However, used occasionally as a calculated risk, the shot can frustrate the fielding side's captain, because positioning a fielder to stop a paddle scoop may present gaps and scoring opportunities in other areas.
[2] English batsman Joe Root is occasionally known for executing the reverse paddle scoop, a shot that stands in contrast to his typically orthodox style.
[1] While Root’s occasional use of this unconventional stroke has earned praise for its innovation, it has also sparked criticism from some experts, who question its place in his technically sound game.
[5] The "Paddle scoop" shot was played much earlier, by then Somerset captain, Brian Langford, in an English county match at the Edgarley ground in Glastonbury in 1962.
In the nineteenth century the indigenous Australian player Johnny Mullagh, who toured England in 1868, liked to play a similar shot: "Dropping on one knee to a fast rising ball, he would hold his bat over his shoulder and parallel to the ground.