Ignoring for a moment the controversy about the ICC's quite outrageous decision to exclude the minnows from the 2015 World Cup, here is a team of the tournament.
Sachin Tendulkar
An inevitable pick. Tendulkar batted as well as he did in the 1996 World Cup, when he was top scorer. He was 18 runs off being so in 2011, and his centuries against England and South Africa were both magisterial, showing how devastating orthodox batting can still be in ODIs. It’s unlikely he will play in 2015 – but not completely preposterous either.
Tillakaretne Dilshan
Though there was barely a Dilscoop in sight, Dilshan consistently got Sri Lanka off to brilliant starts, scoring two centuries and a disciplined 73 in the semi-final. No one scored more runs than his 500, and there were also eight wickets with his canny offspin, including a spectacular caught-and-bowled in the final.
Jonathan Trott
Certainly not a fashionable selection, but Trott was simply the most consistent batsman in the tournament. In six of his seven innings he managed at least 47, unobtrusively accumulating at the formidable average of 60. To those who deride him for being too slow, it’s worth pointing out that Trott’s strike rate was 80, eight more than those of Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis.
Kumar Sangakkara
Sangakkara averaged 93 with the bat; always a model of calm at the crease, his off-drive is one of the finest sights in cricket today. He also kept well and captained intelligently, utilising his spinners to suffocate England and New Zealand in the quarter and semi-finals, and would have hugely deserved to be a World Cup winner.
AB de Villiers
It was de Villiers’ run out in the quarter-final that had everyone mentioning South Africa’s history of chokes. He batted so serenely all tournament, able to change tempo at will, that all looked well with him at the crease. De Villiers hit two centuries and a 39-ball 52 in the win against India, combining finesse with six-hitting ability, as well as fielding with his trademark vivacity and athleticism.
Yuvraj Singh
It’s remarkable to think he was dropped less than a year ago, seen as unfit and unfocused. Yuvraj was deservedly named man of the tournament. With the bat, he was explosive yet possessed a calm it has often lacked, as a tournament average of 90 proved. As India’s fifth bowler, he was terrific, bowling his left-arm spin with control to claim 15 wickets.
MS Dhoni (wicket-keeper, captain)
Dhoni’s nerveless 91* was one of the greatest innings ever seen in a World Cup final. While he played big shots, these were done with selectivity and an absence of risk. Winning the man of the match award in the final was reward for leading India superbly throughout, shuffling his bowling intelligently and being more willing than most skippers to keep slips in during the middle overs.s
Shahid Afridi
No one knows quite was happened to the batting but as a pure spin-bowler Afridi was the tournament’s best. His top spinners were consistently hard to dominate, while he surprised batsman with quicker balls and occasional googlies. In total he claimed 21 wickets at fewer than 13 apiece. He also proved a good leader of Pakistan, with players seeming to genuinely enjoy playing under him.
Tim Southee
Few expected New Zealand to make the semi-finals; that they did was in large part down to Southee, who provided the wicket-taking threat his side have lacked since Shane Bond’s retirement. With good pace, late swing and a useful bouncer, Southee claimed 18 wickets. The 2015 tournament will be in New Zealand; Southee will be 26 then and should cause great damage.
Zaheer Khan
India were nothing like as formidable with the ball as with the bat, making Zaheer’s performance critical. He rose to the challenge magnificently, bowling with subtle variations – including a bare-knuckle slower ball that dismissed Mike Hussey – and great skill from both over and round the wicket. Zaheer relished bowling during powerplays, and his match-turning yorker to Andrew Strauss was a contender for ball of the tournament.
Dale Steyn
Steyn’s spell to transform the game against India – five wickets for four runs in 2.4 overs – was the product of one of the game’s most lethal Yorkers, which were lethal throughout the tournament. He is also a thinking bowler – more so than he sometimes gets credit for – and used slower balls and bouncers with selectivity to thrive on the subcontinental tracks. Steyn’s twelve wickets cost just 16 apiece, with a parsimonious economy rate (4.15) too.
Twelfth man: Ray Price
A surprising pick, but Price was outstanding for Zimbabwe, going for just 3.44 runs an over during the six games, as well as claiming nine wickets. His guile means he is well-suited to bowling his left-arm spin during the powerplays, as was illustrated with 2/21 against Pakistan. Price’s facial expressions after deliveries also never failed to provide humour.
See how it compares with our XI of the last World Cup.
Showing posts with label Shahid Afridi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shahid Afridi. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Monday, 4 April 2011
Tournament review: Pakistan
Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how Pakistan did.
An honourable semi-final defeat was better than many had expected of Pakistan – and if they hadn’t given Sachin Tendulkar so many lives, they could well have made the final. Key to their success was their varied bowling attack, with Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul superb until the semi-final. But their batting always looked prone to collapse.
Star man
Shahid Afridi finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, the subtle variations and accuracy of his leg breaks claiming 21 scalps in just eight games. But don’t mention the batting.
Disappointment
It was hoped that 19-year old Ahmed Shezhad would bring much-needed solidity to the top order. Instead he managed 44 runs in five innings.
Prospects
Invariably hard to assess. If they can shore up their top order they will become even more dangerous but, with Younis Khan and Misbah ul-Haq nearing the end, it could get even worse.
An honourable semi-final defeat was better than many had expected of Pakistan – and if they hadn’t given Sachin Tendulkar so many lives, they could well have made the final. Key to their success was their varied bowling attack, with Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul superb until the semi-final. But their batting always looked prone to collapse.
Star man
Shahid Afridi finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, the subtle variations and accuracy of his leg breaks claiming 21 scalps in just eight games. But don’t mention the batting.
Disappointment
It was hoped that 19-year old Ahmed Shezhad would bring much-needed solidity to the top order. Instead he managed 44 runs in five innings.
Prospects
Invariably hard to assess. If they can shore up their top order they will become even more dangerous but, with Younis Khan and Misbah ul-Haq nearing the end, it could get even worse.
Wednesday, 21 March 2007
Previews: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka and Pakistan vs Zimbabwe
These matches could either both be very close, or very one sided. It depends on whether the real Pakistan turn up and what the Bangladeshi mindset is. If Pakistan play to their potential, then Zimbabwe will be no match for them. Pakistan should at least show more application and determination than in their last two matches, given the circumstances. Not only does this game represent a tribute to Bob Woolmer, but also to the captaincy of Inzamam-ul-Haq, who stands down after this match. The pressure is off now that they are already out and we will hopefully see a freeflowing Pakistan. Shahid Afridi is back and stand-in coach Mushtaq Ahmed will undoubtedly be seeking a big innings from the talismanic big hitter.
Sri Lanka know that they face a good game against Bangladesh tomorrow and they should be prepared for it. Bangladesh meanwhile must be careful that they do not get carried away and start playing too many shots. If they play as they did against India then they will run Sri Lanka close. Young wicket keeper Mushfiqur Rahim looks a splendid addition to the side and he is a situation player, who has a remarkably cool head for such a tender age. Meanwhile, the bowling looks reasonably strong with Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Rafique and Abdur Razzaq and Sri Lanka will need to play the middle overs well. In Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atappatu though, they have one of the best, if not the best, middle orders in international cricket.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka:
Prediction: Sri Lanka to show their title credentials.
Players to watch: Mahela Jayawardene and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Pakistan vs Zimbabwe:
Prediction: Pakistan to sign off with a victory, for Bob and for Inzy.
Players to watch: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Sean Williams.
Sri Lanka know that they face a good game against Bangladesh tomorrow and they should be prepared for it. Bangladesh meanwhile must be careful that they do not get carried away and start playing too many shots. If they play as they did against India then they will run Sri Lanka close. Young wicket keeper Mushfiqur Rahim looks a splendid addition to the side and he is a situation player, who has a remarkably cool head for such a tender age. Meanwhile, the bowling looks reasonably strong with Mashrafe Mortaza, Syed Rasel, Rafique and Abdur Razzaq and Sri Lanka will need to play the middle overs well. In Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atappatu though, they have one of the best, if not the best, middle orders in international cricket.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka:
Prediction: Sri Lanka to show their title credentials.
Players to watch: Mahela Jayawardene and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Pakistan vs Zimbabwe:
Prediction: Pakistan to sign off with a victory, for Bob and for Inzy.
Players to watch: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Sean Williams.
Thursday, 1 March 2007
World Cup 2007 Who are the Possibles
Just 12 days to go now and following my look at the minnows for the forthcoming tournament, in this article, I will focus on three teams who I believe will come up short in the Super 8 stage.
Pakistan
Pakistan played in England last summer, losing comprehensively the test series, even before the debacle at The Oval and drawing the One Day series. To put this performance into context, the Sri Lankans had earlier in the summer put England to the sword in the most one sided series of matches that you are ever likely to see. Now England have improved beyond all recognition since those matches, whereas Pakistan seem to be going backwards and were recently walloped in South Africa.
The Pakistani task has now been made even harder by the loss to injury of probably their three most critical bowlers, Razzaq, Akhtar and Asif. (Whether Akhtar and Asif should be available anyway due to their failed drugs test is now a moot point). This makes the form of Rana Naved critical to any chance of success, while hoping that the back up seamers, Umar Gul and Mohammed Sami, can fill in the gaps. The spin option of Kaneria is interesting as he hasn’t played a ODI for over a year.
On the plus side, Pakistan has the best middle order in world cricket in Younus Khan, Mohammed Yousuf and Inzimam, and destructive lower middle order batsmen in Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal. The presence of Afridi means that any target is attainable. However, relying on Afridi to fire is not going to get the Pakistani team into the semi-finals. They will win matches, but are not consistent enough to progress.
India
Similar to their great rivals Pakistan in that all of their strength is in their batting. Even with Virender Sehwag in terrible form, any line up that includes Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dhoni is going to score plenty of runs. However, their seam attack looks weak and their best line of attack may be to play both Kumble and Harbhajan, making use of the slow pitches in the Caribbean, with Tendulkar and Ganguly also seeing some work as bowlers as well as batsmen.
India toured the West Indies in 2006, losing the ODI series 4-1 (although they did gain revenge in the test series), but gained revenge at home more recently, where they also defeated a weakened Sri Lankan team.
Like Pakistan, there are too many weaknesses and too many other good teams for India to progress to the semi-final stages, and with Bangladesh in their group (with Sri Lanka and Bermuda), it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they may not even make the Super 8 stage.
West Indies
The host country has never won the World Cup, and despite the fabulous support that the team will receive, it’s not going to happen this time either. Having said that, in Chris Gayle, the hosts have an imposing all rounder, capable of scoring large and quickly at the top of the innings. His off-spin is also much more dangerous than it looks and is remarkably economical.
Captained by Brian Charles Lara (as the Sky promo keeps telling us), there is little for the other countries to fear with the rest of the squad. Sarwan and Chanderpaul have never looked the same players at ODI as they are in test matches, and with the exception of Jerome Taylor, the bowling has little variety, with the pace men that the Weat Indies has been traditionally associated becoming a thing of the past. However, they have two wild cards in Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons and the throwing in of such inexperienced youngsters must be seen as desperation.
Lara thinks that the West Indies should get to the semis and take it from there. While I admire his confidence as much as I admire his batting, it is misplaced.
Pakistan
Pakistan played in England last summer, losing comprehensively the test series, even before the debacle at The Oval and drawing the One Day series. To put this performance into context, the Sri Lankans had earlier in the summer put England to the sword in the most one sided series of matches that you are ever likely to see. Now England have improved beyond all recognition since those matches, whereas Pakistan seem to be going backwards and were recently walloped in South Africa.
The Pakistani task has now been made even harder by the loss to injury of probably their three most critical bowlers, Razzaq, Akhtar and Asif. (Whether Akhtar and Asif should be available anyway due to their failed drugs test is now a moot point). This makes the form of Rana Naved critical to any chance of success, while hoping that the back up seamers, Umar Gul and Mohammed Sami, can fill in the gaps. The spin option of Kaneria is interesting as he hasn’t played a ODI for over a year.
On the plus side, Pakistan has the best middle order in world cricket in Younus Khan, Mohammed Yousuf and Inzimam, and destructive lower middle order batsmen in Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal. The presence of Afridi means that any target is attainable. However, relying on Afridi to fire is not going to get the Pakistani team into the semi-finals. They will win matches, but are not consistent enough to progress.
India
Similar to their great rivals Pakistan in that all of their strength is in their batting. Even with Virender Sehwag in terrible form, any line up that includes Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dhoni is going to score plenty of runs. However, their seam attack looks weak and their best line of attack may be to play both Kumble and Harbhajan, making use of the slow pitches in the Caribbean, with Tendulkar and Ganguly also seeing some work as bowlers as well as batsmen.
India toured the West Indies in 2006, losing the ODI series 4-1 (although they did gain revenge in the test series), but gained revenge at home more recently, where they also defeated a weakened Sri Lankan team.
Like Pakistan, there are too many weaknesses and too many other good teams for India to progress to the semi-final stages, and with Bangladesh in their group (with Sri Lanka and Bermuda), it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they may not even make the Super 8 stage.
West Indies
The host country has never won the World Cup, and despite the fabulous support that the team will receive, it’s not going to happen this time either. Having said that, in Chris Gayle, the hosts have an imposing all rounder, capable of scoring large and quickly at the top of the innings. His off-spin is also much more dangerous than it looks and is remarkably economical.
Captained by Brian Charles Lara (as the Sky promo keeps telling us), there is little for the other countries to fear with the rest of the squad. Sarwan and Chanderpaul have never looked the same players at ODI as they are in test matches, and with the exception of Jerome Taylor, the bowling has little variety, with the pace men that the Weat Indies has been traditionally associated becoming a thing of the past. However, they have two wild cards in Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons and the throwing in of such inexperienced youngsters must be seen as desperation.
Lara thinks that the West Indies should get to the semis and take it from there. While I admire his confidence as much as I admire his batting, it is misplaced.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)