World Cup Special: Men Who Mattered

Change they say is the only constant! Its no different in Cricket than it is elsewhere. Legends must retire for new legends to be born. Most successful international players dream of a World Cup swansong. Some are fortunate to hang their boots with a successful World Cup campaign and some leave after a disappointing first round exits like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Inzamam Ul Haq after the 2007 World Cup. This tournament will see some of the modern day legends of the game playing their last World Cup. Each of these players have played a major role in their team's progress over the last ten years. They have mentored newcomers over the last decade a some have even captained their side for a long or a short while.

Ricky Ponting

Who would have expected the diminutive middle order batsman to go on to be a part of three wWorld Cup winning teams and lead Australia to wins in two of them. A batsman par excellence and a never say die captain. Ricky is the second highest century maker in ODIs and tests next only to Tendulkar. He was made the ODI captain in 2002 and lead Australia to an undefeated World Cup win in 2003. He played a major part in the win as he demolished the Indian bowling in the finals along with Damien Martyn. He scored a masterful 140* which remains one of the best knocks to have been played in a WC final. He lost most of his important personnel after the 2007 WC. He has had to rebuild the team and that has been no mean an achievement. He remains the lynchpin of the Aussie batting line up and will play a crucial role if Australia were to defend the Cup successfully. Veteran of four World Cups, Ricky starts this World Cup second on the overall run-list behind Tendulkar with 1537 runs. He had a terrific 2007 World Cup scoring 539 runs leading Australia to another spectacular World Cup win. 


Jacques Kallis

No less a talent than Ponting or Tendulkar. Kallis, for me, might even be a notch higher than Ponting in terms of contribution to his team. He, in my list, would be counted amongst the two best all rounders ever only behind Sir Garfield Sobers himself. Kallis is almost as effective with the ball as he is with the bat. Made his debut in 1997, Kallis made his presence felt in the World Cup 1999 with his swing bowling and consistent batting. He, for a while, even opened the attack with Pollock to allow Donald to bowl first change. As a batsman, his contribution to the team has been enormous. Playing along with Gary Kirsten, Gibbs, Smith, Cullinan; Kallis made his own mark being the batsman with impeccable technique and someone who relied more on timing and placement than power. Over the years, he may have lost some pace but still is as handy with the ball.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Made his debut in 1994 and was a part of the West Indian team that made to the semi finals of the World Cup 1996 and almost made it to the finals at the expense of Australia, but for a lower order collapse. Chanderpaul started off being an understudy to Brian Lara but took over and came on his own in 2001/02 where he performed admirably well against the visiting Indians. He is considered one of the best players of spin amongst players outside of the subcontinent. His free stance allows him to use his feet conveniently. Going by his built and thinking he can't attack would be a mistake. He is capable of accumulating runs at strike rate above 100. He currently is the senior most batsman in the WI team. Him retiring would be a big loss to the already dooming West Indian cricket. He is the last trace of 1990s in West Indian cricket.

Shoaib Akhtar

He clocked the fastest ball to be bowled in World Cups in the 1999 edition. He got Steve Waugh out to one of the most amazing yorkers seen in cricket annals in the same tournament. He was in his mettle in 1999. Troubled batsmen with his pace and brilliant variations. Shoaib Akhtar is one of the senior most members in the Pakistani team. He, Razzaq and Afridi are the only survivors from the 1999 Cup finalist team. Mentored by Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in his early days, Shoaib today is leading the bowling attack with Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz to be mentored and supported by him. A successful campaign this World Cup could be a huge boost for him after a more or less controversy shrouded career he has had. He has shown a lot of character in coming back to play the game after injuries and disciplinary suspensions. He still has the pace and the accuracy to rattle the best in business. He mustn't be taken lightly at all.

Muttiah Muralitharan

It could be said, Murali had a huge role to play in Sri Lanka winning the 1996 World Cup. Him being called for chucking was taken so personally by Ranatunga, that he motivated his players and rallied them around to form a team that shocked one and all. Murali played a crucial role in the World Cup too. Amongst the best spinners and the greatest characters to have played the game, Murali must be wishing to end his career on a high after a successful retirement from tests last year. He was hugely instrumental in his team reaching the finals of the 2007 edition picking 23 wickets out of his 53 total World Cup wickets. Sri Lanka have Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv replace when Murali's hangs his boots, but no one can fill the void for the great sportsman and ambassador for the game he has been. His detractors will continue to call him a chucker and discredit him for the wickets he has earned. Chucker or not, Murali has changed the meaning of spin bowling since his debut in 1993.

Sachin Tendulkar

He sure needs no introduction. He would walk into every World XI, ODI or Tests. Tendulkar had a phenomenal 1996 and 2003 World Cups. India got to the semi finals in both editions and went upto the finals in the latter. His aggregate 1796 World Cup runs will be hard to match. He has been the backbone of Indian batting for over 20 years now. Debuted in 1989, when some of his current team members were still in their diapers, he has broken every possible record in ODI batting. Most recently came the ODI double hundred at Gwalior last year. Winning the World Cup will be the perfect swansong for him like all others, but the patriot that he is and the passion he has he would want to win it for India than for his own benefit. He found his bearings under the supervision of seniors like Azhar, Srikkanth and Vengsarkar, blossomed playing together with contemporaries like Dravid, Ganguly, Jadeja, Kambli and now is the teacher and role model to new comers such as Kohli, Vijay, Raina and even Sehwag.

Author also writes on http://www.isport.in/

Asian Giants Chase The World Cup Dream

After 1987 and 1996, this is the third World Cup to be held in the subcontinent. And in both the earlier Cups at least two teams from the subcontinent have made it to the semi finals and on one occasion even won it (Sri Lanka in 1996). Since 1996, at least one team from the sub continent has reached the finals of the Cup only to be beaten convincingly by Australia. Pakistan in 1999, after splendid performances upto the finals played terribly to lose by 9 wickets in the finals to Steve Waugh determined team. India was in ominous in the 2003 edition till the finals, not losing a single game except for their group match loss to Australia. But lost steam and plot to lose the finals by a huge margin. In 2007, Sri Lanka surely didn’t look like the best team to win the cup, yet reached the finals, a spectacular Gilchirst took the game away from them single handedly.

Pakistan as usual don’t come into the World Cup as favourites. They have come in as the most mercurial underdogs. As their captain courageous has been recently quoted, they are “the most dangerous team” this World Cup. The team has a good mix of youth and experience. Bowling attack is lead by the very experienced and fiery Shoaib Akhtar and supported by Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and less known Junaid Khan. Spin bowling department is headed by the specialist Saeed Ajmal who will be a handful on subcontinent wickets with his nippy offerings. Shahid Afridi and Mohammed Hafeez are expected to bowl a lot on these pitches. Batting looks quite stable, yet vulnerable. A lot will depend on the Akmal brothers, Younis Khan, Misbah if Pakistan are to put up and chase down big totals.

Bangladesh comes into this World Cup more confident than they have ever been. A 4-0 rout of New Zealand must be by far their best achievement in international cricket. Their captain Shaki Al Hasan is in terrific form with both bat and ball. Tamim Iqbal. Imrul Kayes and Shahriar Nafees are the top order batsman the co hosts will depend on. Tamim is expected to flourish on the big stage. He is someone to keep an eye on for the future. Mahmudullah, captain Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim make for a strong lower middle order. These are batsman who can build as well as score at a quick rate. Bangladesh have recently relied on their slow bowlers to get them the breakthroughs. Razzak, Shakib, Shuvo, Naeem form their slow bowling armoury. Nazmul Hossain and Shafiul Islam are their opening bowlers in the absence of Mashrafe Mortaza. 

This World Cup India certainly is the favourite for the form they have been in over the last year and a half and of course familiarity of conditions and pitches. Lead by Dhoni, India looks a fine unit with a terrific batting line up and without a doubt the most feared opening pair in Sehwag and Tendulkar. Bowling attack is expected to be lead from the front by Zaheer and Harbhajan. Munaf’s task with his accurate line and length would be to cut the flow of runs and contain. Nehra and Sreesanth can leak runs on a bad day, but on a day which is theirs, they possess the ability to run through a team. Indian team’s X-Factor though would be their lower order batting and their spin bowling options. Raina, Yusuf and Kohli are the best batsmen a team can ask for to finish games or set a challenging total. Harbhajan, Ashwin and Chawla have enough variety and talent amongst them to give the captain nightmares to choose whom to play. Backing them up, Sehwag, Raina, Yuvraj too can roll their arm over effectively.

Sri Lanka, with a confident captain in Sangakkara and a promising batting line up figure amongst the favourites in this World Cup. Dilshan, Jayawardena and Sangakkara are the core batsmen the team would depend on. Kapugedara and Tharanga are expected to make to the top five. In Angelo Matthews and Thissira Perera, Sri Lanka have two terrific all rounders. Matthews have more than proved his mettle in recent times with sold bowling and batting performances. Their bowling looks strong with two match winners in Malinga and Muralitharan. Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando and Ajantha Mendis will fill up the other bowling positions. Angelo Matthews and Mahela Jayawardena will be very crucial to Sri Lankan game plan towards winning the Cup.

I get a very strong feeling this World Cup will come to one of the Asian nations. Bangladesh though will be very happy if they go past the qualifying round into the quarters. This tournament might see the last of one of the best spinners to have played the game, Muttiah Muralitharan. Also would be the last World Cup for the best batsman of our generation and one of the best the game has ever seen, Sachin Tendulkar. There will be many a tribute paid to the legends. But cometh February 19^th, once Shakib Al Hasan and MS Dhoni come out for toss at Mirpur, it will be the on field action which will be talked about more than off field trivia and news. And mostly, what happens on the 22 yard strip is what makes the best news.

India's World Cup Highs - II

India and Pakistan met for the second time in World Cups at the quarter final stage of the 1996 edition. The match was played at Bangalore. There wasn't an inch the two teams could give one another. Wasim Akram, the Pakistani captain backed out of the match at the last moment citing back problems. Aamer Sohail was named the stand in captain. India led by Azharuddin looked good, they had played well in the group stages. Their star batsman Tendulkar was in prime touch and the middle order was scoring too.

 India won the toss and elected to bat. India had an unusually sedate start despite Tendulkar's presence at the crease. He was kept in check by Waqar and Aaqib Javed. India never scored at an alarming rate though Sidhu played well for his fine 93. India would never have reach 287 in their 50 overs but for some clinical slogging by Ajay Jadeja. He thrashed Waqar for 40 runs in his last two overs and scored a brutal 45 off 25 balls. India's total looked good for a win but Pakistani openers had different ideas. Sohail and Anwar come out all guns blazing adding 84 in the first 10 overs. Anwar was dismissed soon after.The most talked about moment of the match is the visual of Sohail challenging Venkatesh Prasad after scoring a boundary off him and the bowler uprooting his off stump. Soon after Sohail dismissal, Pakistan capitulated. With some contributions from the middle order, Pakistan reached 248. India romped home by 39 runs. 

Pakistani players went home to some rioting fans pelting stones at Wasim Akram's house for his absence from match and India went into the semi finals setting up their second showdown against Sri Lanka, the eventual Cup winners.