As in the Tests, Australia were in the ascendancy when it comes to the 50-over format and their home series victory over South Africa meant they stay on top of the ODI rankings as 2014 faded into history. England were beaten both by Sri Lanka and India while the former notched up far more games than anyone else, helped by a last-minute substitution for the West Indies this autumn. Poor Pakistan did their World Cup preparations no good by losing all three series during the past twelve months but don't write them off just yet!
As for my team of the year, I'll start by mentioning Rohit Sharma. He shattered the ODI record by slamming 264 in 173 balls at Kolkata but the rest of his year was mediocre. Then there was Phil Hughes' unbeaten 202. Not in a full international but for Australia A against SL A in July. One of many great innings in a career tragically cut short by that freak injury.
Dilshan and Dhawan were again fairly prolific in ODIs in 2014. The Sri Lankan's contribution with the ball makes him an easy pick for my XI while the Indian scored 815 runs in 18 matches at nearly 48.
It takes some good performers to knock Hashim Amla out of my line-up but it happened this year. Kumar Sangakkara topped the run table in ODIs as well as Tests, compiling 1,256 including four centuries. With 39 dismissals behind the stumps he was also the leading wicketkeeper. Virat Kohli's rise to the top of the tree is now complete. His strokeplay and captaincy have kept India fiercely competitive all year.
Kane Williamson, Aaron Finch, Joe Root and Steve Smith all had claims, too, but my next batsmen are South Africans. AB de Villiers is a phenomenon and averaged more than 70, helped by some handy not-outs. De Kock's promotion to number one Saffer 'keeper will have relieved the pressure on the man who is probably the finest all-round batsman in the world. His team-mate Faf du Plessis has finally fulfilled that promise as a consistent big-hitter, thumping 790 rubs in 15 internationals.
Angelo Mathews was another Sri Lankan who seemed invincible in 2014, second to Sangakkara in terms of runs in birth Tests and ODIs. His medium-pacers were less expensive than they used to be, too. Number seven is a bit low in the order but a useful man to come in during a crisis.
I was surprised to see that Chris Jordan was equal third in the list of leading wicket-takers but recalling that no-ball-athon in Cardiff, I cannot consider him for my team of the year! Instead my pace attack is led by Mohammed Shami and Lasith Malinga. The Indian seamer isn't cheap but his strike rate is up there with the best of them. Malinga is best known as a T20 finisher but the year was one of his best in ODIs thanks to 29 wickets at 26 apiece.
Two more Sri Lankans complete my list. While Shakib's average and economy rate were superior, his opposition was probably weaker to those of Sachithra Senanayake and Ajantha Mendis. The former has had his problems with the old bowling arm angle but he was brilliant in the first half of the year. Fellow spinner Mendis took more List A wickets than anyone else (47) and was joint leader in ODIs with 38.
To sum up, here's the electric Eleven. Not sure why Sri Lanka didn't do better, really!
Dilshan (SL), Dhawan (Ind), Sangakkara (SL, +), Kohli (Ind), De Villiers (SA), du Plessis (SA), Mathews (SA), Shami (Ind), Malinga (SL), Mendis (SL), Senenayake (SL).
Showing posts with label Lasith Malinga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lasith Malinga. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Saturday, 5 January 2013
One-Day Cricketers of 2012
Rangana Herath's prolific wicket-taking apart, Sri Lanka's apparent disdain for Test cricket was evident in the lack of their batsmen in the run-scoring league. However, they seemed to be playing ODIs non-stop, which explains why SL men dominate the end-of-year tables for the 50-over format.
Kumar Sangakkara may have topped the 10,000 Test run barrier recently but 2012 also saw him reach the same landmark for ODIs, and nobody scored more runs last year in this form of cricket, international or otherwise (1184 at 43.85). Team-mate Tillekeratne Dilshan was just behind him. Aussies played only half the number of one-dayers in the gold and green, but David Hussey, David Warner and George Bailey scored freely for club and country.
Virat Kohli smashed no fewer than five ODI hundreds in 2012, aggregating more than 1000 runs at an impressive average of 73 and close on a run a ball. He was third, too, on the T20I run leaderboard, making 444 runs at the equivalnet of eight an over. However, he wasn't such a successful globetrotting T20 franchise star in the mould of Chris Gayle, who compiled more than 1,500 runs around the world, comfortably ahead of the nearest challenger, Azhar Mahmood, the Pakistani all-rounder. The shift from 50 to 20 overs in the cricketing calendar was best illustrated by the T20 diary of Kieron Pollard. He notched up fifty matches, incorporating 1,041 runs at a strike rate of 163 plus a fair few wickets.
New Zealand pair Martin Guptill and Brendan McCullum looked feeble in this week's Test defeat but nobody scored more T20 international runs in 2012, each notching more than 450 at SRs of 130+. Shane Watson was the outstanding T20 all-rounder, claiming 406 runs and 17 wickets at a commendable economy rate for a fast-medium pacer.
South Africa played relatively few international one-day matches yet Hashim Amla and AB De Villiers still dominated the year's stats as well as opposition bowlers. Amla appeared in only 10 ODIs but scored 678 runs, while the redoubtable AB thrashed 645 whilst achieving the amazing double of 100+ average and strike rate. Chandimal may have scored more runs but I'd have AB as my one-day wicket-keeper any day of the week!
Don't forget that two of the finest Test batsmen of 2012 were also successful ODI performers. Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke combined captaincy with 699+ runs with healthy strike rates of around 80.
Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Pollard and Luke Wright are always useful members of a T20 side, but perhaps the most impressive ODI all-rounder was Thisara Perera. His 32 ODI wickets were augmented by 246 lower-order runs.
My decision not to consider T20 and List A cricket separately is supported by the fact that most bowlers who excelled at one format also did so at the other. Lasith Malinga took more wickets globally in both than anyone else. Curiously, while his his 10-over stints tend to be quite expensive, Malinga's T20 brilliance enshrines wicket-taking ability and economy, along with that enthusiasm which makes him such a valuable player, even with only four overs at his disposal. West Indian spinner Sunil Narine is another who starred in all one-day cricket. His economy rates of 3.63 (List A) and just 5.64 (T20) are phenomenal. Possibly the cricketer of 2011, Saeed Ajmal must also be a contender for the same unofficial accolade in 2012. He was amongst the top ten international wicket-takers in ALL three formats.
Englishmen worth noting include young spinner Danny Briggs and paceman Steve Finn who each harnessed strike and economy rates for county and country. Australia has plenty of bowlers but most seem to be on the treatmemt table. It was therefore amusing to see 40-something Brad Hogg play more than 50 T20 matches, in which he took 47 wickets, conceding barely a run a ball. Young fast bowler Mitch Starc looked a T20 man for the future, taking more than two wickets a game across the year, finishing with only four fewer wickets than Malinga in twelve fewer games. Clint McKay was particularly effective in the List A format.
So, for my combined List A/T20 team of the year, I'll go for:-
Gayle, Watson, Amla, Kohli, Sangakkara, De Villiers (+), Perera, Malinga, Finn, Narine, Saeed Ajmal (with Starc standing by in case Finn breaks down again!)
Kumar Sangakkara may have topped the 10,000 Test run barrier recently but 2012 also saw him reach the same landmark for ODIs, and nobody scored more runs last year in this form of cricket, international or otherwise (1184 at 43.85). Team-mate Tillekeratne Dilshan was just behind him. Aussies played only half the number of one-dayers in the gold and green, but David Hussey, David Warner and George Bailey scored freely for club and country.
Virat Kohli smashed no fewer than five ODI hundreds in 2012, aggregating more than 1000 runs at an impressive average of 73 and close on a run a ball. He was third, too, on the T20I run leaderboard, making 444 runs at the equivalnet of eight an over. However, he wasn't such a successful globetrotting T20 franchise star in the mould of Chris Gayle, who compiled more than 1,500 runs around the world, comfortably ahead of the nearest challenger, Azhar Mahmood, the Pakistani all-rounder. The shift from 50 to 20 overs in the cricketing calendar was best illustrated by the T20 diary of Kieron Pollard. He notched up fifty matches, incorporating 1,041 runs at a strike rate of 163 plus a fair few wickets.
New Zealand pair Martin Guptill and Brendan McCullum looked feeble in this week's Test defeat but nobody scored more T20 international runs in 2012, each notching more than 450 at SRs of 130+. Shane Watson was the outstanding T20 all-rounder, claiming 406 runs and 17 wickets at a commendable economy rate for a fast-medium pacer.
South Africa played relatively few international one-day matches yet Hashim Amla and AB De Villiers still dominated the year's stats as well as opposition bowlers. Amla appeared in only 10 ODIs but scored 678 runs, while the redoubtable AB thrashed 645 whilst achieving the amazing double of 100+ average and strike rate. Chandimal may have scored more runs but I'd have AB as my one-day wicket-keeper any day of the week!
Don't forget that two of the finest Test batsmen of 2012 were also successful ODI performers. Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke combined captaincy with 699+ runs with healthy strike rates of around 80.
Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Pollard and Luke Wright are always useful members of a T20 side, but perhaps the most impressive ODI all-rounder was Thisara Perera. His 32 ODI wickets were augmented by 246 lower-order runs.
My decision not to consider T20 and List A cricket separately is supported by the fact that most bowlers who excelled at one format also did so at the other. Lasith Malinga took more wickets globally in both than anyone else. Curiously, while his his 10-over stints tend to be quite expensive, Malinga's T20 brilliance enshrines wicket-taking ability and economy, along with that enthusiasm which makes him such a valuable player, even with only four overs at his disposal. West Indian spinner Sunil Narine is another who starred in all one-day cricket. His economy rates of 3.63 (List A) and just 5.64 (T20) are phenomenal. Possibly the cricketer of 2011, Saeed Ajmal must also be a contender for the same unofficial accolade in 2012. He was amongst the top ten international wicket-takers in ALL three formats.
Englishmen worth noting include young spinner Danny Briggs and paceman Steve Finn who each harnessed strike and economy rates for county and country. Australia has plenty of bowlers but most seem to be on the treatmemt table. It was therefore amusing to see 40-something Brad Hogg play more than 50 T20 matches, in which he took 47 wickets, conceding barely a run a ball. Young fast bowler Mitch Starc looked a T20 man for the future, taking more than two wickets a game across the year, finishing with only four fewer wickets than Malinga in twelve fewer games. Clint McKay was particularly effective in the List A format.
So, for my combined List A/T20 team of the year, I'll go for:-
Gayle, Watson, Amla, Kohli, Sangakkara, De Villiers (+), Perera, Malinga, Finn, Narine, Saeed Ajmal (with Starc standing by in case Finn breaks down again!)
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Record Low for Sri Lanka
Only a few weeks on from that morale-boosting Test win in Durban, things have taken a decisive downward turn for Sri Lanka. After Kallis and co gave them a drubbing in the third Test, South Africa's one-day side inflicted their worst defeat in a One-Day International, dismissing them for a paltry 43 in barely 20 overs. This was their worst ever total and the third largest winning margin of the 3,225 ODIs played so far. No wonder skipper Dilshan described it as the worst in his career. After playing so well to reach the World Cup Final less than a year ago, his form has slumped along with most of his team mates. Only Lasith Malinga, with five wickets to his name, can emerge with any credit from this annihilation.
The pitch was apparently not noticeably worse for Sri Lanka than it was when Hashim Amla was stroking a century, and both Kallis and AB de Villiers striking impressive fifties, so what was the excuse? The batsmen were simply undone by smart, accurate pace bowling, especially by Morkel and the returning Tsotsobe.
While the deficit of 258 has been beaten twice before, one of those was when New Zealand crushed lowly Ireland in Aberdeen three summers ago. James Marshall and Brendan McCullum piled on 274 for the first wicket on that occasion en route for 402-2. A weak opposition, without most of their 2011 World Cup stars, were dismissed for 112. The other superior margin of victory was the result of South Africa (again) getting the better of Zimbabwe in October 2010. Then it was Duminy and De Villiers who each reached three figures.
The three lower scores ever recorded in ODIs were each made, ironically, against Sri Lanka: Zimbabwe twice and Canada. At Harare in April 2004, Marvin Atapattu put the home team in and bowled them out for a pathetic 35 in 18 overs. Chaminda Vaas took 4-11 while Mahela Jayawardene had time to score only three not out in the heat of the exciting (not!) run chase. Dilshan and Sangakkara also played in that game so have now experienced both sides of the coin. Sanga and Mahela were also in the team which bowled the Canadians for 36 in the 2003 World Cup and the Zimbabweans for 38 in Colombo ten years ago. In all three matches, the venerable Vaas bowled brilliantly, taking 8-19 in the latter contest, a word I use rather loosely in this context!
Now Sri Lanka surely cannot sink any lower. They bounced back after losing the 1st Test and now they must do the same in East London on Saturday. Malinga apart, the attack looks toothless but the experienced batting line-up need to summon up the spirit of last year's World Cup to stand a chance against South Africa who look such an excellent well-balanced side.
The pitch was apparently not noticeably worse for Sri Lanka than it was when Hashim Amla was stroking a century, and both Kallis and AB de Villiers striking impressive fifties, so what was the excuse? The batsmen were simply undone by smart, accurate pace bowling, especially by Morkel and the returning Tsotsobe.
While the deficit of 258 has been beaten twice before, one of those was when New Zealand crushed lowly Ireland in Aberdeen three summers ago. James Marshall and Brendan McCullum piled on 274 for the first wicket on that occasion en route for 402-2. A weak opposition, without most of their 2011 World Cup stars, were dismissed for 112. The other superior margin of victory was the result of South Africa (again) getting the better of Zimbabwe in October 2010. Then it was Duminy and De Villiers who each reached three figures.
The three lower scores ever recorded in ODIs were each made, ironically, against Sri Lanka: Zimbabwe twice and Canada. At Harare in April 2004, Marvin Atapattu put the home team in and bowled them out for a pathetic 35 in 18 overs. Chaminda Vaas took 4-11 while Mahela Jayawardene had time to score only three not out in the heat of the exciting (not!) run chase. Dilshan and Sangakkara also played in that game so have now experienced both sides of the coin. Sanga and Mahela were also in the team which bowled the Canadians for 36 in the 2003 World Cup and the Zimbabweans for 38 in Colombo ten years ago. In all three matches, the venerable Vaas bowled brilliantly, taking 8-19 in the latter contest, a word I use rather loosely in this context!
Now Sri Lanka surely cannot sink any lower. They bounced back after losing the 1st Test and now they must do the same in East London on Saturday. Malinga apart, the attack looks toothless but the experienced batting line-up need to summon up the spirit of last year's World Cup to stand a chance against South Africa who look such an excellent well-balanced side.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Team of the Year: T20
Part 3 of my 2011 retrospectives takes me to Twenty20. Not my favourite format but undeniably entertaining and still expanding across the world like a virus. Hopefully a benign one but I still fear it wil ultimately smother the long-standing formats which have served cricket so well for more than a century. The T20 game has served to demonstrate how the very best players can succeed in any type of cricket (Tendulkar, Kallis, Sangakkara, both Husseys) while also giving others a new route to world-class status. The growth of T20 from the original English competition to IPL, Champions League, Big Bash and others has led to some stars performing in more T20s than List As and first-class matches combined. In 2011 alone, Ryan Ten Doeschate appeared in 40 fixtures across four continents. However, he didn't make my team the year. Here are those who did.
The opening batsmen pick themselves. Chris Gayle scored 1497 runs in only 31 games, including four centuries, at an incredible strike rate just shy of 175. He's also had three ducks but fail to snare him in the first over and he'll kill you! He even averages almost four sixes per innings and can also bowl some economic spells, too. Almost the perfect short-form cricketer, and he knows it! David Warner has finally broken into the Aussie Test team after some fine Sheffield Shield performances but he remains the only man other than Gayle to pass 1000 T20 runs in the calendar year.
Virat Kohli was the biggest scoring ODI batsman of the year and he makes my team as number three in the T20 game. While representing only Indian national or IPL franchise sides, he still aggregated 941 runs in 28 games. Like most non-openers, he didn't reach three figures but is a clever innings-builder and a brilliant fielder, too, worth many runs for his side even when not at the crease. Brendan McCullum should be high in the order while playing as wicketkeeper, too. More than 700 runs in only 21 matches during 2011 maintains his reputation as one of the world's top exponents of T20 cricket at national and domestic levels. At 28, Shaun Marsh should be more than just a rising star of Aussie cricket but, like Warner, deserves a longer run at the top level. In the T20 game in the past year, he produced 860 runs at a strike rate just shy of 150, missing out on a Big Bash century just the other week.
The Hussey brothers are both excellent one-day players. While David has scored more runs in 2011, I'd plump for his older sibling Mike Hussey for my team, alongside Victorian all-rounder Andrew McDonald, who for Leicestershire was one of the stars of England's domestic competition.
For my frontline attack I'll include two fast bowlers, Lasith Malinga and Alfonso Thomas. The Sri Lankan has an uncanny knack of delivering unplayable yorkers which either produce dot balls or, even better, wickets. He has taken more wickets (41) at one of the lowest averages (13) and strike rates (5.9) than anyone else in the game during 2011. An automatic choice. 'The Fons' has been a great performer for Somerset and a brilliant 'death bowler' which has propelled the county into one of the finest teams on the planet. He was one of Pune Warriors' best imports, too.
In addition to Gayle and Hussey, Saeed Ajmal and Ravi Ashwin complete my spin contingent. Ajmal thus becomes the only man in all three of my 2011 Elevens. He must now be a target for the 2012 IPL franchises, conceding fewer than 6 an over and boasting an average of just 12 runs per wicket. Ashwin was one of the stars of IPL 2011, often opening the bowling to great effect and he nudges out Shakib al Hasan, Mishra and Briggs.
So my team contains no Pollard (much over-hyped in my view), Shahid Afridi or Shane Watson, but Dilshan, Nannes, Pathan and Naved ul Hasan came close to selection. Here is a reminder:-
Gayle (WI), Warner (Aust), Kohli (Ind), McCullum (NZ, +), Marsh (Aust), M Hussey (Aust *), McDonald (Aust), Thomas (SA), Ashwin (Ind), Malinga (SL), Saeed Ajmal (Pak).
The opening batsmen pick themselves. Chris Gayle scored 1497 runs in only 31 games, including four centuries, at an incredible strike rate just shy of 175. He's also had three ducks but fail to snare him in the first over and he'll kill you! He even averages almost four sixes per innings and can also bowl some economic spells, too. Almost the perfect short-form cricketer, and he knows it! David Warner has finally broken into the Aussie Test team after some fine Sheffield Shield performances but he remains the only man other than Gayle to pass 1000 T20 runs in the calendar year.
Virat Kohli was the biggest scoring ODI batsman of the year and he makes my team as number three in the T20 game. While representing only Indian national or IPL franchise sides, he still aggregated 941 runs in 28 games. Like most non-openers, he didn't reach three figures but is a clever innings-builder and a brilliant fielder, too, worth many runs for his side even when not at the crease. Brendan McCullum should be high in the order while playing as wicketkeeper, too. More than 700 runs in only 21 matches during 2011 maintains his reputation as one of the world's top exponents of T20 cricket at national and domestic levels. At 28, Shaun Marsh should be more than just a rising star of Aussie cricket but, like Warner, deserves a longer run at the top level. In the T20 game in the past year, he produced 860 runs at a strike rate just shy of 150, missing out on a Big Bash century just the other week.
The Hussey brothers are both excellent one-day players. While David has scored more runs in 2011, I'd plump for his older sibling Mike Hussey for my team, alongside Victorian all-rounder Andrew McDonald, who for Leicestershire was one of the stars of England's domestic competition.
For my frontline attack I'll include two fast bowlers, Lasith Malinga and Alfonso Thomas. The Sri Lankan has an uncanny knack of delivering unplayable yorkers which either produce dot balls or, even better, wickets. He has taken more wickets (41) at one of the lowest averages (13) and strike rates (5.9) than anyone else in the game during 2011. An automatic choice. 'The Fons' has been a great performer for Somerset and a brilliant 'death bowler' which has propelled the county into one of the finest teams on the planet. He was one of Pune Warriors' best imports, too.
In addition to Gayle and Hussey, Saeed Ajmal and Ravi Ashwin complete my spin contingent. Ajmal thus becomes the only man in all three of my 2011 Elevens. He must now be a target for the 2012 IPL franchises, conceding fewer than 6 an over and boasting an average of just 12 runs per wicket. Ashwin was one of the stars of IPL 2011, often opening the bowling to great effect and he nudges out Shakib al Hasan, Mishra and Briggs.
So my team contains no Pollard (much over-hyped in my view), Shahid Afridi or Shane Watson, but Dilshan, Nannes, Pathan and Naved ul Hasan came close to selection. Here is a reminder:-
Gayle (WI), Warner (Aust), Kohli (Ind), McCullum (NZ, +), Marsh (Aust), M Hussey (Aust *), McDonald (Aust), Thomas (SA), Ashwin (Ind), Malinga (SL), Saeed Ajmal (Pak).
Friday, 30 December 2011
Team of the Year: One-day Cricket
As I mentioned in my last blog, there is no such thing as 'The Team' representing a particular nation, nor even a county these days. It's all horses for courses. After compiling my international XI for 2011, I noted that only two had also made my Test team of the year, one with the bat and one with the ball. Can you guess who?
The opening pair are the swashbuckling Shane Watson and the more patient Mohammad Hafeez. The Aussie was devastating in the World Cup and has struck 42 sixes during 2011 at a strike rate of more than a run a ball. That's pretty good in T20 but superb in the 50-over format! The Pakistani was the fifth highest run scorer and sixth highest wicket taker, too. Watson can also bowl some decent medium pacers, too, but doesn't take many wickets these days. However, he makes my team as a batsman alone, eclipsing even the legendary Virender Sehwag (hit by injury for half the year), Sri Lanka's World Cup heroes Dilshan and Tharanga and emerging Caribbean talent Lendl Simmons.
Kumar Sangakkara also compiled more than 1100 runs at an average above 50, a rarity. He thus repeats his status as number three in both my Teams of the Year. Perhaps surprisingly his strike rate is inferior to that of my number four, Jonathan Trott. Unfairly criticised for apparent slow scoring, the SA-born England star made over 1300 runs in ODIs, and nobody passed 50 more often. He is just the man you need to keep the scoreboard ticking over while the flashier men gamble for the boundaries. Only one man outscored Trott in 2011 and he was Virat Kohli. Great to see one of the Indian youngsters making a greater impact than his more illustrious and experienced countrymen.
Since taking over as Aussie captain, Michael Clarke has enjoyed a personal renaissance this year. His team are recovering from last winter's Ashes battering, particularly in the one-day game, and Clarke has been leading from the front, scoring 900 runs in 24 matches at over 50 apiece at an admirable strike rate of 80. He thus completes my specialist batting line-up.
My captain and wicketkeeper is MS Dhoni. Not only did he play such an important role in winning the World Cup but he has since shown why he is probably the finest 'finisher' in the one-day game. He scores at more than five runs an over and, because he is often still there at the end of the innings, whether batting first or chasing a target, averages almost 60!
While Watson and Hafeez provide the back-up, my front-line bowlers come from three different nations. A few years ago, Shahid Afridi would have been a genuine all-rounder and one of the most dangerous one-day batsmen in the world. These days, runs are harder to come by and it is his leg-breaks which are bamboozling batsmen. He has taken 45 wickets in 2011, second highest in the world, and at a meagre average of just over 20. Saeed Ajmal's 34 victims at 17 apiece earn him a spot in both teams of the year, keeping out Swann, Patel, Ashwin and Shakib.
My pace bowlers both have an unorthodox slinging action. Mitch Johnson took 39 wickets in 22 matches and has proved a useful late-order flayer of bowling at the death. he gets the nod just ahead of fellow Aussie Brett Lee. Lasith Malinga, of course, is just the bowler you want to cramp batsman at the start and end of an innings. He is clearly the number one T20 fast bowler, with his deadly fast swinging yorkers. However, he has proved to be almost as devastating over ten overs, often delivered in three spells, and has taken more wickets (48) in ODIs than anyone else in the past year. With his crazy delivery action and even crazier hair, the Sri Lankan is one of the most exciting men in world cricket and wraps up my One-Day XI of 2011.
Watson (Aus), Mohammad Hafeez (Pak), Sangakkara (SL), Trott (Eng), Kohli (Ind), Clarke (Aus), Dhoni (Ind, *+), Afridi (Pak), Johnson (Aus), Saeed Ajmal (Pak), Malinga (SL).
My next blog will examine the other players, including those not on the international stage, who have excelled in 2011.
The opening pair are the swashbuckling Shane Watson and the more patient Mohammad Hafeez. The Aussie was devastating in the World Cup and has struck 42 sixes during 2011 at a strike rate of more than a run a ball. That's pretty good in T20 but superb in the 50-over format! The Pakistani was the fifth highest run scorer and sixth highest wicket taker, too. Watson can also bowl some decent medium pacers, too, but doesn't take many wickets these days. However, he makes my team as a batsman alone, eclipsing even the legendary Virender Sehwag (hit by injury for half the year), Sri Lanka's World Cup heroes Dilshan and Tharanga and emerging Caribbean talent Lendl Simmons.
Kumar Sangakkara also compiled more than 1100 runs at an average above 50, a rarity. He thus repeats his status as number three in both my Teams of the Year. Perhaps surprisingly his strike rate is inferior to that of my number four, Jonathan Trott. Unfairly criticised for apparent slow scoring, the SA-born England star made over 1300 runs in ODIs, and nobody passed 50 more often. He is just the man you need to keep the scoreboard ticking over while the flashier men gamble for the boundaries. Only one man outscored Trott in 2011 and he was Virat Kohli. Great to see one of the Indian youngsters making a greater impact than his more illustrious and experienced countrymen.
Since taking over as Aussie captain, Michael Clarke has enjoyed a personal renaissance this year. His team are recovering from last winter's Ashes battering, particularly in the one-day game, and Clarke has been leading from the front, scoring 900 runs in 24 matches at over 50 apiece at an admirable strike rate of 80. He thus completes my specialist batting line-up.
My captain and wicketkeeper is MS Dhoni. Not only did he play such an important role in winning the World Cup but he has since shown why he is probably the finest 'finisher' in the one-day game. He scores at more than five runs an over and, because he is often still there at the end of the innings, whether batting first or chasing a target, averages almost 60!
While Watson and Hafeez provide the back-up, my front-line bowlers come from three different nations. A few years ago, Shahid Afridi would have been a genuine all-rounder and one of the most dangerous one-day batsmen in the world. These days, runs are harder to come by and it is his leg-breaks which are bamboozling batsmen. He has taken 45 wickets in 2011, second highest in the world, and at a meagre average of just over 20. Saeed Ajmal's 34 victims at 17 apiece earn him a spot in both teams of the year, keeping out Swann, Patel, Ashwin and Shakib.
My pace bowlers both have an unorthodox slinging action. Mitch Johnson took 39 wickets in 22 matches and has proved a useful late-order flayer of bowling at the death. he gets the nod just ahead of fellow Aussie Brett Lee. Lasith Malinga, of course, is just the bowler you want to cramp batsman at the start and end of an innings. He is clearly the number one T20 fast bowler, with his deadly fast swinging yorkers. However, he has proved to be almost as devastating over ten overs, often delivered in three spells, and has taken more wickets (48) in ODIs than anyone else in the past year. With his crazy delivery action and even crazier hair, the Sri Lankan is one of the most exciting men in world cricket and wraps up my One-Day XI of 2011.
Watson (Aus), Mohammad Hafeez (Pak), Sangakkara (SL), Trott (Eng), Kohli (Ind), Clarke (Aus), Dhoni (Ind, *+), Afridi (Pak), Johnson (Aus), Saeed Ajmal (Pak), Malinga (SL).
My next blog will examine the other players, including those not on the international stage, who have excelled in 2011.
Monday, 30 May 2011
IPL 2011 - a 'Tournament of Success'?
As regular readers of this blog will know by now, I'm not a huge fan of Twenty20 cricket. For me, the IPL represents so much that is wrong with modern sport: short-term profit for the few at the expense of long-term development for the many. However, love it or loathe it, IPL has been an incredibly popular competition, especially for the cricket-loving Indians and their super-rich individuals keen to raise their own profiles by bankrolling the city franchises and luring most of the world's best players to India for a few months.
This year I have tried to follow the tournament more closely, catching climaxes of matches on telly when I get home from work. Congratulations to the Chennai Super Kings, of course, but I can't recall many exciting finishes at all. For all the camerawork showing close-ups of dancing girls, excited children with flags and vuvuzelas, glamorous ladies, shiny Volkswagens and even shinier Shane Warne teeth, stadia were often half-empty and TV audience figures were apparently well down on previous series.
Still, as long as companies and billionaires wish to finance and sponsor it, IPL will surely continue, and it has spawned similar tournaments in other countries, such as the irritatingly vulgarly named 'Big Bash' in Australia. A major problem for me, apart from the 'six' being rebranded the 'DHL Maximum', a wicket 'Citi Moment of Success' and even a catch has to be a 'Karbonn Kamaal Catch' (who's KK?!), is the contradiction over the whole essence of T20. It's supposed to be a fast and furious format, yet the play during IPL games is infuriatingly slow. There may be more atmosphere than in Test matches (just compare with the England v Sri Lanka Test at cold, wet and windy Cardiff this week!) but there are so many breaks. For a start, there's the blasted 'Maxx Mobile Strategic Time Out'. Why don't they be honest and call it a Maxx Mobile Extended Ad Break? There are always lengthy on-field consultations between every ball where bowling, batting and fielding strategies are discussed by players and I just want to scream at the TV: "Just get on with it!"
Anyway, rant over! There were, of course, some brilliant performances. Last year, true cricketing class won out, in that stars such as Tendulkar and Kallis reigned supreme with the bat in particular. Both played well again in 2011 but the stand-out performers have to be Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga. The laconic West Indian opener arrived late but produced some devastating displays of powerful hitting, securing the 'Orange Cap' for hitting most runs, 608 in only 12 innings, including 44 sixes, almost twice as many as the second highest total (by MS Dhoni, of all people!). Yes, he was found out by spin bowling in the final, but when he got going in earlier stages, he was irresistible. For the Mumbai Indians, Malinga's brilliance at bowling yorkers have become legendary and he ended the tournament with 28 wickets at fewer than 6 runs an over, an incredible achievement.
The likes of Zaheer Khan, Brett Lee and Morne Morkel all had their moments, but spin bowling again proved to be a match-winning option, whether slowing down the openers or frustrating batsmen chasing targets in the closing overs. Subtle changes in pace, flight and length proved more devastating than sheer speed, the occasional in-swinger at the toes or seamer's slower ball, and I take my hat off to Daniel Vettori, Ravi Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Rahul Sharma and even old Warney himself for demonstrating the slow bowler's art. This is one area where T20 can truly benefit the more traditional forms of the sport. A few big innings from players such as Paul Valthaty deserved to make the headlines but the young Kings XI Punjab all-rounder couldn't carry that early form into the second month. Remember he has never played a first-class match in his life and he may never will.
Another positive is the improvement in fielding. One-day cricket certainly raised standards in the 1970s and now T20 has taken athleticism to new heights. Runs, wickets, strike and economy rates are all important but I reckon the Super Kings' enthusiasm, energy, skill and timing in the outfield were crucial factors in their success. Even fast bowlers like Dougie Bollinger were pulling off great stops and pouching brilliant catches on the boundary.
Much is made of the importance of international recruits to IPL, and players of the stature of Vettori, Gayle, Shaun Marsh, Mike Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Mahela Jayawardene and Jesse Ryder do bring something different to the party. However, I reckon the competition succeeds more in showing the world the depth of talent that exists within India. Already ranked no. 1 in Tests and 50-over World champions, most of the best teams were captained by local heroes like Tendulkar, Dhoni and Gambhir. Younger stars like Raina, Vijay, Kohli and the aforementioned spinners have also shone, proving that India have plenty of talent waiting to replace the legendary Tendulkar, Dravid and Zaheer Khan. IPL will doubtless endure a few seasons more, without dodgy characters like Lalit Modi, but the organisers need to recognise that sometimes less can be better (including number of games), especially in the long run. If cricket really does need Twenty20 to attract fans and players of the future, the format should not be run into the ground to rake in big bucks for just a few years. Cricket deserves better than that, and so do the highly talented players who illuminated the past few months.
This year I have tried to follow the tournament more closely, catching climaxes of matches on telly when I get home from work. Congratulations to the Chennai Super Kings, of course, but I can't recall many exciting finishes at all. For all the camerawork showing close-ups of dancing girls, excited children with flags and vuvuzelas, glamorous ladies, shiny Volkswagens and even shinier Shane Warne teeth, stadia were often half-empty and TV audience figures were apparently well down on previous series.
Still, as long as companies and billionaires wish to finance and sponsor it, IPL will surely continue, and it has spawned similar tournaments in other countries, such as the irritatingly vulgarly named 'Big Bash' in Australia. A major problem for me, apart from the 'six' being rebranded the 'DHL Maximum', a wicket 'Citi Moment of Success' and even a catch has to be a 'Karbonn Kamaal Catch' (who's KK?!), is the contradiction over the whole essence of T20. It's supposed to be a fast and furious format, yet the play during IPL games is infuriatingly slow. There may be more atmosphere than in Test matches (just compare with the England v Sri Lanka Test at cold, wet and windy Cardiff this week!) but there are so many breaks. For a start, there's the blasted 'Maxx Mobile Strategic Time Out'. Why don't they be honest and call it a Maxx Mobile Extended Ad Break? There are always lengthy on-field consultations between every ball where bowling, batting and fielding strategies are discussed by players and I just want to scream at the TV: "Just get on with it!"
Anyway, rant over! There were, of course, some brilliant performances. Last year, true cricketing class won out, in that stars such as Tendulkar and Kallis reigned supreme with the bat in particular. Both played well again in 2011 but the stand-out performers have to be Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga. The laconic West Indian opener arrived late but produced some devastating displays of powerful hitting, securing the 'Orange Cap' for hitting most runs, 608 in only 12 innings, including 44 sixes, almost twice as many as the second highest total (by MS Dhoni, of all people!). Yes, he was found out by spin bowling in the final, but when he got going in earlier stages, he was irresistible. For the Mumbai Indians, Malinga's brilliance at bowling yorkers have become legendary and he ended the tournament with 28 wickets at fewer than 6 runs an over, an incredible achievement.
The likes of Zaheer Khan, Brett Lee and Morne Morkel all had their moments, but spin bowling again proved to be a match-winning option, whether slowing down the openers or frustrating batsmen chasing targets in the closing overs. Subtle changes in pace, flight and length proved more devastating than sheer speed, the occasional in-swinger at the toes or seamer's slower ball, and I take my hat off to Daniel Vettori, Ravi Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Rahul Sharma and even old Warney himself for demonstrating the slow bowler's art. This is one area where T20 can truly benefit the more traditional forms of the sport. A few big innings from players such as Paul Valthaty deserved to make the headlines but the young Kings XI Punjab all-rounder couldn't carry that early form into the second month. Remember he has never played a first-class match in his life and he may never will.
Another positive is the improvement in fielding. One-day cricket certainly raised standards in the 1970s and now T20 has taken athleticism to new heights. Runs, wickets, strike and economy rates are all important but I reckon the Super Kings' enthusiasm, energy, skill and timing in the outfield were crucial factors in their success. Even fast bowlers like Dougie Bollinger were pulling off great stops and pouching brilliant catches on the boundary.
Much is made of the importance of international recruits to IPL, and players of the stature of Vettori, Gayle, Shaun Marsh, Mike Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Mahela Jayawardene and Jesse Ryder do bring something different to the party. However, I reckon the competition succeeds more in showing the world the depth of talent that exists within India. Already ranked no. 1 in Tests and 50-over World champions, most of the best teams were captained by local heroes like Tendulkar, Dhoni and Gambhir. Younger stars like Raina, Vijay, Kohli and the aforementioned spinners have also shone, proving that India have plenty of talent waiting to replace the legendary Tendulkar, Dravid and Zaheer Khan. IPL will doubtless endure a few seasons more, without dodgy characters like Lalit Modi, but the organisers need to recognise that sometimes less can be better (including number of games), especially in the long run. If cricket really does need Twenty20 to attract fans and players of the future, the format should not be run into the ground to rake in big bucks for just a few years. Cricket deserves better than that, and so do the highly talented players who illuminated the past few months.
Saturday, 7 May 2011
What's going on... with Sri Lanka?
After I wrote the other day about the plight of West Indian cricket, the side immediately went and thrashed Pakistan in an ODI and Chris Gayle was at his blistering best in the IPL. Now let's see what I can do for Sri Lanka!
On the face of it, not a lot is wrong with performances on the pitch. Reaching two consecutive World Cup Finals is hardly a description of failure, and they also pushed Australia and India all the way in each of those matches. Third in the ICC world rankings and fourth for Tests (ahead of Australia) also gives no hint of obvious problems. Yet suddenly, in the aftermath of the Mumbai showdown, things have begun to unravel.
First, their popular skipper Kumar Sangakkara, also one of the top batsmen in the world - his Test average is superior even to Tendulkar's - resigned apparently in order to prolong his playing career. That raised a few eyebrows. His predecessor and vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene also stepped down, so the Sri Lankan cricket board selected Tillekeratne Dilshan as Sanga's replacement, presumably on the basis that he has experience and is also their best player. However, at 34, he is a year older than the man from whom he has assumed the reins.
Then there is the issue of Lasith Malinga. He is perhaps the most recognisable cricketer in the world, not only because of his highlighted hairstyle but also his round-arm 'slinging' bowling delivery, which shouldn't work but does. However, a chronic knee problem has led him to retire from Test cricket, but only after his commitment was questioned by the Sri Lankan authorities. In a way, I don't blame them, given that he had claimed he was too injured to report for touring duty but was seemingly fit enough to play in the IPL where he has been by far the most effective bowler in 2011. However, I wouldn't want a great player to be reduced to a wheelchair by the age of 50 because he was forced to bowl 20 overs a day in his mid-20s knowing what long-term damage it could do. In any case, he has only a moderate record in Tests, and one-day bowling suits his strengths best. Nevertheless he is 'box-office' and without him, will the team still attract crowds away from home?
Now comes the allegations of match-fixing by former players. Always a sore issue, especially in the sub-continent, former captains Tillakaratne and Ranatunga have stirred up a hornet's nest, although they still won't give details. I have little respect for people who are happy to destroy cricket's reputation with unsubstantiated words, the delaying tactics possibly the result of negotiating lucrative newspaper deals - or am I just being a cynical so-and-so?!
Maybe the real problem facing Sri Lanka is succession planning, or at least not having the strength in depth they once had, nor the young guns ready to force their way into the side. Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene remain three of the world's best batsmen but, with Vaas and now Murali effectively out of the equation, plus Malinga's withdrawal from the five-day game, the bowling line-up looks very thin indeed. Also, who will step into the shoes of the aforementioned batting superstars. The success of cricket in Asia will probably prevent a haemorrhaging of talent and deterioration of international standing of West Indies proportions, but I hope Sri Lankan cricket keeps its eye on that particular ball. Once the IPL contingent return, they must celebrate recent successes in the World Cup and build on that, beginning with the tour of England which starts this month. I hope they do.
On the face of it, not a lot is wrong with performances on the pitch. Reaching two consecutive World Cup Finals is hardly a description of failure, and they also pushed Australia and India all the way in each of those matches. Third in the ICC world rankings and fourth for Tests (ahead of Australia) also gives no hint of obvious problems. Yet suddenly, in the aftermath of the Mumbai showdown, things have begun to unravel.
First, their popular skipper Kumar Sangakkara, also one of the top batsmen in the world - his Test average is superior even to Tendulkar's - resigned apparently in order to prolong his playing career. That raised a few eyebrows. His predecessor and vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene also stepped down, so the Sri Lankan cricket board selected Tillekeratne Dilshan as Sanga's replacement, presumably on the basis that he has experience and is also their best player. However, at 34, he is a year older than the man from whom he has assumed the reins.
Then there is the issue of Lasith Malinga. He is perhaps the most recognisable cricketer in the world, not only because of his highlighted hairstyle but also his round-arm 'slinging' bowling delivery, which shouldn't work but does. However, a chronic knee problem has led him to retire from Test cricket, but only after his commitment was questioned by the Sri Lankan authorities. In a way, I don't blame them, given that he had claimed he was too injured to report for touring duty but was seemingly fit enough to play in the IPL where he has been by far the most effective bowler in 2011. However, I wouldn't want a great player to be reduced to a wheelchair by the age of 50 because he was forced to bowl 20 overs a day in his mid-20s knowing what long-term damage it could do. In any case, he has only a moderate record in Tests, and one-day bowling suits his strengths best. Nevertheless he is 'box-office' and without him, will the team still attract crowds away from home?
Now comes the allegations of match-fixing by former players. Always a sore issue, especially in the sub-continent, former captains Tillakaratne and Ranatunga have stirred up a hornet's nest, although they still won't give details. I have little respect for people who are happy to destroy cricket's reputation with unsubstantiated words, the delaying tactics possibly the result of negotiating lucrative newspaper deals - or am I just being a cynical so-and-so?!
Maybe the real problem facing Sri Lanka is succession planning, or at least not having the strength in depth they once had, nor the young guns ready to force their way into the side. Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene remain three of the world's best batsmen but, with Vaas and now Murali effectively out of the equation, plus Malinga's withdrawal from the five-day game, the bowling line-up looks very thin indeed. Also, who will step into the shoes of the aforementioned batting superstars. The success of cricket in Asia will probably prevent a haemorrhaging of talent and deterioration of international standing of West Indies proportions, but I hope Sri Lankan cricket keeps its eye on that particular ball. Once the IPL contingent return, they must celebrate recent successes in the World Cup and build on that, beginning with the tour of England which starts this month. I hope they do.
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