep three times to Lehmann. He did not score a run from the stroke and twice had to survive vociferous appeals for lbw.

The sweep is an interesting stroke. Many a batsman has had a fondness for it and it has been the downfall of as many.

Jonty Rhodes utilised it to geat effect in 1994 at the SCG when it was the one and only plan he could muster to escape the clutches of Shane Warne.

Steve Waugh has his 'slog-sweep', but the major difference between the shot he is employing and the one Hussain is doing, is that Waugh is hitting the ball in front of square. By not having to turn his wrists with the stroke, he is able to gain maximum power and uses the shot for scoring boundaries and sixes.

Hussain is scoring singles with the shot. Is it worth getting out for one run?

Then there is the reverse sweep........

Australian cricket has never looked kindly on the shot because basically it should never be played. It is one of the lowest percentage strokes there is, with the batsman able to get out in far more many ways then he can score runs from the shot.

It was the shot which caused Mike Gatting's infamous demise in the 1987 World Cup final and a day doesn't go by when he is not reminded of this.

There is no way John Buchanan, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne and the Australian cricket brains trust are unaware of Hussain's love of the shot. Warne and Lehmann will be bowling many balls to be swept and it will be up to Hussain to play the shot without getting out or devise an alternate way of run scoring.

If the batsman are going to improvise against spinners, it should be with their feet and not with the bat. Use of their feet allows them to turn the ball into the type of delivery they wish to face. This also creates uncertainty in the mind of the bowler because they are now unsure as to which length to bowl.

Time will tell if Hussain is one of those who can "resist everything but temptation".

© 2002 David Wiseman

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.