63. Learn to cut. The cut is a classical and rewarding shot that all batsmen should be adept at. The cut is a great value shot because most good bowlers focus on the off-side so balls ripe for cutting can be expected more often than, say, half-volleys on leg-stump. The cut, if played to the right ball, can be well controlled, is not too risky to execute (make sure your bat is light enough), uses the pace of the bowler (so doesn’t have to be hit too powerfully) and is quite place-able.