Cricket Tournaments

India - England

India’s tour to West Indies has already kick-started with a win over them each in ODI’s and the T-20 formats. With youngsters giving a chance to prove their mettle in tests as well since the senior players have been given some rest, people are looking forward to the positives coming out of this series as this will prove how strong is India’s bench strength. However, this series hasn’t been the talking point which surprises me quite a lot as India- West Indies rivalry has been phenomenal as years have passed on, though it has lost its touch in the last decade or so.

With India touring England in the month of July this year, the focus has completely shifted on to them. With India playing overseas after a long time, it has to be a tough one to go past. Ganguly said,” India will win in West Indies, but England will be tough”. This looks quite true with the fact that England has been playing phenomenal cricket around and have been going great guns. Retaining Ashes cup at away and defeating Australia at their home ground is no sort of joke. Though their ranking in ODIs is quite higher when compared to their performances but when it comes to tests they’re just looking for a chance to throttle India from the top spot. And when you have the opportunity to defeat India in their own den with flurrying bouncers and swing that takes away the game from the Indian counterparts.

But what makes England a serious competitor to the #1 ranking which India has earned so deservedly. These players are certainly to be credited.

Alastair Cook

Averaging 48 in his test cricket, he gives England a perfect start what a team actually needs. But what has been exceptional, is the way he has come up and shown what he means to his team. He was the main reason to why England retained the Ashes trophy. A run machine for England, he scored 766 runs in 5 tests he played with an exceptional average of over 120. With 3 centuries, 1 double century and 3 more half-centuries he had a splendid series. And that happened in just about 7 innings in which he played. Even in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, he has already notched 335 runs in just 3 innings. Being in blazing form, he is the torch-bearer for England at the moment and certainly the man to watch out for.

Jonathan Trott

An exceptional player, playing just 19 tests has already notched 6 international hundreds which includes 2 double hundreds already. A prolific batsman, he has been in tremendous form this year, winning the cricketer of the year award for England. In the Ashes series tour he was next only to Alastair Cook and Michael Hussey for the number of runs he has scored. An exceptional double hundred in the 1^st test he played against Sri Lanka in the ongoing test series, was an example of his unbreakable defense. Always on the lookout for runs, he is going to be tough one to breakthrough.

Greame Swann

Been considered to become the best off-spinner, he certainly has got the talent to be one. With a career 135 wickets and a splendid economy rate of 2.9, he has always kept on the batsmen and never let him score runs. He always keeps the batsmen in defense and keeps him thinking all the time. The batsman ultimately succumbs to the batsmen and gives away his wicket. Making a debut in 2000 for an ODI, he was called back in 2007 and ultimately cemented his place in the team. Playing his spin is difficult, and with India touring to England in July, it’s going to be a strong but healthy rivalry between the best off-spinners in the world at the moment, Swann and Harbhajan Singh.

James Anderson

The spearhead of the England pace attack, he has been phenomenal this season. With 24 wickets in the Ashes series, he dismantled the Australian batting line up with sheer pace and his swinging ability. An experienced bowler, he is one of the best pacers in the world today along with Dale Steyn, Zaheer Khan and Brett Lee. Though injured at the moment, it’s highly likely that he would recover before India’s tour and would get the perfect rest before such a high-profile series which would decide to who actually deserves the #1 ranking. Pace and swing is all that he’s got, and with the England pitches he wouldn’t need anything more except the experience and intelligence which he’s god-gifted.

Apart from these players, there are many more players who have been in exceptional form. Just the fact, that these players have taken away the limelight from the other players. Andrew Strauss along with Ian Bell and Matt Prior also has notched up some outstanding performances. Ian Bell especially has been consistently performing. Kevin Pieterson, though injured for the moment he has been well impressive for England in a couple of matches himself.  Even in the bowling department, Chris Tremlett has been phenomenal. Picking up 17 wickets in the Ashes tour and demolishing the Sri Lankan side along with Swann to win the test match which was always looking for a draw, he has given England a bowler to support Anderson.

A tough time ahead, India is not going to take this series lightly. M.S.Dhoni, the calmest ever captain the cricketing world would have ever seen, might know it better but it all falls down to square one. Defending the number 1 spot against a team like England is going to be tough. Laxman said,”I never got a 100 in England. Hopefully, it would be very special if I get a 100 at Lord’s and India wins the match,” Preparation has to be tough and I don’t think India will falter at this point atleast. A rivalry to watch out for, India-England has always been exceptional to watch. Right from early days, to taking out shirt incident by Andrew Flintoff and Ganguly mocking the same one, to Yuvraj Singh hitting Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over. There might be many more moments which I wouldn’t have been even aware about.

A tough schedule ahead, India-England is going to be an interesting tie to watch.

This day may not be the most significant of days in cricketing history, but there are a few memorable incidents that have taken place.

In 1998, Michael Atherton faced his last day as England’s Test skipper. England lost to West Indies in Antigua and also lost the Test series subsequently. West Indies were not the strongest side in those times, but England had this uncanny knack of a batting collapse in Test matches, when Atherton was captain. And his tenure ended in that fashion. In the second innings of the Test, England lost their last seven wickets for 26 runs in a span of 26 overs, and the demolition was led by Courtney Walsh.

Today we celebrate three birthdays. One is of the Australian, Dean Jones. He was Australia’s reliable No.3 for a long period in his career. The innings of 210 in the tied Test in Chennai in 1986 was an example of his steadfastness despite him throwing up due to the heat. Once he quit the game, he switched to commentary. He was fired by a TV channel for allegedly calling Hashim Amla, the South African batsman a ‘terrorist’ in 2006 on air. Also lately he has also been under controversy for bearing a love child. Yet, he remains one of the most enigmatic Australian cricketers of all time, who has had moderate success.

The other is of Graeme Swann. He is England’s No.1 spinner at the moment in all formats of the game. Born in 1979, Swann made his Test debut as late as in November 2008 in Chennai against India. And he has been a revelation since that game when he picked Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid in two consecutive balls. He is a wily off-spinner whose guile and flight have troubled many a batsmen across the world. He ended as the second highest wicket-taker in 2010, and is currently ranked 3rd in the ICC Test bowler rankings. His contributions were vital in helping England being unbeaten at home since his debut, and levelling the Test series in South Africa in 2009 as well as winning the Ashes in Australia in 2010 for the first time since 1986.

Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib al Hasan turns 24 today. He made his international debut in August 2006 against Zimbabwe. Keeping in mind his consistent performances, he was rewarded with the national side’s captaincy in June 2009 due to an injury to Mashrafe Mortaza. As skipper, he has led Bangladesh to their first series win away from home, i.e, against West Indies in July 2009, in both Tests and ODIS. As well as a home series win against New Zealand in November 2010, beating them 4-0 in 4 ODIS. He is a cunning left-arm spinner and a handy middle-order batsman. His status as the world’s No.1 allrounder was accentuated, when he was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2011 IPL auction.

Two depleted teams face off in tomorrow’s marquee clash. Bangladesh takes on England in the port city of Chittagong, at the time when both of teams are in hot waters. The hosts suffered an embarrassing nine-wicket defeat in the hands of a weakened West Indies team a few days ago. While England, who seemed to have gained some momentum after the win against South Africa last Sunday have been dented with the injuries of Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad.

It remains to be seen who comes out on top; in a battle which could change the course of Group A. Bangladesh have only won 1 out of 3 matches that they have played so far in the World Cup, so this is a must-win game for Bangladesh or else they are virtually knocked out of the competition. England have also won 2 out of 4 matches so far, and a win here would assure them a quarterfinal berth. But if they lose, they have to beat West Indies in their last group match by a huge margin to qualify. So I am sure England would want to wrap it all up tomorrow itself.

If Bangladesh has to win, they have to rely on their bowlers to do major damage. England’s batting looks fragile without Pietersen and even if Morgan comes in for this game, it does not reduce the pressure on skipper Andrew Strauss to score runs at the top of the order. Their bowling might be hit severely with the exit of Broad, yet Bangladesh does not boast of a strong batting line-up and I would not be surprised to see England’s bowlers, especially Graeme Swann have a field day just as they did against the Proteas.

My hunch is that England are still the firm favourites to reach the victory post tomorrow. But, Bangladesh can never be counted out these days, so they can take advantage of England’s vulnerability as this World Cup has shown that anything is possible.

Bangladesh (probable): Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shakib al Hasan (Captain), Raqibul Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Abdur Razzak, Naeem Islam, Shaiful Islam, Rubel Hossain.

England (probable): Andrew Strauss (Captain), Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (WK), Eoin Morgan, Michael Yardy, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Ajmal Shahzad.

After a drubbing at the Adelaide Oval, the action moved to the WACA, Perth with the Australians staring at a series defeat. A loss to England would mean that Australia would slip to the 6th position on the ICC rankings, their lowest since the system came into reckoning and more importantly Ricky Ponting’s 3rd loss as Australian Captain, the most in the history of the urn.

The stakes were high, the Australian fans just hoped their home team could draw the series, winning being far from their thoughts. After an innings defeat, the Australians had to bounce back and well to create any sort of impact. A lot of chaos was seen around the Australian side, changes, uncapped spinner into the ranks, a sight all to common but usually in the English dressing room. However, times have changed. The once laudable bench strength is hard to see across the country.
Nevertheless, the changes were rung in, Johnson, Hilfenhaus and uncapped spinner in Michael beer were called up. Bollinger, North and Doherty were given the axe after some toothless performances in the 2nd test.
Australia decided to go in with the 4 fast bowlers with Steven Smith at number 6 filling in for North and as the spinner’s role.
All the talks about the old WACA wicket eventually came true. The pitch on the day before the test looked very similar to that of the square. It was green, outfield like. Perhaps, that is the reason why the Australians decided to keep young Michael Beer out of the fray. Although the pitch would favour the tall English seamers, a green wicket was also Australia’s best chance of leveling the series and so it was!
Having won the toss, Andrew Strauss took the decision of bowling in the hope of getting a few early wickets on a lively pitch.

The two forceful changes for both sides were Philip Hughes coming in for the injured Simon Katich and Chris Tremlett coming in for Stuart Broad who was ruled out of the series with an abdominal strain. Both series debutants were in the thick of things right from the word go as Hughes was the first to go bowled of tremlett in an attempt to flick across the line. Australian skipper Ponting looked pretty good in his brief stay of 12 before he pushed at one outside the off stump of Anderson with Collingwood collecting a beauty at 2nd slip. Michael Clarke was next to go caught Prior and the Australians once again found themselves reeling at 28-3. Just when one thought it could not get worse for Australia, it did, watson was caught in front of the wicket of Finn. Hussey and Steven Smith strung something together as they tottered to lunch with 4 back in the hut and not much on the board.
The English struck back immediately after lunch and all of a sudden it was back to Hussey and Haddin to do the job and so they did. The duo continued their good form and put together a 68 run partnership. Haddin’s coming of age and Hussey’s resurgence to form has come at the right time for Australia. However, they could not pull off a gabba once again and hussey was dismissed by Swann of Prior.
Mitchell Johnson who made a return to the national team after being dropped at the Adelaide Oval walked in with the crowd backing him. Johnson really needed to make some runs to get his confidence going. Fortunately for Australia, he did. Haddin and Johnson went into one day mode and flayed away all around the wickets. They put on 52 runs before Haddin went for one shot too many and perished to a brilliant catch of Swann. Mitchell Johnson continued to swing and got some quick runs with the tail before Steven Finn did for him. The last wicket pair added an invaluable 35 runs in quick time taking the total to 268. Once again it was Hussey and Haddin who resurrected the innings. Johnson played his part too with a fluent 62. Australia may feel they are unable to get the 20 wickets to win a test match, well, th fact of the matter is their top order needs to score too for them to win a test.
The English bowlers were comprehensive once again with all four of them chipping in with the wickets. Anderson was the pick of the bowlers, Tremlett was pretty impressive too in his come back test.
A lot going right for the English.
The batsmen needed to survive a tricky hour or so before the end of day one and so they did; ending up on 29 for no loss.

Australia came to the ground next day knowing that, it was the biggest moment of the Ashes. If Australia had to claw a comeback into the series, that was the day, that was the time. But nothing seem to have changed as Australia failed to grab on to another chance. Strauss edged one of harris and the ball flew between keeper and first slip, none of them even moving a tad. Australia thought to themselves, they had let it go.
England cruised along to 78 for no loss before Ponting handed the ball to Mitchell Johnson. The left armer continued his good form at the WACA as he, in retrospect, bowled one of the most inspiring spell of the 2010 Ashes. Johnson got his in swing (to the right hander) going which made him the bowler that he is known to be.
The left armer bounced back in style as he got rid of the in form Alastair Cook with one that just left the south paw and was sniffled by Michael Hussey who took a brilliant low catch at gully. Australia were on the board.

Jonathan Trott was next to go as he was trapped right in front in an attempt to work one across the line. Mitch got the shape back into the right hander and sent Australia’s two biggest worries back to the pavillion without much damage (in comparison to the first two tests of the series). Flamboyant Kevin Pietersen walked in with a hundred behind him and confidence pumping. Johnson got it spot on immediately and the English had a mini collapse, Johnson was really living up to his WACA reputation and soon the wickets kept falling as the Australians started dominating proceedings. Strauss was given no second chance after the morning blip and was collected neatly by Haddin of Harris. Paul Collingwood was the next of Johnson’s 6 victims and was again done in by the late movement at high speed. The Australians were back at their best and ruling the roost with the English reeling at 98 for 5. Bell, Prior and Swann put together a bit of a resistance before the Australian bowlers did for them. Siddle started his barrage of bouncers to Prior who had the ball go of his arm onto the stumps. Siddle did not hold anything back and gave Prior a mouth full which lead to the English wicket keeper asking his counterpart to meet him outside the ground. The incident was played down as a string of events followed soon after as the Poms were bundled out for a poultry 187. Johnson ended up with 6 for 38 with Ryan Harris being the other major contributor with 3 wickets. The Australians had got their tail up with a very valuable lead of 81.
The Australians came into bat and were in trouble immediately as Hughes was set up by Steven Finn and fell to a catch at third slip, gleefully accepted by Collingwood. Ricky Ponting’s dreadful Ashes campaign seemed to continue as the Australian captain gloved one down the leg side of Steven Finn. Michael Clarke looked in a bit of a hurry in his brief stay at the wicket before Chris Tremlett accounted for him. All of a sudden, the Australians were 3 down with not much on the board and the English could sniff a chance but once again to their undoing was their series nemesis, Mr. Cricket, Michael Hussey.
Watson and Hussey flayed away all around the wicket as the duo joined forces together in a 113 run stand for the 4th wicket. This partnership took the match away from the English and the Australians were once again back in the driver’s seat. Shane Watson look flawless in his innings and one thought he was en route to his 3rd test match hundred but that was not to be as the blonde bombshell from Queensland had departed once again after making a 50. Watson is probably the worst as far as conversion rate is concerned or is soon getting there. Tremlett got one to jag back in to trap Watto in front of the 3 pegs. Watson in despair decided to refer it but the decision would stay and he had to go after a well made 95. Hussey stayed on and along with Ashes debutant, Steven Smith put together a quick few runs before he did a Ponting and was caught down the leg side. Unlike the Australian first innings, the lower order did not have much to say this time around the last 5 failed to reach double figures. The Aussies had bit of a mini collapse but that would not hurt them as Michael Hussey had done the damage with another brilliant hundred.

The Australians finally folded for 309 with a lead of 81 runs, basically implying that England needed 391 to win on a track which still had some pace and bounce in it. Chris Tremlett was the pick of England’s bowlers. He ended up with impressive figures in his comeback trail of 5 for 87. It was up to the English batsman now to pull off something extraordinary and seal the deal as far as the series is concerned. It was not impossible with 2 days to go but was going to be an uphill task with a fiery Australian attack and some aid with the conditions being in their favour.

The Poms had 11 sessions to make their runs and sometimes that could work against you as batsman tend to go into their shell instead of playing their natural game and that is what seemed to happen with England. The Aussies hit the ground running and drew first blood almost immediately with Ryan Harris getting on to straighten, cook missed and was trapped plum in front of the wicket. From then on in the English wickets fell like nine pins. There was no substantial partnership and the Australian bowlers rattled the English. This time round it was Johnson who played second fiddle and Ryan Harris assumed the strike bowler’s role. He snuck out 6 of the 10 wickets to fall and dominated proceedings to come. The English ended their day with the score board reading 78 for 5. The last ball of the day summed up the entire test match as Collingwood fished at one outside the off stump of Harris and was caught at slip by Steven Smith.

Australia made quick work of the English next morning, wrapping up the lower middle order under 50 runs. Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson lead the Australians off the field and rightly so. It was Mitchell Johnson who bagged the man of the match award. He bowled one of the best spells bowled in Ashes history on the 2nd afternoon more so after a horrid time of it and being dropped for the first time in his career. Johnson also chipped in with the bat at the tail end of the first innings with a useful 60 odd, which helped the Australians reach a respectable albeit modest total of 268. In retrospect, the Australians still found themselves reeling when the English had reached 78 for no loss. It was Mitch Johnson who was the perpetuator and he changed the course of the match.
In the skippers words, his spell was the defining moment of the Ashes and could change things to come in the next two tests. However, one must not forget that Australia still have things to worry about. Harris and Johnson are not going to get another Perth like wicket and the freemantle breeze would be missing too. The dry, slow surface at the MCG would aid Graeme Swann’s off spin. Australia may not be able to go in with the same attack with Smith playing as the spinner. But again one would not one to change a winning combination. Australia’s batting with the exception of Watson, Hussey and Haddin has left a lot to be desired. The rest must find their feet soon enough as it would be highly unlikely that a single man would drive the series in Australia’s favour.

Having said this, the momentum is with the Australians and the English have worries of their own, they find themselves carrying Paul Collingwood.

What one can be sure of is, the standard of cricket will just rise and as a neutral this sure is what Test cricket is loved for.

After a dull draw at Brisbane, the pressure on both England and Australia intensified as a win becomes a must at Adelaide to gain bragging rights for the remainder of the Ashes. Brisbane ultimately saw the psychological advantage go in England’s way as they scored a huge 517/1 in the second innings to achieve a draw, after a first innings deficit of 235 runs. On the other hand, Australia for the first time perhaps in a home series was under the pump because of a poor second innings bowling performance from all the bowlers and also Ricky Ponting’s captaincy is under scrutiny. The hype built on Adelaide seemed to be greater than that of Brisbane, as Andrew Strauss and Ricky Ponting walked out for the toss as 30,000 fans at the Adelaide Oval were rallying behind their teams. Ponting won the toss and elected to bat on another batting-friendly surface.
However, right from the first over, Australia succumbed to the pressure built on them. Simon Katich was run out of the fourth ball of the Australian innings in a horrible mix-up with Shane Watson. And worse he didn’t face a single ball. And then Ponting couldn’t have asked for a worse innings on his 150th Test. He was out first ball, edging an outswinging delivery to a waiting Graeme Swann at second slip. James Anderson and England were on a roll. England’s morning even got better when the Australian vice-captain, Michael Clarke was out in a similar fashion as Ponting for a mere score of 2 as Australia was reduced to 2/3 in 2.1 overs. Yet, Shane Watson was at the other end even as Michael Hussey walked into the crease.
Watson was unfazed by a bad start as he went on to score a dominant half-century which included 7 fours and a huge six of Swann. However, he proved to Anderson’s third wicket as his dismissal meant that Australia were reduced to 96/4. The next batsman was Marcus North, who many felt is surviving in the team due to his bowling than batting, and should not be playing. North was finding his touch until Graeme Swann dismissed him for 26. It was Brad Haddin who was the next man in, and he and Hussey needed to once again save Australia, just like how they did at the Gabba.
Hussey kept fighting even as wickets were falling. He was certainly back in the business with a well-deserved 93 after the superb 195 in the previous Test. It seemed like he was going to bail Australia out of a precarious situation yet again, until Swann, the world’s No.2 Test bowler made Hussey lose his concentration as he drove a fullish ball spinning outside off-stump to second slip to Collingwood, who doesn’t miss many catches. Swann struck again as Ryan Harris was given out lbw first ball controversially. It was 207/7, when Xavier Doherty joined Haddin at the crease. Brad Haddin proved his mettle yet again with a half-century. Despite this innings, England were able to bowl out Australia for 245 as Australia’s lower order didn’t trouble the scorers much. James Anderson was the star with 4 wickets in the end, and Swann got 2 wickets as well which is good considering that he had a bad game at Brisbane. Steven Finn and Stuart Broad got a wicket each. At the end of the day, England ended at 1/0 after 1 over with Strauss walking off the pitch as a happier man than his counterpart, Ricky Ponting who has a fair amount of contemplating to do if he has to ensure an Australian fightback on the second days play.

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…

Post achieving Test status over a decade back, there has been a significant improvement in Bangladesh’s cricket. However, following yet another Test defeat, the latest against England at Lord’s, one is forced to believe that they still have miles to go before being seen as a force to reckon with at an international level.

The major issue with Bangladesh’s cricket has been their inept bowling, which was exposed once again. While the spinners can come in handy on home pitches, the bowling doesn’t really make much of an impression when they go abroad.

And, this one area the Asian minnows would really have to work hard upon in the years to come, if they aim to be consistent in the longer version of the game. In both the innings at Lord’s, the English batsmen looked in no trouble at all, and eventually romped home to victory, which should worry Bangladesh no end.

Of course, when a side amasses 700 plus, they must have played some exceptional cricket. Jonathan Trott’s double hundred was a classic Test match innings, and the Bangladesh batsmen can learn a lot from his knock.

In contrast, Andrew Strauss’ trouble-free half-century in the second innings only reaffirmed what the opposition’s weak link was.

Bangladesh’s bowling effort stuck out like a sore thumb more so since their batting was equally praiseworthy. Tamim Iqbal, in particular, registered an outstanding century, which clearly frustrated the English bowlers.

There were moments when Iqbal looked in total command of the innings and literally toyed with a bowling, which was more than decent by international standards. Again, like their bowling, Bangladesh have plenty of scope for improvement in their batting.

When the conditions were bright and sunny, Bangladesh’s batsmen were on top, but when the sun hid behind the clouds they were miserable, which was primarily responsible for their loss. Their batsmen thus need to be physically as well as mentally tough to cope with varying situations.

Despite the impressive eight-wicket victory margin, England also had their share of troubles amidst the glory, not least of was their inability of make an impression on the batsmen when there wasn’t must assistance from the pitch. If they can be torn apart by an average side like Bangladesh, imagine the havoc that Australia can cause on batsman-friendly pitches.

This should be a strong cause of worry for Andrew Strauss and his men as they head into the second Test. The think-tank of Andy Flower and co need to sit down and analyze how they can improve on this aspect in the coming games.

Graeme Swann had an off game, failing to pick up a single wicket. But, one shouldn’t read too much into it as there was hardly anything on offer for the spinners, as the pacers made merry.

Among the positives for the home team, there were quite a few, expectedly considering the opposition was Bangladesh. Even so, Steven Finn’s nine-wicket effort on debut has to rated as a top-notch performance.

Demonstrating a Glenn McGrath-like accuracy in his first Test, Finn was unplayable under cloudy conditions, an effort reminiscent of Graham Onions during his debut last year.

While he was lethal under helpful conditions, his real test would come when the circumstances get tougher, and there isn’t enough on offer from the surface. For now though, he can enjoy his moment in the sun whilst preparing for the bigger battles ahead.

England would undoubtedly take the momentum from the win into the second Test. And, while Bangladesh can pat themselves on the back for putting up a tough fight, sooner or later, they need to realize that the transition from being brave losers to becoming competitive to the extent of winning needs to take place soon.

Else, the frustration levels of not only the cricketers, but those of the country’s fans, as well as the ICC will be tested.

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.