There has been a lot of talk over whether the 50-over version is on its way out ever since Cricket Australia’s two-innings one-day format has made it to the news. And while it’s too early to ring the bell for the current arrangement of the one-day game, there can be no denying the fact that 50-over cricket is indeed in need of a massive overhaul.

When the World Cup is held in the Indian subcontinent next year, without doubt crowds will flock to watch the matches. But that doesn’t mean the problems with the format can be ignored. And, anyways the major issue was never with countries like India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, where cricket continues to be a passion. But with the amount of T20 cricket being played, it was only a matter of time before countries began with experiment with the present one-day version.

It is not that the ICC hasn’t made changes to format. In fact there have been a number of them over the last decade — the introduction of the hawk eye, power plays, free hit, et al. However the moot problem, i.e. the predictability aspect hasn’t seen much of an improvement.

Thanks to the field restrictions, the scores are getting bigger and bigger, but are being chased down as easily as they are set. The boundary ropes are getting shorter, which means the bowlers are beginning to feel they have little or no role to play other than running in and landing the ball on a spot. Agreed this is exactly the same case with the T20 version. And herein lays the issue.

If the spectators can watch non-stop slam bang cricket in 40 overs (three hours) why would they spend seven hours (100 overs for the same); more so when the game gets so dull in the middle overs of both the innings, when the teams are looking to consolidate.

What the new two-innings format proposes is to do away with the lacunae. And hence it must be given a serious thought. With both teams playing two innings’ of 20 overs each there will be lesser scope for mediocrity, which the present 50-over contests are inadvertently promoting.

The game flourished in the ‘90s, because it matched people’s idea of entertainment. However times have changed. In this Twitter-Facebook era, who wants to see batsmen aimlessly pushing and prodding for 20 overs, before launching an assault? It is an ‘instant coffee’ generation and the cricket played must be in sync with the audiences’ mindset.

Among the advantages of the two-innings version will be that you can watch your favourite team or player bat or bowl a second time and cheer for them if they failed the first time round. Nowadays fans have a developed a tendency to switch off their television sets once the preferred team or player has batted.

The newly-proposed format can possibly discourage that from happening. Further, teams will also get a better chance to make a comeback, unlike now when most of the matches are dominated by one side. In the tri-series against Zimbabwe, all the matches were won by the side batting second, the last thing a one-day tournament needs.

The flip side to all this is that the future of the 2015 World Cup is in danger. Well, that was always going to be. As mentioned earlier, the 2011 World Cup was never going to be affected, considering it was being played in the Asian cricket-playing nations. But that doesn’t mean the ICC can relax. They have to look beyond, and too the future. And if that means altering the World Cup arrangement as well, so be it.

Mohammad Aamer is today one of Pakistan’s best pace bowlers, despite having played only 8 Tests and 13 ODIS over the last one year. If there is any one bowler who can restore Pakistan’s status as a top cricket nation, it has to be Aamer.

His bowling consists of raw pace, something which bowlers these days lack perhaps due to wickets being more batting-friendly. His skills were very much present in pace greats such as Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar. Bowling at 150 kmph regularly is no mean task for a 17-year old.

He is a left-arm bowler whose action is reminiscent to that of his idol and one of the highest wicket-takers in ODI cricket, Wasim Akram. Akram has been accountable for Aamer’s success at the international level so far.

He spotted him at a fast bowlers camp in Lahore in 2007, and considered him as a huge bowling prospect who could play for the country soon. Aamer had done reasonably well in England in the same year and in 2008, he helped Pakistan win a U-19 triseries in Sri Lanka.

He could have played the U-19 World Cup in 2008, but had a dengue virus. However, as Aamer grew stronger and older, his health and bowling too improved.

In 2009, in his debut season for the National Bank of Pakistan, he was one of the top wicket-takers with 55 wickets to his name. This wonderful performance at the domestic circuit earned him a place in the final squad of the World Twenty20 team.

He grabbed this opportunity to cement his place in the playing XI of Pakistan in all three formats of the game. He took over an out-of-form but experienced Sohail Tanvir as Pakistan’s spearhead.

In the World T-20, he bowled the final overs like an expert which eventually aided Pakistan to win the title. And his opening over in the final against Sri Lanka will be remembered by ardent Pakistani fans. Sri Lanka’s Tillakratne Dilshan was the man in form and was the highest run-getter of the tournament.

His new invention, the scoop shot was considered to be crucial in Sri Lanka getting a big total. However, Aamer got the better of Dilshan by getting him out for a five-ball duck with quick, dangerous short-pitched bowling which made him look like an amateur, nobody kind of a batsman.

He did well in Sri Lanka soon after in August 2009 when he picked 4 wickets in the final match of the ODI series to help Pakistan win 2 games out of 5. However, perhaps the best moment of his cricketing career came during the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

It was a first-round match between Pakistan and India. Pakistan had scored 300 in 50 overs, thanks to hundreds from Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik. The pitch was still good for batting when India came out to bat, requiring 6 runs per over minimum if they had to win. India’s openers were Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar.

However Aamer was undeterred very much like the World T-20 final. He struck with a magical outswinging ball which got the big wicket of Sachin Tendulkar for just 8 runs. From there on, India were never in the game and laboured to a defeat by 56 runs.

It was a dream tournament for Aamer as his career seemed to finally take off, as Pakistan finished 4th in the tournament, out of the top 8 teams of ODI cricket.
Aamer had a decent tour of New Zealand, despite going wicketless in the drawn Napier Test. However, it was in Australia when Aamer faced ups and downs.

Aamer had picked 5 wickets in the second innings of the Melbourne Test, which only showed his increasing maturity and his flexibility to play at the international level at such a young age.

However, in the 3rd Test at Hobart, Aamer dropped a simple, regulation catch at deep fine leg when an out-of-form Australian captain Ricky Ponting was batting on 0. He went on to make a double-hundred on his home ground, which prevented Pakistan from winning another Test match after the Sydney debacle.

In the ODIS, Aamer bowled modestly as Pakistan were whitewashed in the best of 5 series, therefore ending an ill-fated and winless tour. Despite all the controversy regarding IPL and the public fighting of the Pakistani team members, Aamer has been amazingly able to maintain his focus on his game and the result was another good World T-20 campaign for Pakistan.

Although the team couldn’t defend the title, yet they did make it to the semifinals. With a new captain in Shahid Afridi and a new coach in none other than Waqar Younis, Aamer’s best days are definitely ahead of him as he could be Afridi’s trump card for the World Cup 2011 in the Indian subcontinent which is just a few months away.

In the times of the modern era, in the advent of T20 scores of players come and go. These days national caps are distributed to easily thus lowering the sense of pride that one is supposed to wear it with. It might be easy to burst on to the scene on the international arena but hard indeed to stay there. Several players after struggle or talent have eventually come of age. Some of them are:

Australia:

Shane Watson:

Shane Watson

After making his debut in the Australian summer of March way back in 2002, Shane watson’s career is one to have changed dramatically. From starting off as a fast bowler with more than lively pace who could hold the bat at number 7 his roles in the current Australian team are completely different.

Watto Watson is one of those players who is always seemed to be plagued with injuries. After several rehabilitations and becoming the perfect replacement for a certain Ian Harvey the Australian selectors finally lost hope with this talented blonde bombshell from Queensland. Shane was struggling to make his career.

Strangely, the problem with Watson was not about talent or performance it was his fitness that was an issue that deprived him of so many international years of his playing career. Watson was nowhere near being considered for a return to the Australian side. After being picked in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League, Watson single handedly with both bat and ball carried the Rajasthan Royals towards the championship gold.

He ended up becoming man of the tournament with over 450 runs and a handful of wickets. The Australian selectors took note of this and immediately drafted him to the Australian side to tour the Windies. Ever since then there has been no looking back for Shane as he has made his mark in the international arena and is a feared competitor by all other nations.

Watson played the 2009 ashes and scored half centuries in what seemed like every innings. He has become fitter and has understood his role in the Australian team well. He now opens for Australia and generally bowls in the mid 130’s. A very handy cricketer as long as he stays fit. After 8 long years, Shane Watson finally seems to have come of age.

Cameron White:

Cameron White

Whitey or bear as he is known by his team mates has recently become an integral part of the Australian limited Overs squad. Cameron white has always been a major performer for his state side, Victoria. He is currently the vice captain of the Australian T20 side and should be the skipper in reckoning if Michael Clarke is done away with.

For a man who was not even a part of the original Australian T20 World cup squad in 2009, white has come a long way and has established himself as the Australian number 5. White was called in after Andrew Symonds was sent back home due to off field issues. White is soon filling the huge void left by Andrew Symonds. He is a brilliant fielder and is soon becoming one of the feared hitter on the international scene.

Whitey was given a long run after Australia’s ashes defeat to England in 2009. He stepped in for ponting at number 3 and played exceptional cricket which included one fifty and a century in 3 matches. From then on in there was no looking back as he helped Australia retain the champions trophy (2009) in South Africa and played some crucial knocks on difficult conditions in India. White had a brilliant 20-20 world cup this year and ensured Australia reached the finals for the first time in this tournament.

Cameron white’s reputation is rapidly building on the world stage and the owners of the IPL franchisees are now aware of the talent that the man possesses. With the fresh IPL auction that is to take place this July, one can be certain that white could be in for some big bucks and even captaincy considering he’s captained Victoria to several big bash victories down under. White is still a young man and would be ambitious to return to the test arena once again.

Nathan Hauritz:

Nathan Hauritz

Hauritz very similar to Watson made his debut for Australia way back in 2002. He was young (20) and wasn’t too successful at the international arena. He played his first test in 2004 and didn’t do too well then either. The Australian selectors weren’t too worried and dint have to look too far considering SK Warne was still in the ranks. However, the rise of Hauritz began after Warne, McGill and Hogg stepped down from international test cricket.

This left Australia with no other option but Nathan Hauritz. Hauritz wasn’t seen as a wicket taking bowler, he was more a container and this proved to be fatal for the Aussies. It was at this time only (late 2008- early 2009) that Australia began to hit rock bottom where they lost a test match series in India and went on to lose on their home turf against the mighty Proteas after 16 long years.

The lack of a quality spinner was becoming a major problem and several concerns were being raised about who would play come the ashes. The Australian selection committee decided to go with Nathan Hauritz and stuck with him throughout the South African tour in both Test and one day internationals. Hauritz proved his worth and was handy. However, his success was hugely regarded to

Mitchell Johnson:

Mitchell Johnson

Johnson was enjoying a purple patch back then and he often broke the back bone of the South African team before Hauritz came into bowl. Nevertheless, it was the best that Australia had and they decided to go ahead with Nathan for the ashes. As soon as the news was out that Nathan would be the spinner that the Australians would be carrying with themselves to defend the ashes, comments came rushing in.

Most notable amongst these was that of former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott made a scandalized remark after Hauritz got pietersen out to an infamous sweep in the first test at Cardiff. He said “It wasn’t an off-spinner. Hauritz doesn’t look like he could bowl my mum out, then he gets the best batsman out.”

Hauritz proved all his critics wrong and slowly developed into a very fine bowler for Australia. Eventually, he proved to be the difference (Not picked on a turning track at the oval) between Australia having the ashes and not. Hauritz’s growth as a spinner continues as he remains a steady part of the Australian line up. Hauritz will have to be on his toes as the Australian selectors seemed to have taken a liking towards upcoming leggie Steve Smith.

India:

Suresh Raina:

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is the star out of India’s huge pool of rising talents comprising the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Robin Uthappa and so on. On his debut way back in 2005 raina only managed a duck; he was trapped LBW by a Muttiah Muralidaran doosra of his first ball. Ever since then Raina has changed his game immensely. All the hard yards, extra hours of practice against spin and pace is now seen where he seems to be shining on the international stage.

This turn of events was noticed in the first edition of the Indian premier league where raina was one of the top scorers in the competition and enabled the Chennai Super Kings make the final of the tournament. He has been the most consistent performer in the IPL and is the highest scorer across all three years of the tournament with 1311 runs. Suresh raina has matured a great deal by playing under the likes of greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

He was recently included in the test squad against South Africa. Raina is now able to handle responsibilities of carrying the team forward at a tender age of 23. Raina has also been chosen as captain in the on-going series in Zimbabwe as original skipper Mahendra singh Dhoni has been given a rest. Clearly raina is seen highly by the BCCI and they would want to ensure that the young man doesn’t fall ahead of himself and continues to perform the way he has been performing in the last couple of years.

England:

Graeme Swann:

Graeme Swann

The biggest revelation in the cricketing fraternity over the last year, Graeme Swann has been labeled by fellow spin legend Shane Warne as the most improved player in recent cricket. Swann is one of the few Englishmen (literally) who has been successful over the last year considering most others have been imports from either South Africa or Ireland.

He made his debut way back in 2000 but wasn’t a regular part of the side as England’s first choice spinner at that point in time still remained Ashley Giles. Swann never really knew what his role was, whether he was a batsman who could bowl or the other way around. He found himself wanting on the international stage and soon realized it was the latter that would take him to the top rung. He worked on his game tremendously and the change was to be seen.

He had a brilliant series against the West Indies leading up to the ashes and since then there has been no looking back for the man from Northampton. Swann, often the most notorious in the team and tends to calm down the dressing room atmosphere with his pranks. The ashes that went by in 2009, was where Swann was noticed by the international audience.

From then on in he helped England reach the semi finals of the champions trophy in 2009 and eventually help the Englishmen win their first ever ICC trophy, the Twenty 20 world cup in the Caribbean a fortnight ago. Swann is soon becoming an integral part of this England line up and a major part of whether England are able to retain the ashes later this year would be subject to the way he performs.

Stuart Broad:

Stuart Broad

Son of former English batsman and current commentator, Junior broad is one of the fastest improving cricketer’s going around. Stuart made his debut in 2006 and saw the up hills and down hills of international cricket. He was hit for a record six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh during the inaugural twenty 20 world cup in South Africa. However, since then a lot seems to have changed for this lanky pacer.

He seems to have become physically fitter, has worked on his batting and more importantly he is no more the bowler who would just run in. There is a plan, a methodology on how to go about things that is seen. He is seen as a replacement to Freddie Flintoff who retired a year or so ago. A lot is expected from Stuart and he is still just 23 years of age and has a good number of tests and one day internationals behind him and seems to understand the game better with every passing day.

He still tends to concede a bit too much when it comes to runs per over but he is a wicket taker and that’s what it comes down to in the end. A very handy cricketer and one to certainly watch out for in the future, as he seems to be improving very quickly.

Pakistan:

Saeed Ajmal:

Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistani off spinner has captivated international cricket ever since he burst onto the international arena. More than coming of age Saeed has been one of those late bloomers in international cricket where in which the team regrets the fact that they couldn’t go on a bit longer. Ajmal is very similar to Michael Hussey in this regard.

(Talking about Hussey the duo have a bit of a history after this year’s world T20 in the Windies). Ajmal albeit at the age of 30 made his debut and turned out to be a replica of spin legend and the ‘doosra’ inventor Saqlain Mushtaq. Ajmal is able to disguise and bowl the doosra with similar effect and has always managed to keep the wood on the batsman.

Ever since Akmal joined the Pakistani team they have made it to two semi finals and one championship victory in the three ICC events to have taken place. In spite of all the unpredictability that Pakistan have to offer, Ajmal seems to have brought a bit of sense in the spin bowling department and he along with fellow spinner Shahid Afridi now form a formidable pair and curtail the batsman from scoring freely in the middle Overs of a limited over international.

Ajmal was turning out to be the star for Pakistan in the recent twenty 20 world cup that was held in the West Indies. However, Australia’s Michael Hussey had different ideas. He went on to slaughter Saeed Ajmal in the semi final which enabled the Aussies get to the final for the first time. The match which was being labeled as the best Twenty 20 match had already seen loads of thrills and spills before Ajmal came on to bowl.

Ajmal had brilliant figures up to his 3 over mark and was turning out to be the difference between the two sides but the last over where in which Michael hussey hammered three sixes changed the course of the match. Nevertheless, Ajmal remains a key armoury that Pakistan possess and how he develops in the next six months could be critical for Pakistan’s chances in the world cup which is to be played in the Indian subcontinent (barring Pakistan) where in which the pitches are low and slow.

Shahid Afridi:

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi has been around since an age now and he’s still just over 30 years of age with a trunk load of experience behind him. Shahid Afridi made his debut way back in 1996 and its amazing in spite of being a member of the team for such a long time he comes under this category.

For a long period of time Shahid Afridi did not really know where his forte lied, in other words he never really knew his role in the team; whether it was to go and bludgeon the bowlers and chip in with a couple of tidy Overs or be a mainstream spinner thus providing perfect foil to the fast bowling greats of yesteryears.

However, only recently has Shahid Afridi grown, he has become one of the most difficult bowlers to get away in the middle Overs in limited Overs cricket. He seems to have cemented his place as a bowling all rounder. Ever since becoming vice captain and now captain in all forms of cricket Afridi has taken the extra mantle of responsibility on himself and this seems to be helping not just him but Pakistan cricket as well. Afridi recently came out of his retirement from test cricket and was made captain.

It will be interesting to see how he goes in the longer form of the game as his quick balls at 120 kmphs will not be as big an issue as it is in other forms of cricket. Shahid Afridi finally seems to have found his game and if he works on his batting, he could become one of the best spin bowling all rounder to have played the game (only in the shorter formats).

South Africa:

AB De Villiers:

AB De Villiers

Most AB fans wouldn’t agree me placing Abraham in this list and might find it a little harsh. But it’d be better to agree to disagree. This 26 year old South African made his debut in the 2004/2005 season and only recently that is ever since 2008/09 has he become one of South Africa’s mainstays in the middle over. He is a very talented cricketer and on his day could tear apart any attack put in front of him.

De Villiers, a very under estimated cricketer on the international stage is set to take over the gloves once Mark Boucher decides to call it quits. However, de Villiers seems quite reluctant to take up the job as he not only enjoys his fielding but is also worried that it would affect his batting adversely. De Villiers is proving to be a wonderful find for the proteas and is becoming ever so reliable with consistent performances in the last year or two.

He is ready to carry the mantle forward and could become South Africa’s Jacques Kallis once the latter decides to put up his feet. All this could be very soon as Kallis and boucher both are very likely to step down from limited Overs cricket after the 2011 world cup which is to be played in the Indian subcontinent.

Like all other players mentioned above AB de Villiers too holds the key to South Africa’s chances in the upcoming 50 over world cup. He seems to be the man for the occasion as he’s had a lot of experience here and has tasted success on very similar wickets.

Sri Lanka:

Angelo Mathews:

Angelo Mathews

Young Sri Lankan all rounder has cemented his place in the team’s One day international and test teams ever since he made his debuts in the formats. He has never had to face the axe, which is very rare for a young cricketer especially in the early goings in his career.

The young 23 Year old all rounder has replaced Chaminda Vaas to very good effect. The only difference between the two being that Mathews is more of a batsman than a bowler which was not the case with Vaas. When I mean come of age it doesn’t necessarily mean people who have spend a lot of time in cricket and have eventually found their spot.

It basically refers to those cricketers who have/are now matured enough to carry the mantle forward. In his short career Mathews has already established himself on the world stage. This could be seen when he was picked up by Kolkata Knight riders (one of the IPL franchisees) to participate in the league. The only worry remains his bowling, more so in test cricket as it doesn’t seem to have that nip or extra bit of pace that could either facilitate him to get the ball go past the bat or trouble them with speed.

His variations help him get through the limited Overs format quite adequately. His batting and fielding are of top notch and is a very good sign for things to come in all three forms of the game. Mathews could also be the captain in standing once current skipper Kumar Sangakkara retires.

The only other real prospect seems Dilshan, but his temper and his age (wrong side of 30) lowers his prospects of becoming skipper. As a result of this Mathews could be well groomed under experienced players like Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. This lad has sure already made a name for himself in international cricket. One bloke to certainly look out for in the future!

Bangladesh:

Shakib Al Hasan:

Shakib Al Hasan

Current Bangladeshi skipper, Shakib Al Hasan made his debut against Zimbabwe at the Harare sports club. His debut itself marked the sign of things to come in his career. He impressed one and all with his performance as he made an impressive 30 not out and bowled his quota of 10 Overs under four an over with a wicket against his name. However, he seemed to have fizzed out a bit only to have redeemed himself in recent months.

He has come back strongly and for a long time now has been right on top of the all rounder charts in one day cricket. He was soon appointed captain and he seems to be taking Bangladeshi cricket to newer heights unseen before. The man is just 23 and has a lot to promise. The Bangladeshi cricket board need to nurture their talent and ensure that their players don’t fizz out and become an Ashraful.

Certain teams namely West Indies and New Zealand don’t have players featuring on this left. With west indies their trunk load of players just aren’t able to convert it big to the international level thus underlining their poor performance in world cricket in recent years. As far as the Kiwis are concerned they don’t seem to have enough of resources.

Hence, their players don’t seem to feature even in the list of players who have promised but not delivered. Getting players to grow and mature at the world stage is highly dependent on how the national board of the respecting country helps nurture and groom young players so as to convert them to international starts. This is very similar to the business concept of converting Problem child who have the talent and potential to Stars and eventually cash cows.
Indeed, the responsibility does lie with the boards…

Shoaib Malik, the flamboyant Pakistani all-rounder, would be a happy man at the moment. No, it isn’t entirely due to his marriage with Indian tennis star, Sania Mirza. But it is because his one-year ban has been lifted by the Pakistan cricket board (PCB) a few days back.

The reason of this decision by the PCB is due to the fact that there has apparently been a change in his attitude and behavior towards the game in the last three months, according to the board’s legal advisor Talib Rizvi. The batsman’s fine is also reduced to $1 million.

However, former Pakistani players haven’t accepted this decision happily. It is mainly due to the revelations of the controversial leaked video of the PCB meeting a few weeks back, and their experiences and knowledge about Malik.

According to Abdul Qadir, a former leg-spinner and chief selector of Pakistan, the PCB has fallen to political pressure, which will allow players like Malik to violate discipline and get away from further wrongdoings in the future.

Aamer Sohail, former Pakistani opening batsman, also believes that the board has taken his decision hastily, due to political pressure. Sarfraz Nawaz, former Pakistani fast bowler, said that through this decision the PCB was taking a ‘coward’s stance’.

Nobody can really reveal the inside story behind this decision. Malik has been accused by his own team-mates and coaches of having a negative attitude, which dampened the morale of the entire Pakistan team. So, with Malik’s ban overturned, the PCB’s attitude is surprising as they should instead not lift his ban and consider the appeals of other players such as Younis Khan and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

However, if Malik has really changed for good, it will be beneficial for Pakistan cricket and its future. His experience cannot be brought from the supermarket as he has played in 190 ODIs since the last ten years. And with Mohammad Yousuf’s retirement and the 2011 World Cup in sight, Malik along with the current captain Shahid Afridi, will hold key for Pakistan’s turnaround in the shorter formats of the game atleast.

Although Malik is a very unpopular player in the team, it shouldn’t take much of time for the team to unite and succeed as there is a new captain, a new coach in the legendary and a positive-minded Waqar Younis and a new manager in Yawar Saeed, who has been given full authority by the PCB to send players back home on the grounds of indiscipline and division.

Pakistan will play the Asia Cup this month in Sri Lanka, followed by a long tour of England, which involves matches with England and Australia. They then travel across to the UAE to play a ‘home’ series against South Africa. These matches will be crucial for Pakistan’s World Cup preparations, and if Malik plays, he could be handy as he has the skills to perform with the bat and the ball.

He is a decent fielder too. Thus, Shoaib Malik would be in the right frame of mind to give his best for his country again, as his personal life and professional life has just improved in a span of two months. So, the decision might turn out to be positive enough as Pakistan cricket has had enough for being in the news for wrong decisions.

It needs change and in my opinion, Shoaib Malik will help Pakistan grow to become a champion side in the immediate future. This can be possible if Afridi and Malik resolve their differences, to play for Pakistan rather for themselves.

But the question is ‘‘If’ this could happen easily?’ Pakistan has a few months in the hand ahead of the World Cup. And this could thus be temporary, just as things are in Pakistani cricket, which is a big fear.

Eoin Morgan is Irish-born who currently plays for England. He has this reputation of creating strokes rather than playing text-book shots. And to add to that, his strokes are indeed as powerful as his team-mate Kevin Pietersen’s.

Last year, when he became 23, he shot to fame with two outstanding, match-winning knocks against South Africa. First, he hit a crucial 67 of just 34 balls in the Champions Trophy in September 2009 followed by unbeaten 45-ball 85 in the first of the two Twenty20s of England’s tour of South Africa, two months later.

Morgan looks like a born ‘finisher’ who is apt to be known as England’s Bevan or Michael Hussey. England needed finishers in their ODI team and Morgan’s resurgence has helped end the search for that position.

A solid and sedate left-hand bat, Morgan grew up playing hurling and with his change-up sweeps and pulls, he has clearly taken aspects of the Irish sport into his cricket. He first played for Ireland in the World Cricket League in 2006, averaging 52.20.

In the tournament, he scored his first ODI century, a top-notch 115 from 106 balls against Canada. However, in the 2007 World Cup, it was proved that Morgan was a huge hype. As his team-mates impressed, he underperformed with 91 runs from nine matches.

He joined his countryman, Ed Joyce, at Middlesex in 2006, where he helped them to the Twenty20 Cup in 2008 and caught the eye of the England selectors.

As he has played for England over the last one year or so, his stature has kept increasing which was proved when he was the only England player to play in the IPL 2010. He was signed for $220,000 by Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he joined Kevin Pietersen.

Yet again, he failed to make an impression when it was the most expected and was soon left to sit on the substitutes bench by a no non-sense captain Anil Kumble and coach Ray Jennings.

However, he was back giving it his best for England in the World Twenty20 that followed, as his powerful shot-making and coolness under pressure helped him score 183 runs and England won a global event in the form of the championship for the first time since 35 years.

As Paul Collingwood, the winning captain was rested ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh at Lords, Eoin Morgan got a surprise call-up to the squad of 15, much like Pietersen in 2005 Ashes.

The English selectors certainly had enough faith in him as he had proved his mettle. He has a bright future ahead of him and he might be the next Pietersen, who could put England on the top of the world map in all the three formats of the game in the next five years, at least.

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are ranked 9th and 10th in ODI cricket currently. Undoubtedly, they have been occupied the position of minnows since the last decade or so. It is a Himalayan task for both these teams to get to even the Top 8 of those rankings. And if Test cricket is taken into consideration, the less said, the better. Bangladesh is languishing at the bottom, whereas Zimbabwe is not eligible for Teststatus at the moment.

However, there is a ray of light in this darkness. Even today’s well-established teams like India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand took time to become what they are today. In the first ten years of international cricket, these teams didn’t make their presence felt at all. So the fact that Bangladesh, who is ten years old in international cricket, is a growing child and soon will become an adolescent, who will make an impact soon on the game.

It is understood that in a competitive market, a new firm will take time to settle and compete with firms which are large, having a huge market share. This is practical economics. However, Zimbabwe has been in international cricket since 1983. It is a shame for the nation not to advance year after year.

The country has been affected severely by their President Robert Mugabe. The external environment hasn’t helped groom the players to play for the national team. The situation is so pathetic that the country lost their Test status in 2005 and has to play most of their ODIs against Bangladesh!

Though, all is not lost. Bangladesh has a bright future ahead of them, looking at the better quality of cricket they have produced in the last one year or so. Although they have won just 9 of 66 Tests that they have played so far, yet they are growing well as a team with a positive, fine-quality player like Shakib al Hasan as their captain.

And also Jamie Siddons is their coach. In Tests, they have a good opening pair in young Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes. Altogether, their batting in Test cricket looks impressive. Their captain is an all-rounder too. Bangladesh’s batting was one of the reasons of them winning the Tests in the West Indies last year. Though they lost all Tests at home last winter, they did win a few sessions comprehensively.

This was huge, considering the opponents were India and England. The most memorable being when Bangladesh bowled India out for a paltry 243 in the first Test at Chittagong, after Virender Sehwag said in a press conference that Bangladesh was an ‘ordinary’ team, which couldn’t pick 20 wickets in a Test match. And how wrong he was!

Also, in the second Test, Bangladesh was facing a huge first-innings deficit. But Tamim Iqbal showed his talent, by hammering 150 in the second innings on a crumbling pitch. The way he dominated Zaheer Khan and co was outstanding. The series against India prompted England’s stand-in captain Alastair Cook to say that Bangladesh are no more the underdogs.

Fortunately, even in the shorter formats of the game, the team is no longer dependent on Mohammad Ashraful, their most experienced player. This is a good sign for a united team. This team could go all the way and create more upsets against top teams just like they did against India at home in 2004, a much famous win against Australia in 2005 followed and a win against an in-form Sri Lanka in 2006.

However, the team has been impressive in world events too. They beat Pakistan in one of the most famous upsets in international cricket in the 1999 World Cup in England. India was once again beaten in the first round 2007 World Cup, effectively knocking them out of the tournament. And in the same tournament, Bangladesh also beat South Africa in the Super 8s stage. In the same year, there was the T-20 World Cup in South Africa also.

West Indies was beaten by Bangladesh comprehensively by 6 wickets, which allowed them to enter the Super 8s again. So if Bangladesh look to make a team which goes steady at least for the next two years, they could give the big guns a run for their money, as the team’s current average age is a mere 22!

Zimbabwe doesn’t have to face the pressures of Test cricket, although they might return to the format in one year’s time. So they can focus on rebuilding themselves in the ODI and T-20 formats. Like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe too has had some good outings. But it hasn’t been good going for the country against the top teams, though.

However, it seems that the country is going in the right direction, and wanting to emulate the achievements of the team of the 90s which had famous players like Heath Streak, the Flower brothers, Guy Whittall, Henry Olonga, Alastair Campbell and Douglas Hondo.

The racial quota system seems to be forgotten these days and as a result, players who had retired earlier have come back into the current team. For example, Andy Blignaut, Tatenda Taibu and Ray Price are a few talented players who have returned to play for their country.

And with a good amount of experienced players such as Prosper Utseya, Hamilton Masakadza, the captain Elton Chigumbura and wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor, the team looks set to bloom under the guidance of national coach Alan Butcher. Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and Zimbabwe captain, is also taking huge interest in the activities of the High Performance Centre at Harare, which will allow aspiring players get some advice on the tricks of the trade.

This team can start its recovery through the T-20 format. They beat Australia in 2007 in the first round of the T-20 World Cup. They also beat them in the warm-up match of the 2009 T-20 World Cup, alongside defending champions Pakistan. And can their future get much better with Harbhajan Singh, donating branded cricket kits to the current team, courtesy Reebok?? Well, that remains to be seen in the immediate future.

It is so often the case when a player is said to be extremely talented, that he can overtake even the all-time greats of the game. However, in the process to achieve that legacy, something goes wrong down the line. And it makes the player believe that he is a failure. People would think he hasn’t delivered to his potential. Consequently, it’s almost time to bid goodbye to cricket for the player or hang around courtesy the belief that your captain or the selectors have in you.

When I thought about this, the first cricketer who I remember fits into the bill, is none other than Vinod Kambli. Kambli and his best friend, Sachin Tendulkar put up the highest partnership of 664 runs in a school match in 1988 of all-time, until it was broken in 2006 in Hyderabad.

Ever since then, many believed that Kambli was far more talented than Tendulkar. The comparisons began to grow after Kambli played his first ODI for India in 1991, two years after Tendulkar made his international debut. He had an amazing, almost a Bradmansque start to his career. He hit 4 centuries in his first 7 Tests for India. He also was at par with Tendulkar in ODIS as Tendulkar didn’t establish himself in the format, like the player he is today.

However, he lost his way soon. The ‘law of averages’ caught up with him. His weakness against the short ball was noticed by many teams, who used it in great effect. He was undisciplined and inconsistent which resulted in him being kicked out of the Indian team many a times.

He ended his Test career in 1995 only and ODI career in 2000. And Tendulkar has had a glorious 20-year long career, and till today he has dominated all bowling attacks in the world and given his best for India when it matters the most. So in the light of Mumbai cricket and Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli was a huge hype at the start of his career but could never live up to the expectations of the till-date unforgiving Indian fans.

Secondly, in the Indian sub-continent, another player who I can dwell upon is Mohammad Ashraful. The Bangladeshi batsman became a household name right after his debut Test. At just a tender age of 16, against a powerful Sri Lankan attack, Ashraful defied all the odds and scored 114 runs off 212 balls, which might have lost Bangladesh the match, but it did give the country a future to live for. However, as expected, Ashraful did not live up to the hopes that he had created with that knock.

His lean patch continued for another 3-4 years until he hit back with a cracking 158 against India at Chittagong. Ashraful then had a kind of a golden run for the next six months considering that he was not even 21. He scored a memorable century against Australia in England in 2005, creating an upset as Bangladesh won by 5 wickets.

Although Bangladesh did not make it into the finals of that triseries in England, yet it was widely believed that if Ashraful was in top form, the country could win some more matches against top teams. But then again, Ashraful lost his steam as he was dropped from the side during the ICC Champions Trophy in India. And then all of a sudden, after a good 2007 World Cup, Ashraful was selected as captain of his country at the age of 22! But again, it didn’t make a huge difference as his batting suffered still and his captaincy wasn’t up to the mark.

As a result, he was even dropped as captain from the 2009 World T-20 onwards. Currently, his place in the side is under scrutiny and I believe it is due to his experience of 10 years of international cricket that captain Shakib al Hasan and coach Jamie Siddons are persisting with him. If he doesn’t return to his best, and Bangladesh find an ideal, young batting star, it could be curtains to Ashraful, who has under-performed right throughout his career.

Bangladesh is developing as a cricketing nation, but had Ashraful been able to play knowing how much is he capable of, Bangladesh could have by now atleast been in the top 8 in the rankings of ODI cricket, if not Tests.

JP Duminy is another contemporary player that I can think of. Duminy was first spotted in 2004 where he made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo. However, a strong batting line-up prevented Duminy to retain his place in the side after that series. Though, there was some hope for him.

Ashwell Prince got injured ahead of the tour of Australia in 2008. Duminy was sent in as replacement. And he took full advantage of this opportunity by scoring an important half-century, remaining unbeaten to steer South Africa to the victory post chasing a mammoth total of 414 on a fast track at Perth in the second innings. He then scored a match-winning 166 in the next Test at Melbourne.

A brilliant Test series was followed by impressive performances in the ODIS and T-20s against Australia in Australia as well as in South Africa, in the return series. This helped him earn a $950000 contract with the Mumbai Indians for a period of two years, making him one of the most expensive players in the IPL ever. However, there was nothing much to celebrate about from here on.

He didn’t live up to his value in the IPL 2 and IPL 3. He struggled in the home series against England in 2009 and in India in 2010. And currently, on the tour of West Indies, he isn’t favoured in the starting XI by captain Graeme Smith. So JP Duminy has found it tough going after an amazing tour of Australia, when he made his debut. But it is expected that he makes a good comeback and help South Africa become No.1 in all three formats of the game. Otherwise, the team is ready to give its batting reserves a crack at the international level, which could hasten the end of his career.

In the West Indies, the one player who I believe is a huge hype is Kieron Pollard. Pollard got known across the world as a dangerous all-rounder following a match-winning 51 runs of just 18 balls against New South Wales in the 2009 T-20 Champions League. This paved the way for a stint in the IPL 2010 with the Mumbai Indians, being the tournament’s most expensive player ever, if media reports are to be believed.

Pollard also signed a contract with South Australia, for the KFC Big Bash last season. However, statistics show that after the Champions League, Pollard has struggled to make it big for the West Indies side. He has scored 359 runs in 13 innings at an average of just 27.61, in one-day cricket, even though he has batted mostly either at 6 or 7 in the batting order. His condition in T-20s is worse when it comes to play for his country.

He has made 104 runs only in 10 innings. Even in the IPL, barring the last 3 games of the Mumbai Indians, Pollard certainly didn’t live up to the expectations of many as the most expensive player as his value was less whenever Mumbai won. And it was worse when they lost.

For South Australia as well, Pollard didn’t make a major contribution, but somehow they won the championship. Kieron Pollard is still sought-after due to his all-round abilities, which are crucial in the shorter formats of the game. Yet, if he doesn’t mature in time, like the other cricketers in the article, he too could face the axe by various teams which could make him face the dead end of his career.

The ultimate dream of an aspiring, young cricketer is to book a place for himself in the national team. And the national cap is a proof of this. Indeed, the world population is increasing from time to time.

As a result, the number of people who wish to enter the world of cricket as players is increasing at an alarming rate. The top cricketing nations in the world want to continue to dominate so players, who have worked hard in domestic cricket, might easily get a call-up into the national team.

India, for instance, has emphasized on the importance of a mix of the young and old. Greg Chappell, the former India coach, started this tradition through the rotation policy in 2005, which allowed newcomers to prove their worth at the international level.

Although Chappell’s tenure was forgettable in the history of Indian cricket, he could be given enough credit to have worked upon young players in order to win more matches for India in the future. RP Singh, for instance, earned his national cap in 2005 against Zimbabwe.

So did Suresh Raina, against Sri Lanka in the same year, at the time when the 2007 World Cup was just 18 months away and India was suffering a leadership crisis as well as team fighting.

These two players have turned out to be important for the Indian ODI team, and RP Singh is also a good Test match bowler. And since 2008, India has been giving away national caps to players than ever before. It is due to a phenomenon called the IPL.

There are many examples in this case, such as Pragyan Ojha, who had an exceptional first year with the Deccan Chargers, considering his team’s poor performance. In the same season, Manpreet Gony, a talented fast bowler, did well to steer the Chennai Super Kings into the finals, which allowed Dhoni to pick him in the playing XI in the Asia Cup, soon after.

Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial role in helping the Rajasthan Royals win and this made Shane Warne, his captain recommend him to play for India. And his wish came true in February 2009 when Jadeja made his debut in Sri Lanka.

And recently, R Vinay Kumar of the Royal Challengers Bangalore also played a match in the World T-20, after a terrific IPL where he finished in the Top 5 wicket-takers category and a decent Ranji Trophy too.

Abhimanyu Mithun also got his national cap in an ODI against South Africa in February 2010 when he ended as the highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy last season.

It is not just India, even England are following the same method by keenly following county cricket. Jonathan Trott was picked first in 2007 after a fantastic season with Warwickshire as England were looking to build a strong team in all three formats of the game considering a poor Ashes series and an extremely disappointing World Cup campaign in the West Indies.

One of the toughest selections that England had ever made was for the Ashes series in 2005. A young, swashbuckling batsman named Kevin Pietersen was picked ahead of a far more experienced and reliable Graham Thorpe in the squad of 15.

Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher believed that a youthful English side was all that they needed to beat a strong Australian team, and that proved to be correct.

The transition happened in one series where Ian Bell and Pietersen played memorable knocks to get the Ashes back in England after a long gap of 19 years. Thus, in a country like England, where soccer is followed passionately by many youngsters, the ECB is giving incentives by allowing young players to enter the cricketing fray, in order to make their careers in cricket and help England become a top nation in cricket in the long-run.

Australia and South Africa are ranked highly in all three formats of the game as they believe that it is through playing T-20 for the national side, that youngsters can be tested and then can make the cut in the ODI and the Test teams respectively.

The performances in the IPL and the KFC Big Bash are crucial criteria for selection. For example, Australia’s team which made it to the finals of the World T-20 in 2010 had many players who played first in the T-20 format and then the ODIS. David Warner, for instance, played for Australia first in a T-20 game against South Africa and he made a name for himself in the same match to qualify for playing in the ODIs.

Players like Daniel Christian and Steven Smith are established, young T-20 players who are trying to pave their way into the ODI team as well. Australia have a strong and an overall young bowling attack in ODIS which can help them rotate so that the best XI can be chosen in major World Events or in important series such as the Ashes.

South Africa too have players such as Rory Kleinveldt and Loots Bosman who are T-20 specialists and are bound to be in the ODI team if they perform well in T-20s and domestic cricket. David Miller, too had a good T-20 outing against West Indies recently, and as a result earned a call-up into the starting XI recently, with South Africa axing JP Duminy!

Other teams such as New Zealand and Sri Lanka already have a good amount of youngsters playing at the international level. So, giving away national caps doesn’t make sense, though they should be doing this wisely in the long-run, in order to rise in the ICC rankings.

Minnows such as West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are not able to groom youngsters in order to mentally prepare them to play for their country.

Although the IPL and the Champions League has helped, yet their players are motivated my money and so would prefer playing more in such tournaments. And lastly, teams like Pakistan should be united enough to accept young blood in the side any further after the country has been suffering due to a callous administration, which has no interest in the welfare of the team.

Pakistani players also need to be taught that their country is more important to play for rather than themselves. It is only then that the meaning of giving out a national cap becomes more valid.

Graeme Swann

Cricket has seen innumerable exceptionally talented men fall by the wayside. Basit Ali, Vinod Kambli, and coming to Englishmen, Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick among others.

Each story of failure had a diverse raison d’être – Ali found fame too tough to handle, Kambli took it very lightly, while Ramprakash and Hick did not have the mental aptitude to deal with high-voltage pressure.

The last mentioned’s namesake – Graeme Swann – seemed destined to join the growing list until 2009 changed it all. With 99 wickets in 45 matches, combining all three versions of the game, Swann has scripted a turnaround of magnanimous proportions.

The off spinner, who has deservedly been chosen ECB’s cricketer of the year, is worthy of all the plaudits. In today’s cut-throat scenario, it is next to impossible to make an international comeback once you have crossed 30.

Self-admittedly, Swann himself had given up hope of representing England after being unceremoniously dropped on disciplinary grounds, as a 20-year-old in South Africa in 1999/2000. He was lucky to get that rare second chance. But boy, has he taken some advantage of it.

Not only did he help fashion England’s second Ashes triumph in four years, he was also the mainstay of the bowling attack during England’s unexpected, glorious triumph in West Indies during the just-concluded T20 World Cup. And, he has done wonders not only with the ball, but also contributed significantly with the willow on numerous occasions.

The most striking aspect of Swann’s performance with the ball over the last year has been his attacking modus operandi, which reiterated that the cricketing cliché, attack is the best form of defense, still holds true.

Even as spinners the world over are preferring to stop the batsmen from scoring runs rather than going for the wickets, a confidence-personified Swann has been prepared to toss the ball in the air, and has reaped rich rewards for it, not least of all sowing the seeds of doubt in the batsmen’s mind every time he comes on to bowl.

At the same time, Swann hasn’t proved expensive is any form of the game. This deadly mix is a rarest of rare combination, and can only be achieved by a special talent. Swann has done more than enough to illustrate that he is one.

During his younger days, the offie was considered a genuine future prospect, but lacked the maturity to identify his own gift. Some talents bloom late, but when they do, their radiance encapsulates all. Same has been the case with Swann. Even since his comeback, he has performed like a man possessed, but always with a smile on his face.

The enjoyment writ large on his face has doubled his success. When you are glad with what you are doing, the chances of you doing well are that much better. Having said that, the difference between that 20-year-old rookie and this 31-year-old performing great feats, is the detection the fine balance between not taking things too seriously and, at the same time, always giving your best.

Having said that, it would be criminally unfair not to credit Swann’s fighter-like attitude for his magnificent second coming. While he has been exceptional with the ball, the challenging circumstances under which some of his recent knocks have come, were reminiscent of the ones Steve ‘Tugga’ Waugh played for Australia.

A compliment too big for Swann too early, but befitting considering the contribution he has made to English cricket in just over a year; for not only has Swann’s approach breathed fresh life into England’s cricket, it has ushered a new era in the history of the nation’s cricket.

Cricket stadium in Lauderhill, Florida

The two-match T20 series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand held in Florida, in an effort to spread the tentacles of the game wider, wasn’t anywhere close to spectacular.

The series was tied 1-1, but that was hardly of any significance. What was of consequence was the fact that both the games were disappointingly low, slow, and one-sided affairs.

Sri Lanka were shot out for 92 in the opening game, and New Zealand crumbled to 81 in the second — hardly ideal when the initiative was to present the game to a global audience, via its most fast-paced version.

Let’s not say that the experiment was a failure though. On the contrary, the short series should be seen as a stepping stone towards building future blocks.

As evident from the contests between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, there is plenty of scope for improvement as the International Cricket Council looks to promote cricket in the nation of its most-superior elder brother, baseball! What the ICC did get right was the selection of the right format to promote the game among the Americans.

Next, they need to concentrate on providing better surfaces than the ones presently available. With the slow, low pitches, it was hardly surprising that the batting crumbed in both the matches, and that only two sixes were hit in either game.

Even the average cricket fan will not be attracted to such dull affairs, leave alone the fast-paced Americans. The ideal situation would have been for both teams to score in excess of at least 160, and the matches going into the last over. Such things, however, cannot be scripted.

Conversely, chances of that happening can be accelerated by the efforts of providing batsman-friendly pitches. And, that must be the paramount motive in the minds of the ICC for a start. They shouldn’t sit back thinking, things will improve as time goes along, and must act swiftly.

Moving on, having proper facilities is highly significant to make the players feel at home, and encourage them to perform to the best of their abilities. While there were no major complaints from either side during the recently-concluded experimental series, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori aptly pointed out, “Most international grounds probably need those off-field facilities where you can train while the game is going on.”

The absence of such basic necessities were felt by the players even during such a short tourney, emphasizing its significance. With cricket not even being a pass time in the USA, the cricket board of the country cannot be expected to fulfil this criteria. Here again, the ICC must step in and ensure that everything is in order before the next major tournament takes place.

Even though nothing major was achieved with the two matches played, it wasn’t an exercise entirely in futility either. At least the people of USA got a glimpse of T20, albeit a slower adaptation.

However, the fact that both teams admitted to enjoying playing in Florida is a definite positive. While the objective was to pull the crowds it, it is equally important for the players to feel comfortable and relaxed.

Only when they are pleased with the surroundings will they be able to entertain the crowds. The start may have been slow and unsteady. Yet, cricket lovers must support the ICC in its globalizing endeavour. And so, let the experiments continue.