SabBig-hitters part 2
February 19th 2007 08:20
In the lead up to the World Cup, big scores have been prevalent all around the world, as teams realise the event in the Caribbean is going to be a run-feast.
The sub continent teams are always an intriguing lot. They can provide some of the most brilliant cricket but can also be dreadful and are sure to be erratic. The last four Cups has seen a sub continent team reach the final, and the chances are likely that history will repeat. However a number of key big-hitters will need to shine in the Windies.
Pakistan on paper are as brilliant as any side in the world. Even the Aussies can’t beat them for sheer talent. However Pakistan has continually been a disappointment. Can the 1992 champs fire? Shahid Afridi is capable of destroying an attack like nobody has probably ever done. He has an incredible 107% strike rate and recently plundered the disciplined South Africans for 77 of 35 balls. On those tiny grounds in the Windies Afridi is capable of destroying anyone. He may be very erratic but boy is he dangerous. Another danger man is experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who when on song can tear apart an attack. The thought of Afridi and Razzaq in form batting in partnership is sure to lick the lips of any Pakistani supporter. Around the steading influences of Inzaman Ul-Haq, Mohammed Yousef and Younis Khan, Pakistan has as good a batting line-up as anyone.
The runners-up in 2003, India, have possessed a brilliant batting line-up for years. Sachin Tendulkar is an ageing genius but still highly effective. Rahul Dravid, the reborn Saurav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh offer plenty of experience and class. However two players stand out in the big-hitting stakes- Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Dhoni. Sehwag of late has been a shadow of his former self, but when in-form is one of the best openers in the world in both forms of the game. If India is a chance, Sehwag needs to fire. Dhoni is just another of those big-hitting wicket-keepers in the Adam Gilchrist mould. Flexible as he can bat at any position, Dhoni will be instrumental in India’s push for their second World Cup victory.
Sri Lanka has been fancied by many to add to their 1996 triumphant. Boasting two of the best one-day bowlers in history and some fine batsmen in Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka deserve their tag as one of the most dangerous sides. However their success lies with ever-green 37 year-old Sanath Jayasuriya. The deadly left-hander was a crucial member of the successful ‘96 campaign, and changed the course of one-day cricket. Jayasuriya’s opening partnership with Romesh Kaluwitharana, proved to be the prototype of one-day opening pairings. The World Cup will probably be the great Jayasuriya’s swansong in the game, and if he fires, it may just prove to end in a fairytale.
The hosts, the West Indies, have struggled in both forms of the game for the last decade. However their recent success at the Champions Trophy, where they made the final, has boosted their confidence before the biggest party occurs in the Caribbean next month. The key to the Champions Trophy success was big Chris Gayle. Like Andrew Symonds, he is a handy all-round player, but it’s his explosive opening batting which will provide the Windies with their biggest chance. Gayle is a tall, powerful man, who doesn’t possess an orthodox game. However he has a tremendous one-day record and if the Windies are any chance of reaching the final four on home turf, Gayle needs to replicate his Champions Trophy performance.
The other key is of course Captain Brian Lara. The maestro has been the key to the Windies fortune for the last 15 years however with Gayle the lead star, Lara doesn’t quite have as much pressure on his small shoulders. Lara is much orthodox than most of the big-hitters previously mentioned, but is as dangerous as anyone when on-song. The World Cup will provide Lara with a fitting farewell to his glittering one-day career on home soil, so let’s hope one of the game’s greatest ever recaptures his magic of the past.
The sub continent teams are always an intriguing lot. They can provide some of the most brilliant cricket but can also be dreadful and are sure to be erratic. The last four Cups has seen a sub continent team reach the final, and the chances are likely that history will repeat. However a number of key big-hitters will need to shine in the Windies.
Pakistan on paper are as brilliant as any side in the world. Even the Aussies can’t beat them for sheer talent. However Pakistan has continually been a disappointment. Can the 1992 champs fire? Shahid Afridi is capable of destroying an attack like nobody has probably ever done. He has an incredible 107% strike rate and recently plundered the disciplined South Africans for 77 of 35 balls. On those tiny grounds in the Windies Afridi is capable of destroying anyone. He may be very erratic but boy is he dangerous. Another danger man is experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who when on song can tear apart an attack. The thought of Afridi and Razzaq in form batting in partnership is sure to lick the lips of any Pakistani supporter. Around the steading influences of Inzaman Ul-Haq, Mohammed Yousef and Younis Khan, Pakistan has as good a batting line-up as anyone.
The runners-up in 2003, India, have possessed a brilliant batting line-up for years. Sachin Tendulkar is an ageing genius but still highly effective. Rahul Dravid, the reborn Saurav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh offer plenty of experience and class. However two players stand out in the big-hitting stakes- Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Dhoni. Sehwag of late has been a shadow of his former self, but when in-form is one of the best openers in the world in both forms of the game. If India is a chance, Sehwag needs to fire. Dhoni is just another of those big-hitting wicket-keepers in the Adam Gilchrist mould. Flexible as he can bat at any position, Dhoni will be instrumental in India’s push for their second World Cup victory.
(Deadly Dhoni)
Sri Lanka has been fancied by many to add to their 1996 triumphant. Boasting two of the best one-day bowlers in history and some fine batsmen in Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka deserve their tag as one of the most dangerous sides. However their success lies with ever-green 37 year-old Sanath Jayasuriya. The deadly left-hander was a crucial member of the successful ‘96 campaign, and changed the course of one-day cricket. Jayasuriya’s opening partnership with Romesh Kaluwitharana, proved to be the prototype of one-day opening pairings. The World Cup will probably be the great Jayasuriya’s swansong in the game, and if he fires, it may just prove to end in a fairytale.
The hosts, the West Indies, have struggled in both forms of the game for the last decade. However their recent success at the Champions Trophy, where they made the final, has boosted their confidence before the biggest party occurs in the Caribbean next month. The key to the Champions Trophy success was big Chris Gayle. Like Andrew Symonds, he is a handy all-round player, but it’s his explosive opening batting which will provide the Windies with their biggest chance. Gayle is a tall, powerful man, who doesn’t possess an orthodox game. However he has a tremendous one-day record and if the Windies are any chance of reaching the final four on home turf, Gayle needs to replicate his Champions Trophy performance.
The other key is of course Captain Brian Lara. The maestro has been the key to the Windies fortune for the last 15 years however with Gayle the lead star, Lara doesn’t quite have as much pressure on his small shoulders. Lara is much orthodox than most of the big-hitters previously mentioned, but is as dangerous as anyone when on-song. The World Cup will provide Lara with a fitting farewell to his glittering one-day career on home soil, so let’s hope one of the game’s greatest ever recaptures his magic of the past.
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