There was no place for Marlon Samuels in SportsMax’s Ultimate XI T20 batsmen 3-5 after a panel of experts dumped the allrounder from a shortlist of 14 on the SportsMax Zone earlier today.
The panel consisting of David Brook, cricket commentator and reporter, Sachin Ramsuhbag, cricket commentator, and Chris Taylor, commentator and cricket umpire, felt Samuels, though a proven match winner, did not stack up with the consistency of some of the other batsmen in the list.
The panel also felt that Samuels’ strike rate (117.93) over the course of 187 games was not high enough, when compared to others in the list.
That list reads a veritable who’s who in the T20 game, with India’s Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni; South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy and AB de Villiers; West Indies’ Samuels; England’s Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, and Joe Root; Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Shoaib Malik; Australia’s Glenn Maxwell; Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara; and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson all getting the nod.
From that list, du Plessis, Samuels, Morgan, Duminy, Sangakkara, Maxwell, Williamson and Root have all been cut.
That means Kohli, Pietersen, Babar, Shoaib, de Villiers and Dhoni are the men who will vie for three places, from the number-three to the number five positions in the batting line-up when another panel of experts makes a judgement on the SportsMax Zone tomorrow.
While voting fans, Fanalysts, just pick a final XI, if they were to pick a group for a final discussion, it might look a little different from the one the panel picked.
So far, the fans have favoured Kohli, de Villiers, Dhoni, Maxwell, Pietersen, and there is a toss-up between Samuels and Sangakkara for the sixth position.
For the fans, neither Babar nor Shoaib factor in their all-time XI.
Fans, called Fanalysts have a 30% weighted vote on who makes SportsMax’s Ultimate XI T20 team, with the SportsMax Zone having another 30% of the vote. The panel of experts’ vote will count for 40% of the overall votes.
Fanlysts can vote by clicking here or going to SportsMax.tv and just clicking on the Ultimate XI tab at the top of the screen.
SportsMax.tv has also built a list of profiles where Fanalysts can go to have a look at the careers of the players who have made the SportsMax Ultimate XI shortlist just in case you want to learn a little more about them before making your choice. To take a look at those players click here.
A panel of experts has decided that a pairing of Christopher Henry Gayle and David Warner would represent the best openers the T20 game has ever seen.
According to Zaheer Clarke, statistician, Chris Taylor, cricket umpire and commentator and noted cricket commentator and journalist, Fazeer Mohammed, Gayle’s body of work over the course of his career in the T20 game made him the first name on any list of all-time greats in the format.
The panel were picking from a final six after 13 shortlisted players were whittled down on Wednesday.
The six who made the final were Gayle, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Aaron Finch, David Warner, and Brendon McCullum.
While Gayle was a shoo-in on all the panellists books, there was a little difficulty in picking who would partner him.
According to Fazeer Mohammed, Finch would make a good partner for the big left hander, while Taylor and Clarke felt that Warner would do more damage up front with the Universe Boss.
The panel’s decision counts for 40% of the overall vote on who makes the SportsMax Ultimate XI, while the SportsMax Zone, like an online voting audience, has a 30% stake in proceedings.
This means there are still some decisions to be made with Gayle, by virtue of bagging votes from the Zone and the panel being selected as one of two Ultimate XI T20 openers.
The uncertainty about who will make up the other part of the pairing lies in the fact that the SportsMax Zone did not agree with the panel on who should partner Gayle, instead going with India’s Sharma.
Gayle stands head and shoulders over every batsman to ever play the T20 game with 13,296 runs behind his name at a healthy average of 38.20 from 404 games. Gayle strikes at an incredible 146.94 and has a whopping 22 centuries and 82 half-centuries in the format.
Sharma, who the Zone has picked, from 328 games has 8,642 runs at an average of 32.24 and has scored six centuries and 60 half-centuries.
Warner has not played as many games as the two, but enjoys a 142.20 strike rate from his 280 games, and has scored 9,218 runs, inclusive of eight centuries and 75 half-centuries already.
The choice is tough and may come down to who you like, as Lance Whittaker says, he is a Sharma fan.
To make your choice regarding who makes the SportsMax Ultimate XI, click here. Maybe like George Davis, you think the Zone is crazy for not picking Warner. If you want to learn more about the players, you can click here.
He is full of guile, as devious as any of the old masters in giving the ball a tweak. Yet, much of his bowling remains flat and quick, with the spinner getting much of his success with subtle variations of pace. Those variations, despite how quick he is, often beat the batsman in the air. He is an off-spinner who captures more than half his wickets with the ball that holds its line or that curious controversial variety called the doosra which breaks the other way — but he can also turn one back. Despite a late entry to cricket, making his debut at 32, he continued to play all formats, including the instant variety and went on to be a hero of Pakistan’s World Twenty20 triumph in 2010.
Full name: Saeed Ajmal
Born: October 14, 1977 (42), Faisalabad, Punjab
Major teams: Pakistan, Antigua Hawksbills, Dhaka Gladiators, Faisalabad, Faisalabad Wolves, Islamabad Cricket Association, Islamabad United, Khan Research Labs, Water and Power Development Authority, Worcestershire, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited
Playing role: Bowler
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm off-break
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
64 63 1430 1516 85 4/19 4/19 17.83 6.36 16.8 4 0 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
195 193 4338 4706 271 4/14 4/14 17.36 6.50 16.0 8 0 0
An aggressive batsman, with a penchant to clear the boundary with ease, he relies on hitting the ball out of the park. He is a little susceptible against spinners and often gets out to them, unable to pick which way it is going.
A dibbly-dobbly medium-pacer, he often rolls his fingers over the ball and bowls his leg cutters on a consistent basis. As a fielder, Pollard is one of the best in the world and has taken some unbelievable catches. An all-round fielder who can field at any position, he uses his long reach to good effect.
Pollard is also the second batsman to score more than 10,000 T20 runs, and the first to play more than 500 games in the format.
His experience and ability to analyze the game, in addition to his aggression made him the perfect candidate for West Indies white-ball captain. Pollard has led a West Indies resurgence in the formats.
Full name: Kieron Adrian Pollard
Born: May 12, 1987 (33), Tacarigua, Trinidad
Major teams: West Indies, Adelaide Strikers, Australian Cricketers Association All-Stars, Barbados Tridents, Bravo XI, Cape Cobras, Deccan Gladiators, Dhaka Dynamites, Dhaka Gladiators, Karachi Kings, Kerala Kings, Melbourne Renegades, Multan Sultans, Mumbai Indians, PCA Masters XI, Peshawar Zalmi, Pollard XI, RR Sarwan's XI, SC Joseph's XI, Somerset, South Australia, St Lucia Stars, Stanford Superstars, Toronto Nationals, Trinbago Knight Riders, Trinidad, Trinidad & Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago XI, West Indies Under-19s, WICB President's Celebrity XI
Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
73 60 12 1123 68 23.39 849 132.27 0 4 73 66 36 0
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
501 450 126 10000 104 30.86 6641 150.57 1 49 647 652 288 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
73 48 654 919 35 4/25 4/25 26.25 8.43 18.6 1 0 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
501 322 4974 6798 279 4/15 4/15 24.36 8.20 17.8 6 0 0
A hard-hitting batsman and wicketkeeper, Jos Butler, is seen as a player who has everything to succeed in the shorter formats of the game.
Butler has been able to score all around the ground. This has earned him the tag of being a "360-degree" cricketer, as in he can hit the ball in any direction within the available 360-degree of the ground.
Butler got his first international call-up when he was named in the senior England squad for the Twenty20 International against the touring Indian team in September 2011. Butler made his debut as a batsman and not as a wicketkeeper.
Following the match against India, Butler retained his place in the team and went on to play against the touring West Indies side later the same season. Butler has been known mostly as a T20 specialist for England but has broken into the One-Day International and Test teams recently, with the selectors having faith he shows the necessary tools to adapt to any given format.
Full name: Joseph Charles Buttler
Born: September 8, 1990 (29), Taunton, Somerset
Major teams: England, Comilla Victorians, England Development Programme Under-19s, England Lions, England Performance Programme, England Performance Programme XI, England Under-19s, Khulna Royal Bengals, Lancashire, Melbourne Renegades, Mumbai Cricket Association XI, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Somerset, Somerset 2nd XI, Sydney Thunder
Playing role: Wicketkeeper batsman
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
69 61 11 1334 73* 26.68 955 139.68 0 8 114 55 25 4
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
252 231 41 5782 95* 30.43 3995 144.73 0 40 501 241 137 27
With the ability to bowl a sort of an in-slider with the new ball to right-handers, Imad Wasim provides Pakistan with a very handy option to start off the bowling attack, before coming back in the middle stages to strangle the run-rate with his tight nagging lines. Imad doesn't really turn the ball a lot, and so relies on accuracy and variation in pace to be successful.
The list of accolades for the wily southpaw is a long one. He was a long-term skipper for Pakistan at the age-group levels. He has also led Islamabad for a decent period of time. And when his T20I debut happened, the backdrop was historic. Cricket had returned to Pakistan after six years and Imad Wasim got a T20I cap in the second game of the series. Pakistan won that close encounter and the series 2-0.
Full name: Syed Imad Wasim
Born: December 18, 1988 (31), Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales
Major teams: Pakistan, Abu Dhabi United, Barbados Tridents, Barisal Bulls, Chattogram Challengers, Comilla Victorians, FATA Region, Federal Areas Leopards, Islamabad, Islamabad Leopards, Islamabad Region, Jamaica Tallawahs, Karachi Kings, Maratha Arabians, Nottinghamshire, Pakistan Cricket Academy, Pakistan Under-19s, Punjab Badshahs, Sind
Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
43 42 912 908 42 5/14 5/14 21.61 5.97 21.7 1 1 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
177 171 3595 3819 153 5/14 5/14 24.96 6.37 23.4 1 1 0
One of the most explosive all-rounders of the modern era, Ben Stokes's energy is infectious on the cricket field. He is extremely passionate about everything that he does.
In the World T20 held in India, he was at the receiving end of Carlos Brathwaite's broad willow as he was smacked for four sixes in the last over of the final at Eden Gardens. Stokes was shattered as West Indies clinched the title.
Despite the World T20 setback, Stokes' career has progressed in remarkable fashion. A genuine seam-bowling all-rounder who has the ability to hit big shots is a priceless commodity in the T20 format. Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise when Ben Stokes fetched earth-shattering numbers at the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. He was picked up by the Rising Pune Supergiants and in his maiden IPL season, the charismatic Englishman showed he was worth all the money.
Full name: Benjamin Andrew Stokes
Born: June 4, 1991 (29), Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Major teams: England, Canterbury, Durham, Durham 2nd XI, England Development Programme Under-19s, England Lions, England Performance Programme, England Performance Programme XI, England Under-19s, Melbourne Renegades, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiant
Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm fast-medium
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
26 23 6 305 47* 17.94 227 134.36 0 0 25 13
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
123 113 19 2330 103* 24.78 1720 135.46 1 8 180 102
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
26 21 388 571 14 3/26 3/26 40.78 8.82 27.7 0 0 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
123 87 1537 2156 68 4/16 4/16 31.70 8.41 22.6 1 0 0
Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy has a very tangible effect on the teams he plays on. Outside of the Hero Caribbean Premier League, the team Sammy plays on, wins.
This is no accident either. Sammy has the ability to fill his teammates with self-belief and help drive them to a consistency of performance that generally results in trophies.
To add to that ability, which made him the first West Indies captain to claim two World titles since Clive Lloyd won a second World Cup in 1979.
Outside of his ability to motivate and good acumen as a captain, Sammy is also a fearsome striker of the ball and a very steady seam bowler.
Asa bowler there is not a lot of variation to Sammy’s bowling, the medium-pacer coming up at a time when a consistent line and length were the order of the day. That may speak to why his bowling in the T20 arena tailed off toward the latter part of his career.
Today, Sammy plays sparingly and when he does, he doesn’t bowl but is still good enough for dangerous cameos with the bat.
Full name: Daren Julius Garvey Sammy
Born: December 20, 1983 (36), Micoud, St Lucia
Major teams: West Indies, Brampton Wolves, Glamorgan, Hobart Hurricanes, Kings XI Punjab, Northern Windward Islands, Nottinghamshire, Peshawar Zalmi, Rajshahi Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, St Lucia, St Lucia Zouks, Stanford Superstars, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Toronto Nationals, University of West Indies Vice Chancellor's XI, Windward Islands, World-XI
Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
68 52 18 587 42* 17.26 398 147.48 0 0 45 31
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
308 259 74 3876 71* 20.95 2780 139.42 0 6 251 235
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
68 59 916 1116 44 5/26 5/26 25.36 7.31 20.8 1 1 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
308 217 3405 4498 159 5/26 5/26 28.28 7.92 21.4 2 1 0
Daniel Vettori is a master of drift, subtle variations in flight, speed and length. The combination makes him a fabulous T20 bowler. Add his lower-order batting to that equation and you have yourself a hell of an addition to your T20 line-up.
Easily, one of New Zealand’s greatest-ever cricketers, Vettori is considered the greatest exponent of left-arm orthodox spin since Bishen Singh Bedi.
Often bearing the brunt of being New Zealand’s sole wicket-taker except when Shane Bond would play, had the added bonus of making him very marketable as the face of the Kiwi side and soon the Indian Premier League (IPL) would come calling.
Vettori was bought for US$625,000 in the inaugural season of the IPL by the Delhi Daredevils with teammate and skipper Virender Sehwag calling him the best spinner in the world. He would go on to captain the Royal Challengers Bangalore, leading them to the 2011 final.
Full name: Daniel Luca Vettori
Born: January 27, 1979 (41), Auckland
Major teams: New Zealand, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, Jamaica Tallawahs, Northern Districts, Nottinghamshire, Queensland, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Warwickshire
Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
34 34 787 748 38 4/20 4/20 19.68 5.70 20.7 1 0 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
143 143 3236 3424 131 4/20 4/20 26.13 6.34 24.7 1 0 0
Yuvraj Singh, like many of the greats, was a man ahead of his time. He was showing the world the fine art of attacking with almost reckless abandon but doing so with a kind of consistency that defies logic.
An elegant stroke maker, Yuvraj was an instant hit in One-Day Internationals, counterattacking some of the greatest bowling attacks in the world with much success.
What was more, Yuvraj seemed to relish the big occasion, saving his best efforts for the not just the big teams, but for the moments that count against those teams.
Yuvraj and a young Mahendra Singh Dhoni, over the few years following the former’s 2000 debut, set about making India’s middle-order something to be feared. The duo helping to chase down some of the biggest totals in ODI cricket.
Then came the advent of the T20 game in 2007. Yuvraj’s transition was instant.
He went to the inaugural World T20 and to date, there are very few to have matched his strokeplay during that tournament.
Yuvraj would become the first Indian to hit six sixes in an over on his way to winning the inaugural tournament.
Yuvraj’s career suffered later on after a battle with cancer made his appearances few and far in between. He never recovered the form he had shown earlier in his career but every now and then, there was a masterpiece.
Full name: Yuvraj Singh
Born: December 12, 1981 (38), Chandigarh
Major teams: India, Asia XI, Delhi Daredevils, India A, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Pune Warriors, Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Toronto Nationals, Yorkshire
Playing role: Middle-order batsman
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
58 51 9 1177 77* 28.02 863 136.38 0 8 77 74
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
231 216 27 4857 83 25.69 3772 128.76 0 27 386 261
West Indies opener Evin Lewis just missed out on a place in the final six of SportsMax’s Ultimate XI T20 Edition earlier today.
SportsMax, ahead of the start of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has been taking a look at what an all-time T20 team would look like.
In doing so, as the sports broadcasting powerhouse has done with its Ultimate XI Football, Test and ODI cricket teams, the SportsMax Zone has enlisted the help of a panel of experts, as well as a voting public to help with the decision-making.
Fans, called Fanalysts have a 30% weighted vote on who makes SportsMax’s Ultimate XI T20 team, with the SportsMax Zone having another 30% of the vote. The panel of experts’ vote will count for 40% of the overall votes.
Fanlysts can vote by clicking here or going to SportsMax.tv and just clicking on the Ultimate XI tab at the top of the screen.
SportsMax.tv has also built a list of profiles where Fanalysts can go to have a look at the careers of the players who have made the SportsMax Ultimate XI shortlist just in case you want to learn a little more about the players before making your choice. To take a look at those players click here.
Today, a panel of Kerry Scott, former cricketer, Chris Taylor, cricket umpire, commentator and expert, along with Sachin Ramsubhag, cricket commentator, had the unenviable task of whittling down a list of 13 potential openers to a final six for discussion on Friday, where a final pairing will be picked.
The 13 shortlisted for all-time best T20 openers were Indians, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan; New Zealanders, Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum; Australians, Aaron Finch, David Warner, and Shane Watson; South African, Quinton de Kock; Sri Lankan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, as well as West Indians, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, and Lendl Simmons.
The team were certain there were places for Sharma, Finch, Warner, Gayle, and McCullum.
However, difficulty arose when it came time to choose one from Lewis, Guptill and Rahul.
Guptill was the first to go with Scott and Ramsubhag overruling Taylor to go with Rahul over Lewis.
Meaning the final six for discussion are Gayle, Sharma, Rahul, Finch, Warner, and McCullum.
One of New Zealand’s most consistent big hitters, Colin Munro is also much sought-after in all the T20 Leagues around the world.
But Munro wasn’t always a mainstay in the New Zealand team and had been in and out of the limited overs setup from his debut in 2012 until 2015 when he was the heaviest scorer in the Georgie Pie Super Smash. In the tournament, Munro would smash 366 runs at a strike rate of 175.
From then on, Munro was a fixture in the New Zealand top order, locking down the number three spot at the 2016 T20 World Cup.
A year later, Munro became just the fourth player to score multiple T20I centuries after Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, and Evin Lewis.
Munro, with three T20I centuries, stands on his own as an opener in the shortest format of the game.
He also topped the batting charts in the Hero Caribbean Premier League back in 2018 with a mammoth 567 runs for the eventual champions, the Trinbago Knight Riders. No player has ever scored more in a season. Munro has been a mainstay with the Trinbago Knight Riders since 2016 and has been retained for the Knight Riders for the 2020 season which begins in a few days.
Full name: Colin Munro
Born: March 11, 1987 (33), Durban
Major teams: New Zealand, Auckland, Balkh Legends, Brampton Wolves, Delhi Capitals, Delhi Daredevils, Hampshire, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, New Zealand A, New Zealand Under-19s, New Zealand XI, North Island, North West Dragons, Sydney Sixers, Trinbago Knight Riders, Worcestershire, Worcestershire 2nd XI
Playing role: Opening batsman
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
65 62 7 1724 109* 31.34 1102 156.44 3 11 132 107
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s
262 246 29 6308 109* 29.06 4359 144.71 4 37 524 341
Wahab Riaz’s arrival in all formats of the game was signalled by a One-Day International spell in the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup.
Bowling against an Australian top order inclusive of Shane Watson and Michael Clarke, Wahab delivered at real pace, his 150 km/h bouncers and yorkers getting the batsmen in trouble.
“One of the fastest spells I have seen in a long tim,” said Clarke after the 2015 World Cup game.
Wahab’s pace and wicket-taking ability has made him a hit in the T20 leagues around the world. He was a platinum selection for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, leading the team in number of wickets for the last few years. He has also had stints in the Afghanistan Premier League, the Global T20 Canada, the Mzansi Super League and in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Full name: Wahab Riaz
Born: June 28, 1985 (35), Lahore, Punjab
Major teams: Pakistan, Barbados Tridents, Brampton Wolves, Cape Town Blitz, Central Punjab (Pakistan), City Nazim XI, Comilla Victorians, Derbyshire, Dhaka Dynamites, Dhaka Platoon, Essex, Essex 2nd XI, Hyderabad (Pakistan), Hyderabad Hawks, Hyderabad Region, Imtiaz Ahmed's XI, Kandahar Knights, Karachi Kings, Karachi Port Trust, Kent, Kowloon Cantons, Lahore, Lahore Eagles, Lahore Lions, Lahore Ravi, Lahore Region Whites, Lahore Shalimar, National Bank of Pakistan, North West Frontier Province-Baluchistan, Northern Warriors, Pakistan A, Pakistan All Star XI, Pakistan Blues, Pakistan Chief Ministers XI, Pakistan Cricket Academy, Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI, Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Under-17s, Pakistan Under-19s, Peshawar Zalmi, Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab Badshahs, Rangpur Riders, Surrey, Water and Power Development Authority
Playing role: Bowler
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Left-arm fast
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
31 30 609 813 30 3/18 3/18 27.10 8.00 20.3 0 0 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
252 248 5347 6379 296 5/8 5/8 21.55 7.15 18.0 0 2 0
It is ludicrous to think that Australia’s Mitchell Starc may have been a wicketkeeper had a coach not seen him as a young teen and demanded he put down the gloves and start running in to bowl fast.
Since that day at 14 years old, opposition batsmen have been ruing the foresight of the coach.
Just six years later, Starc was in the Australia squad to India, but he never did well until he was dropped and went to England to play for Yorkshire. There he learned to properly swing the ball.
Starc returned to the Australia side an improved bowler. He was also much quicker than the 135 km/h with which he first rose to the international level, pommelling batsmen with swinging yorkers at 150 km/h plus.
After establishing himself as the Australian spearhead in all forms of the game, Starc finally took the plunge into the Twenty20 leagues, joining the Indian Premier League (IPL), in 2014.
While he did well, he always prioritized international cricket over the T20 leagues. Still, he proved devastating in the Big Bash, leading all wicket-takers in the competition’s inaugural season.
Starc is already considered one of Australia’s greatest fast bowlers.
Full name: Mitchell Aaron Starc
Born: January 30, 1990 (30), Baulkham Hills, Sydney, New South Wales
Major teams: Australia, Australia A, Australia Under-19s, New South Wales, New South Wales Second XI, New South Wales Under-17s, New South Wales Under-19s, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sydney Sixers, Western Suburbs, Yorkshire
Playing role: Bowler
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Left-arm fast
31 31 696 802 43 3/11 3/11 18.65 6.91 16.1 0 0 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
94 93 2055 2451 140 4/15 4/15 17.50 7.15 14.6 1 0 0
Bridesmaids through the 2000s and the 2010s when the ICC World events came along, Sri Lanka had made it to two World Cup finals and two World T20 finals since Lasith Malinga debuted, losing on all four occasions.
The World T20 of 2014 started with a crisis in leadership. With a host of former skippers in the side, but all of them reluctant to lead, Malinga happened upon leadership towards the end of the league stages when the management decided to drop their original skipper, Dinesh Chandimal.
And boy, did he prosper. Bowling yorkers at the death at will to stifle the Indians, he ensured that the trophy finally came home - leading Sri Lanka to one of its finest moments on the cricketing field. It made him only the second captain of his country after Arjuna Ranatunga to lift an ICC world title. But long before that Malinga had been blessed with an action that defied the longevity he had. A whippy almost side-arm way of delivering, Malinga defied all logic and proved accurate despite convention suggesting he would struggle with it.
With that whip came swing and pace. Of course, performances like the one in that final were almost inevitable given the work that Malinga put into perfecting his craft even with his strange delivery action.
Full name: Separamadu Lasith Malinga
Born: August 28, 1983 (36), Galle
Major teams: Sri Lanka, Basnahira, BCCSL Academy XI, Galle Cricket Club, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, Kandy, Kent, Khulna Titans, Maratha Arabians, Melbourne Stars, Montreal Tigers, Mumbai Indians, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Palace Diamonds, Rangpur Riders, Ruhuna, Ruhuna Reds, Ruhuna Royals, Southern Express, Southern Province, Sri Lanka A, Sri Lanka Board XI, Sri Lanka Cricket XI, Sri Lanka Emerging Team, Sri Lanka Masters, Sri Lanka Schools XI, St Lucia Zouks
Playing role: Bowler
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm fast
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
84 83 1799 2225 107 5/6 5/6 20.79 7.42 16.8 1 2 0
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
295 289 6508 7680 390 6/7 6/7 19.69 7.08 16.6 10 5 0
IPL purple cap winner for most wickets (28) in 2011
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