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The stars that may twinkle this season
MAKING a list of men who will have the biggest impact on the forthcoming cricket World Cup is always fraught with danger. It is like trying be a crystal-ball gazer without having a crystal ball in hand. In reality, playing the game is much tougher than being armchair critics, who have the benefit of television slow motion cameras where Bret Lee seems like a spinner. The list may seem very Australia-centric. This, as, unless a tragedy strikes, the Aussies are tipped to play the finals. On the field, the shots have to fall in place and bowlers have to be lethal . But these men donning the colours of their respective countries will visibly have the biggest impact on the forthcoming world cup. The list cannot be exhaustive and, is at best, illustrative. It is not based on demographic location of the country but aims at bringing about small pointers about the men who may matter in the cup. Current form and not past heroics have decided who's in and who's out. Barring Yousuf Youhana, from Pakistan, all other are openers. In 1992 and 1996, the value of explosive openers has been demonstrated by Mark Greatbach of New Zealand and Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka, respectively. Youhana is there because of his current form, he is the most successful batsman in one-dayers during the year 2002. Living legends like Sachin Tendulkar have already proven their abilities thus do not figure in the list. He is better than all the five figuring here, but he has not done justice to his talent in the past few months. The period has been low for him, considering his own lofty standards. Probably, if he opens the batting he will be even more dangerous. One just hopes that he emerges as the star of the cup and guides India to victory. This is his fourth consecutive appearance and already has the record for the highest number of one day runs under his belt and also 33 centuries. The likes of Brian Lara are coming back from injuries and Ricky Ponting will have a supporting role when the Aussie pair of Gilchrist and Hayden get going. Sanath Jayasuriya is not the same force as he was in 1996. The problem in this list was where to count South African, J. Kallis? Among the batsmen or the bowlers. Probably, one of the most genuine all-rounders to have played the game in same bracket as Sir Gary Sobers, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Clive Rice or Imran Khan. Picking a list of bowlers who will figure among the most prolific performers in the world cup is even more tricky than compiling a list of batsmen. Some of the most fearsome will be left out as the game needs accurate fast bowling and not sheer pace of the likes of Aussie Bret Lee, Pakistani Shoaib Akhtar, Englishman Steve Harmison, South African Makhaya Ntini or Kiwi Shane Bond. Yes, fearsome fast bowlers will be able to pick vital wickets but others, who will apply pressure, will lay the foundations of their success. Unfortunately none of the Indians, not even Anil Kumble and Harbhajan, figure in the top list. Well surprises can occur, in 1983 who could have predicted that Roger Binny, at his military medium pace, will be highest wicket-taker ahead of the likes of Joel Garner, who is the most effective one-day bowler of all times and still figures as number one in terms of economy and strike rate. And also ahead of all time greats like Malcom Marshall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Imran Khan and Sir Richard Hadlee. The reality will unfold in the next few days. Batsmen to watch Virender Sehwag
Sehwag’s was baptism
with fire in test cricket when he scored a century on debut and then was
suspended in the next game by the match referee Mike Denness. He came
through the ordeal. Initially, he had made a disastrous debut against
Pakistan at Mohali in the Pepsi Cup in 1998/99 making only one run was
hammered for 35 runs in the three overs that he bowled. He came into his
own when Sachin Tendulkar was forced to miss the rest of the series with
a fractured finger. Promoted to open the batting, Sehwag, hit a 70-ball
ton against the hapless Kiwis at Colombo. Since the has not turned back
and has confirmed his status as the brightest young talent on the
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Adam Gilchrist
Yousuf Youhana
Yousuf Youhana ahead of several other stars? Well look at this Pakistani's performance in the past 12 months, it is better the very best and automatically makes him the man to watch in the world cup. The brittle Pakistani batting line up has come to rely on him more than Inzimam -ul-Haq. There is an extravagant flourish in his strokes, a seeming effortlessness, graceful footwork, exquisite timing that reminds of Zaheer Abbas and he also possesses the cunning of other Pakistani great Javed Miandad. Indeed, the Pakistanis believe that he is in the same mould as Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh. Once Ravi Shastri described him as a "street smart cricketer", a tribute that would have greatly pleased Miandad. And like Miandad , he starts off by rotating the strike, stealing ones and twos by nudging the ball past the close-in fielders before gears and starts looking for boundaries by placing the ball through the gaps. Once his innings has gained momentum, he shifts up another notch to really cut loose and send the ball flying to all parts of the ground. Mathew Hayden
On current form, reliability and awesome hitting power, Hayden will walk into any team. Just look at the batting average and he does not have any real weaknesses in his game, the left-handed Australian is a masterful opening batsman who is rarely unsettled and hits the ball to all parts of the wicket. He possesses a beautifully uncomplicated technique that allows him to drive forcefully from the front foot and execute cuts, hooks and pulls from the back foot. He may not have played a couple of hundred one-dayers like the Indian stars, but he is dependable. Hayden's qualities were arguably best showcased during a phenomenal tour of India in early 2001 that netted him 549 Test runs from a mere six-test match innings. Soon, he followed this with four individual centuries and joined with fellow-opener Justin Langer to produce a world-record four double-century partnerships in the course of a single season. In the past 12 months, Hayden has come into his own in the one-day format also. Since Mark Waugh was dropped, Hayden had a tough task to follow Mark Waugh, who was among the cleanest strikers of the ball, and Hayden has come out with flying colours. Herchelle Gibbs
This attacking stroke-player has the ability to play all the text-book shots (the straight drive being particularly impressive), and the first 15 overs will be vital. Already, his fielding has reached a level of excellence that he equals Jonty Rhodes in the point position. Bowlers to watch Statistics guide: M- Matches; O - Overs bowled ; R- Runs conceded; W - Wickets taken ; Ave - average runs conceded for taking a wicket; BBI-Best bowling; 5W - Five wickets in an innings; SR - Average number of Balls bowled to take a wicket; Econ - Runs conceded per over. Glen McGrath
Nicknamed as Pigeon, the Australian is one of the world's most devastating fast bowlers. The lanky McGrath ( pronounced as mcgraa) conceives consistent pace and suffocating accuracy. His stock delivery is an off-cutter; however, an ability to move the bowl both ways as well as maintain a relentless line and length are almost equally as apparent. His average of taking wickets and economy rate are the envy of many a bowler. He does not allow any room in the crucial first 15 overs of the game. In the 1999 world cup he effectively demolished the Indian and West Indian top order and this when Australia needed to win Seven games on the trot to qualify. He can pose a danger to any of the top order pinch hitters. He is very difficult to score in the slog overs. In winning the inaugural Allan Border Medal (Australian cricket's highest individual award) in 2000, McGrath Showed the kind of stuff he was made of. Muttiah Murlitharan
His greatest variations
are the dangerous 'floater,' and besides his ball which spins like top
and startles leading batsmen. |
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Shane Warne
Shane Warne has already rewritten the record books and revitalised the art of leg spin. He is a sensational player. The Australian has a complete armoury of leg breaks, top spinners, googlies and flippers with enormous spin and considerable accuracy. In the past few years he has lost his sting and could never control the Indian batsmen. Still, he is the most potent spinner after Murli. He started his international career in disappointing style (taking 1/150 against India in 1991-92 in his first Test With Ravi Shastri scoring a double century and Tendulkar a 200). He has also survived allegations that he and Australian teammate Mark Waugh had accepted money from an Indian bookmaker while on tour in Sri Lanka in 1994. Has played a major role in Australian victory in 1999 and this could be his last appearance in one-dayers since he has already announced his intention of not playing in the one-dayers after the World Cup. Shaun Pollock
To Pollock, son of Peter Pollock a 1960s fast bowler and nephew of Graeme Pollock, cricket was natural. In the past, he has emerged from the shadows of Allan Donald. Not to be missed is his late order batting ability and strike rate of 82.29 runs per hundred balls faced as batsman.
Cunning and as wily as a fox, Akram can throw six different balls in one over. This World Cup for the 37-year-old Pakistani, a diabetic , could be the place where he will take a bow. He had a major contribution to make when Pakistan won the World Cup, by breaking the back of the English by taking the wickets of Ian Botham, Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis. Besides coring 33 off just 19 balls. Despite his age, he is still the most feared of bowlers for his guile, accuracy and sheer experience. He is the meanest in the business. His lethal swinging yorker,
deceptive variation of pace, the one moving sharply into the
right-handed batsman as well as his natural away-swinger slanting across
the right-hander. He is the only bowler to have captured more than 400
wickets, both in Test and one-day cricket. The only one to have passed
400 in the limited-overs cricket.
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On the field, the shots have to fall in place and bowlers have to be lethal. But these men donning the colours of their respective countries will visibly have the biggest impact on the forthcoming World Cup. The list cannot be exhaustive and is, at best, illustrative. It is not based on the demographic location of a country but aims at bringing about small pointers about the men who may matter in the cup, says
Ajay Banerjee
He is one cricketer who
has tickled the imagination of cricket-lovers from Australia to Canada.
This man, from Najafgarh, can make all the difference. Sehwag has no
pressure on him as his idol Sachin Tendulkar has vacated the opening
slot to bat lower down the order. He does not bother for reputation of
bowlers and has taken over from his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, in star
appeal, and also in consistency in the one-day format of the game.
Recently, in New Zealand when everybody was struggling and Saurav
Ganguly said the pitches were among the worst he has seen, Sehwag scored
two masterly hundreds. A batsman with an excellent temperament, who is
also a useful off-spinner, Virender Sehwag's name is now on everybody's
lips.
The current Australian
vice-captain, Adam Gilchrist is one of the world's most exciting
cricketers. A murderous batsman and easily one of the finest wicket
keeper -batsman to have played the game. With the bat, he is one of the
game's foremost attacking strokemakers and he has a relish for punishing
loose bowling that makes him a thrilling player to watch. He can take
away the game in the first 15 overs itself. There are very few
cricketers who are his equal in either respect. A strike rate of 91. 26
runs per hundred balls faced is phenomenal. At 32 years of age he is at
his peak and with Hayden forms one of the most fearsome opening
partnerships comparable with Haynes and Greenidge and also Tendulkar and
Ganguly. What to talk of one dayers the Aussie bats in test match
cricket like in a one dayer. He scored the second fastest century with a
scintillating 122 against India in the Mumbai Test of 2000-01. And then
went on score the fastest Test double century in Johannesburg in early
2002.
The South African has long
outgrown the match- fixing controversy in which he was also named along
with the disgraced Hansie Cronje. Is easily in the top slot and his
strike rate of 81.31 runs per hundred balls faced is built on
bowler-friendly pitches where batting is a tough task. Do not be misled
the strike rate is the only criteria. Playing at home, Gibbs will go all
out . And if he reminds you of mercurial West Indian batsman Desmond
Haynes do not be amazed. In the early part of cricketing life, Gibbs
played for Western province and was influenced by Haynes, who also
played with the same side as an overseas player.
Muttiah Muralitharan, it
seems, can spin the ball on water. And all thanks to his coach Sunil
Fernando, who told Murli to take up off-spin and not fast bowling when
he was fourteen years old. Very economical and can tie anyone, including
the Indian batsmen --- regarding as the finest players of spin - into
knots. He has overcome allegations of chucking when he was called twice
for throwing the 1995/6 tour of Australia.
The most economical bowler
in present one-day cricket and very accurate. Does not give away many.
Perhaps the straightest bowler in world cricket, Pollock is able to move
the ball both ways at a lively pace. He also possesses stamina and
courage in abundance. He will be tough for batsmen to handle. If India
qualify for the super sixes, there is all possibility that he could
trouble the batsmen.
Wasim Akram