Chapman’s Step Flick Ready to Trouble Pakistan Again

Chapman has long admired New Zealand’s great southpaws.

"Being a youngster watching the New Zealand team, I took inspiration from the left-handers as a fellow left-hander. I had a Gunn & Moore Purist as one of my first bats. Stephen Fleming was using that, so you take inspiration when you've got the same gear as well."

Inspired by players like Stephen Fleming, Chapman has carved out his own identity. While many associate elegant left-handers with offside grace, he has built his game around dominant leg-side hitting.

The Science Behind the Step Flick

Chapman’s signature shot, often called the step flick, begins from stillness before exploding through the wrists. He demonstrated it memorably against Mitchell Starc in Wellington in 2024 and later similarly punished Romario Shepherd.

Explaining how he generates power despite not being physically imposing, he said:

"Being a smaller guy, naturally, you favour the leg side, I guess. I can take a few lessons off Glenn Phillips," he says. laughing. "Unfortunately, we're not built the same way. But I guess something I've always sort of had is a little bit of bat speed. So you can put on a little bit of size, but it's about making sure that you maintain bat speed as well, because I guess that's where most of my power is generated."

His approach blends fundamentals with aggression.

"I think you need your fundamentals and your base in place first. That allows you to then expand from there. Then it's striking a balance between your conventional batting and then adding your power game as well. Because the two do work together."

Why Pakistan Brings the Best Out of Him

Chapman has scored just over 1600 T20I runs for the Black Caps, with nearly 40 percent coming against the Pakistan national cricket team. The 2023 series in Pakistan, where New Zealand recovered from 0-2 to 2-2, remains a highlight.

"It was a really enjoyable tour," Chapman says. "The things that stand out for me were just how much fun the group had. It was a bit of a different group, those tours, and being without the IPL players, so there were different opportunities for guys to put their hands up. Yeah, I look back on that tour with fond memories - both on and off the park. I took a lot of confidence from that."

As New Zealand prepares for another high-stakes encounter, Chapman’s step flick and impressive T20I record vs Pakistan could again prove decisive.