It was a sight that would have made a cricket traditionalist cringe, former Australia captain Steve Waugh at a suburban oval in Sydney's south-east teaching young players the nuances of the reverse sweep before extolling it's virtues as an attacking shot.

Regarded as the skipper who not only ensured Australia's baggy green Test cap enjoyed a renewed respect from the nation's cricketers but one who actively encouraged his player to learn about the history of their tradition-steeped sport, Waugh was at ease teaching the shot Pakistani batsman Mushtaq Mohammad introduced to the game in the 1970s before coming into it's own amid the crash 'n' smash of the Big Bash League.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh coaches kids during one of his clinics at Snape Park, Maroubra during the school holidays.Showing them a Reverse Sweep on January 18, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ben Rushton/Fairfax Media) Credit:Ben Rushton

While purists bemoan the reverse sweep as something that symbolises the bastardisation of the noble game by the Twenty20 tournaments that are flourishing around the world, Waugh is happy to teach it - as he will the 'ramp' once he masters that - at the Steve Waugh Cricket coaching clinics being conducted throughout city and regional areas.

If the Big Bash League needed yet another endorsement to add to the record crowds that have flocked to grounds this summer and the massive television ratings the broadcaster has enjoyed, it came from Waugh, who, at 50, admitted he would've loved to have played in a format where the unorthodox is becoming the norm.