After two interesting articles of Cricket by logingirls and sid_dreamz, I am tempted to write this review. Am good at playing and analysing Cricket but not in explaining. So if you do not get across my point, never mind. But do post your comments.
In order to experience what happens in the middle, I thoroughly believe that one should have played (not just watched or seen or read) Cricket. That too not once or twice, many more times than that.
Just like any other game, Cricket is also a nerve game. One’s patience along with his abilites to play, to sustain are tested game after game. Unlike individuals games like Lawn Tennis or Badminton, Cricket is a game that depends on the performance of more than one player on a day, sometimes even on Umpires and climate.;-). As in individual games, players read the opponents play and then play accordingly.
Nevertheless, an individual does get credit for his display on the field on a particular day. And how he makes it his day depends on how he commands the opponent.
There are players who play text book Cricket. No doubt Dravid, Aravinda, Mark are technically perfect. And some with their instincts like Kapil, Botham, Afridi, Flintoff inspite of having succesful techniques of their own. And there are some who are role models of perseverance like Kumble. The minds of some of the players I am going to write are true cricketing minds. These may not be the Best Five Cricketers but only my view.
My reasons and order stated as below:
1) Sachin Tendulkar
He is the player who always thinks about Cricket. Whether he is batting, bowling or fielding, he is always trying to find something that can give him the wicket or the runs or the direct throw for run out. Even when India is losing and he is fielding in the deeps, he hardly fails to throw back the ball to the Keeper. His basics are perfect. Sometimes when he bowls in the mid overs, he is not afraid of bowling wide outside the leg stump and getting the keeper to stump out the batsman. His arms are one of the best in the team(very rarely seen). He uses them to bowl the quickers which have fetched him many a LBW and bowled wickets.
And while batting also, he always tries to hit the loose ball so confidently that it is sufficient for the bowler and his captain to believe his dominance. At the same time, he respects the good balls irrespective of the bowler.
Which cricket fan can forget how he bowled his last over in the HERO Cup at Calcutta. He was not a regular bowler at the time. He proved that if you have a cricketing mind with some courage, that should suffice.
2) Steve Waugh
One of the unorthodox players who initially did not have any technique comparable to any of the first four batsmen of any team. But with his cricketing mind, he started laying the Kabab Mein Haddi(bone) Role quite early in his career. In spite of the lack of flair like Sachin or Brian, his class was in hitting the ball with top handed grip to get maximum runs almost every ball. By looking at him, many would think he would hardly be able to hit a boundary. But once settled(does not take long), he would try his best not to give away the match if not able to win (like the last innings of his career). He would not let the opponents know that he is there to stay. But then over a period of time, many realised that there is no winning as long he is there.
Coming to his bowling, he was a fast medium pacer who used to keep his keeper up the wickets most of the times. Never allowed the batsman to come down the pitch. he believed in only one mantra. ’Bowl good length and let the batsman make the mistake’. ’Iceman’ as he was called was the favourite for both the highly successful captains Allan Border and Mark Taylor especially in the dead overs with his famous odd ’back of the fingers’ slower ball.
Like any other Australian fielder including David Boon, Steve has many runouts to his credits during crucial moments. And that happens if you are consistent in such small matters.
3)Javed Miandad
Another unorthodox player who many loved to hate. Just recollect his stance. standing 45 degrees to the stumps, like a Bollywood Hero in a movie holding a cricket bat.;-) He used to play just like any street player(later nick named as the Street Fighter). Very gritty and controversial but always having an eye on the field placement. The opposition always paid attention to his histrionics of argumentative behavior but it was late by the time they realised that he used that opputunity to befool them and find his gap.
For example, when the deep fine leg is brought to short fine leg into the 30 yard circle, he was able to flick finely just to the left of the keeper.
He was courageous but yes played shrewdly. But then that also needs thinking. He used to read the bowler as well as the field placement. In the 1986 Sharjah final also, he had made his mind where he can hit the Six even before the ball was delivered.
He would have done great if he applied all his (?) thinking in Bowling and fielding/
4)Jonty Rhodes
Energy in abundance. Not really....
Jonty used to experiment and expect which way and how far the ball could travel if it is hit in the POINTs region. He himself was very good at hitting the square cut.
He was the ultimate player for a team. As long as he is there, he would make at least 20-30 of his own plus another 20-30 runs for the player at the other end. And not to forget the 30-40 odd runs that he saved while fielding.
Take any match that he had played and his contribution could just not be ignored especially in ODIs.
His batting too was very unorthodox to say but then again any Game is a mind game as earlier said.
5)Imran Khan
Hope we have a captain like this guy. His technique in batting was very good. Keeping eyes and head straight to the umpire till the ball is delivered.
What I liked his approach towards leading the team. He commanded respect from all his players which was the biggest fear for the opposition. His plan is going to be executed perfectly. But nobody knows what it was. Bring his best attacking bowlers when two weak or new batsmen are at the crease. You are sure to get a wicket in a span of 3-4 overs. he did it many a times/
These were mine........Hope at least some you like.
Do include your best cricketing minds in the comments.
@Sarvesh.
Suffering from dehydration in the oppresively hot conditions in Chennai, Dean Jones was constantly vomiting on the pitch. He wanted to go off the field ’’retired ill’’ which led his captain Allan Border to say that if he couldn’t handle the conditions, ’’then let’s get a tough Queenslander’’ (Greg Ritchie was the next man) in to bat. This comment spurred Jones to score 210.
