Aug 09, 2005 03:44 AM
5104 Views
(Updated Dec 25, 2005 02:09 PM)
Finally there is a topic worth writing on. This is a very decorated list of 10 people to me whose games I've been following all the time. In one days, the average does matter. But so does the strike rate. The vice versa is also true. Now simply including a pinch-hitter in the list with nil average will be wrong. Same with including stylish, yet lesser strike-rate bats like Dravid and Martyn in this list. So I will be listing top 10 entertainers who have done wonders for the interest of the fans as well as keeping their averages enough to be called ''world-class''.
NUMBER 10---LANCE KLUSENER: Lance was a fabulous player for South Africa in the World Cup of 1999. Now whenever during that time period South Africans chased even around 260-270 on a slower wicket, Kallis and other top and middle order had to bring the last 10 over target in the range of 100. That's all. There on, it was Klusener's job to finish the game off successfully. He won SA many accolades that way and it was very hard to shatter South Africa's spell of gameplay with the aggressive consistency of Lance in their batting order. The spell was finally broken when Lance got disheartened in the same World Cup's semifinal thanks to a last-over mishap with Allan Donald. That cost SAF the World Cup, their first-ever with a big opportunity. That did affect Lance's game but he recently returned with a bang against the Windies, trying to regain his lost form Nonetheless, a great hitter of the ball.
NUMBER 9---MATTHEW HAYDEN: Matt Hayden is Australia's answer to a Sehwag or a Tendulkar. The way the Aussie blasts the bowl is wonderful. Yet his timing always shows that he knows what he's doing. His shots are not always long-range like Gilchrist, yet they are classy and entertaining at the same time. Chasing 300 plus, he along with partner Adam Gilchrist are capable of giving Australia a flying start of 100 plus in the first 10 overs to make the entire game seem like a piece of cake. So all the teams, even the top-notch ones, have to do their homework when playing a one-dayer against this man!
NUMBER 8---INZAMAM UL HAQ: Inzi is more of a classy player. But once he starts hitting, one gets the impression that he's a pro pinch-hitter. Only looking at his track record can one understand that he's recognized as a middle-order batsman. Inzamam too can finish off matches single-handedly with his wisdom of the game that helps him to go steadily while entertaining the fans all the way through. Some of his innings in the subcontinent, and the one in the World Cup of 1992, have given Pakistan tournamental victories with immense ease.
NUMBER 7---MARK WAUGH: This Australian International again was one player known for his class. Towards the end of his career, Mark did become a little inconsistent after getting overshadowed by opening partner Gilchrist as well as the Mr. dependable twin brother Steve Waugh in the middle order. However one cannot just forget his opening partnerships with Michael Slater and Mark Taylor during his days of flamboyance. He started off the trend of hitting the ball stylishly in Australia and was always famous for making quick fire fifties for Australia. His consistently quick innings helped him quickly become Australia's highest scorer in ODI's and despite some struggle towards the end of his career, he is always remembered as a batsman who can deal with a good load of pressure by giving Australia flying starts. Matt Hayden has now taken exactly Waugh's place in the side--he too gets a little overshadowed by Gilchrist's all out strikes but manages to make his presence felt with the quality of his shots. Mark glamorized the leg glance and back-foot drive in one day cricket.
NUMBER 6---SACHIN TENDULKAR: Sachin is a great ODI batsman, no doubt. But now with the arrival of Sehwag, he does get overshadowed in the starts. Injuries too have marred his otherwise flamboyant game to become a highly mediocre struggle all the way through. Yet his incomparable scoring records and well-set strike rates are hard to ignore and he reserves this spot here.
NUMBER 5---SANATH JAYASURIYA: Another subcoontinental entry from Sri Lanka. Sanath is arguably Sri Lanka's most tactically aggressive player. Although Ranatunga and De Silva knew the tactics of aggression too, Sanath has always been a step above them in handling pure aggression in his classy shots. As an ODI player, Sanath has always been Sri Lanka's specialist represenative and it's very hard to replace him in this list.
NUMBER 4---SHAHID AFRIDI: Shahid is no doubt an outstanding striker of the ball. That's why he makes it to number 4. However, he possibly has the highest strike rate in this list, so why not better than number 4. That is because after a fantastic initial phase in his career, Shahid struggled the rest of his youth days in learning the art of mixing class with entertainment in ODI cricket. He knew only one thing, to blast the ball in all circumstances. That costed his team Pakistan a lot of major victories as he just threw his wicket away and was hard to count on. Then, after spending his time in the team merely as a dependable spinner, Shahid returned to form with bat all of a sudden a year ago where he started smashing the likes of Australia, India, and West Indies like no other. He made records in the process, like coming second to his own record of fastest century against India, in India. He has since made a great name for himself all over, but his overall record doesn't help him to the no.1 slot.
NUMBER 3---ADAM GILCHRIST: Adam has got his class to hit. As an Aussie, the yellow shirt motivates him to be as good as many other of his team mates who have made this list, and thus his performance is completely a roller-coaster ride. He whips the bowl all over the place, not only in ODI's but also in tests. When he starts pounding the opposition, there's no stopping him. He hits it all over the ground within instants taking the match away from the opposition at most of the times. He finished England off in the 3-match ODI series recently with all his pounding on the cricket ball. He is another name for entertainment in ODI cricket with his strokes being a treat to follow!
NUMBER 2---VIRENDER SEHWAG: Is it hard to replace a country's icon like Sachin. Is it hard to replace him in the country's national team when he's thoroughly missed. Well, as a youngster making his entry, Sehwag might've got absolutely no idea how to answer such questions. He just had a physique reminiscent of Sachin, and a helmet and MRF bat that reminded of Tendulkar. Soon, he started to relive the moments of the icon himself with all his countless important innings making him a big star in his country within a short time span. Sehwag has now ended the worries for Tendulkar's absence in the side by more than making up for it with his ever-dependable, yet super entertaining innings. He was India's answer to Afridi in the recent Indo-Pak series and made the home fans dance to his shots. His average speaks as much for his runner up spot as his strike rate does.
NUMBER 1---RICKY PONTING: It is really hard to pick a number 1, but when one thinks of someone like Ricky, the dilemma can soon end. Ricky has the power to boost Australia's middle order just like he's a continuation from the spot an opener departs. He comes effortlessly into the groove of either of the departed openers (Gilchrist/Hayden) and at the most challenging spots of a side, one down, he takes no time to settle and starts smacking the bowl here and there like a class act. Pulling Shoaib Akhtar for a six on a bouncer at about 150 plus miles/hour is an art indeed. With all those great records to back him, Ponting still can only present that one instant to make his detractors believe how much he deserves to be the number 1 in any list.
Do comment,
Captain!
