With the conclusion of today's India v West Indies ODI comes the end of ODI cricket in 2011. It's been a fairly decent year for the moody middle-child of the formats, with a surprisingly good World Cup, lots of records broken, and some closely fought series. Yes, there have also been some one-sided humblings, but it wouldn't be the ODI cricket that we all know and sort of love without it, would it? Anyway, with the end of 2011 ODI cricket comes the chance to name a 2011 ODI team of the year, and here it is.
1) Shane Watson
While it may still be cool to massively hate him, 2011 has been the year that I've begrudingly given respect to Shane Watson. Yes, the occasional histrionics and highlights still remain, but his cricket this calendar year, especially in ODIs has been nothing short of astonishing. Starting with a record high for an Aussie at home with an unbeaten 161 at the MCG against England. He then followed that with a solid-enough World Cup with both bat and ball in a tough Aussie campaign, before unleashing hell on the poor Bangladeshis in the ensuing series. The 185 not out from a mere 96 balls contained a monstrous 15 sixes, and underlined Watto's capacity as an incredibly dangerous hitter. (His 2011 ODIs have seen 42 maximums clear the fence, more than anyone else, and he also boasts the best strike rate of 109 to boot). Add to that his ever improving bowling, and hawkish fielding and he's not far off the perfect ODI player. Comfortably the best all-round all-rounder in cricket at the moment.
2) Virender Sehwag
Sehwag has only played in 12 ODIs since the turn of the year, but he got quite a bit done in them. Setting the tone for India's victorious World Cup campaign with an imperious 175 against Bangladesh, he then went a few better and smashed every record going by reaching 219 against the West Indies only last week. While he was a little bit up and down at times, he remains the ultimate ODI master blaster, and to not include him in the year that he achieved so much would be cruel.
3) Jonathan Trott
Say what you like about Jonathan Trott's technique or strike rate, he scores runs. Lot of them. Until last week, he was 2011's top ODI run scorer (having played less games than eventual run winner Virat Kohli), and his strike rate of 80 isn't as woefully bad as many think (in fact, of the top 10 run scorers of the year, Trott has the 5th fastest strike rate). With two hundreds and ten fifties, Trott oozes consistent scoring, and provides support and backbone to his teammates, especially when wickets are tumbling at the other end. A shoo-in for my team of the year.
4) Virat Kohli
A coming of age year for Kohli, where his growing maturity and confidence has been reflected in his performances. Finishing the year with 1381 ODI runs, including four hundreds, Kohli has nailed down a spot in India's middle order and made it his own. The frightening fact that he is only 23 should see him become a staple part of India's teams for many years to come.
5) Brendan Taylor
2011 has seen something of a resurgence in Zimbabwe cricket, with a test return being greeted with a new found competitiveness against the bigger nations, and no other player has embodied that as much as their new captain, Brendan Taylor. A remarkable series against New Zealand that saw scores of 128*, 107* and 75 followed a World Cup where he was Zim's standout batsman, and finishing the year with an average of 49.53 is very handy indeed.
6) Yuvraj Singh
While 2011 has been up and down for Yuvraj, it would be impossible to miss him from this team after the World Cup that he had. Starring with the bat (averaging over 50 from his 14 games), and surprisingly with the ball (picking up 20 wickets at 26), Yuvraj was key to India's victory, and was deservedly named Man of the Tournament.
7) MS Dhoni
Captain, keeper, all-round hero, MS Dhoni (in ODI colours at least) can do no wrong. Taking the mantle as the ultimate ODI finisher, Dhoni's cool-hand has been seen throughout the year, but not as much as in it's biggest game, where his 91 not out in the World Cup final saw India to victory, and his name into Indian folklore. As exceptional a leader as they come, Dhoni has arguably been THE one day international player of 2011.
8) Shahid Afridi
A couple of retirements, a couple of comebacks, a loss of the captaincy, a lot of wickets and a few runs - 2011 has been another normal year in the life of Shahid Afridi. The leading wicket-taker during the World Cup, where his super-quick leg-spin accounted for far too many batsmen, he then retired, before returning in a blaze of glory to destroy Bangladesh in the UAE at the end of the year. While his batting was even more hit and miss than usual, his bowling (where he took an incredible four 5-fers) was easily the best of anyones in 2011.
9) Mitchell Johnson
Yes, he bowls to the left and the right, but Mitch's form in 2011 ODIs was surprisingly good. 39 wickets at 20 (with a more remarkable economy rate of just 4.4) sees cricket's biggest enigma make it into the team of the year.
10) Lasith Malinga
There is simply no bowler more frightening to face than Lasith Malinga. Working on the simple theory of getting it full and straight, the slinger took the most wickets (48) this year, and despite retiring from tests, is still as deadly in ODIs as he's ever been.
11) Zaheer Khan
An injury ravaged second half of the year saw 2011 peter out for Zaheer, but after the first half he had, he won't mind a bit. India's go-to bowler throughout the World Cup, he was instrumental in both taking wickets and strangling the run rate, both with the new ball, and the older one. His incredible spell at the start of the World Cup Final, where the normally free-scoring Dilshan and Tharanga were unable to get him off the square set up the win for India, and his 30 wickets from just 14 games see him into the team of the year, dodgy hammy or not.
My ODI team of 2011:
Shane Watson
Virender Sehwag
Jonathan Trott
Virat Kohli
Brendan Taylor
MS Dhoni
Yuvraj Singh
Shahid Afridi
Mitchell Johnson
Lasith Malinga
Zaheer Khan
Showing posts with label Yuvraj Singh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yuvraj Singh. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
The Idiot's Guide To The IPL - Part Two
So you've spent the past 24 hours absorbing the format. So now you've bluffed your way through that chat with the friendly IPL fan, what to say when he asks about the teams? Who are your men to watch, who are the teams who will be involved at the business end of the tournament (sometime in 2015)? Fret no longer, as The Idiot's Guide to the IPL Part Two is here!
So who are the favourites this year? Well, the bookies make Sachin Tendulkar's (you may have heard of him) Mumbai Indians the shortest price, followed by Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. After that, it's the also-rans and the rest.
While Mumbai had a great year last year, and Chennai even won it, technically the previous editions shouldn't have any bearing. A new auction was set up, with the talent being supposedly evenly spread around the various franchises (although the teams were allowed to retain the services of four top players from previous years). And while some teams have hoarded the big name overseas players, the rules say that only 4 non-Indians can play at any one time. So let's have a look at the various teams that will contest IPL4.
In today's Idiot's Guide I'll have a look at the five teams in Group A, while tomorrow will be Group B.
Group A
Mumbai Indians - Captained by Sachin, and keeping hold of some big name players, Mumbai are favourites this year. With Kieron Pollard, Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds they'll hit big, and in Lasith Malinga they have a deadly player with the ball. Downside is that there are nine overseas players - who may not be too pleased if they're on the bench every game. Squad perhaps a bit top heavy, with some huge names followed by some not very big ones, but the MI will hope the lesser known guys can step up to complement the big performances of the stars.
Delhi Daredevils - Choosing only to retain Virender Sehwag, who captains the side, the Daredevils selected a almost completely new squad from before. Only Sehwag and South Africa's Morne Morkel were at the World Cup, which could play into their hands compared to the fatigue of other teams. The DD have "taken punts" on a few players, with lesser known overseas Aussies Travis Birt, Matthew Wade and Aaron Finch all getting selected - but they've all excelled in the Big Bash so could really pay off. Big hitting David Warner will return at the top of the order as well. The Daredevils have gone for inexperienced players who could pay off spectacularly, but then again, the lack of star players may count against them as they could slump in form. Will be interesting to see how they go.
Deccan Chargers - After winning IPL2 (the South African one) under the stewardship of Adam Gilchrist, the Chargers released all of their players and started again. Now with a new wicket-keeper/captain in Kumar Sangakkara, the Chargers have a completely new squad, filled with some big names. While they will probably miss Kevin Pietersen for the tournament due to injury, Dale Steyn, Sangakkara, JP Duminy and Cameron White are all big names and proven T20 players, as well as having local internationals such as Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha and MS Gony on the books. Could be dark horses as have strength in both batting and bowling.
Kings XI Punjab - Deccan's loss is Punjab's gain, as Adam Gilchrist comes in to captain the Kings XI, who have been the whipping boys of previous IPL's. However, in Gilchrist, David Hussey and Dinesh Karthik, Punjab have players who have been there and done it in T20s, as well as handy players in Piyush Chawla, Ryan McLaren and Shaun Marsh. Not much is expected of the Kings XI, but they will hope to improve on the previous disappointments.
Pune Warriors India - Not a great deal is known about the new boys Pune, but they're captained by World Cup Man of the Moment Yuvraj, as well as boasting the likes of Jesse Ryder, Angelo Mathews, Graeme Smith and world's greatest T20 bowler ever Alfonso Thomas. Not much is known about the Warriors, and as such, could spring a few surprises.
So there's the teams of Group A. Check back tomorrow for some Idiot's Guides to the teams of Group B.
So who are the favourites this year? Well, the bookies make Sachin Tendulkar's (you may have heard of him) Mumbai Indians the shortest price, followed by Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. After that, it's the also-rans and the rest.
While Mumbai had a great year last year, and Chennai even won it, technically the previous editions shouldn't have any bearing. A new auction was set up, with the talent being supposedly evenly spread around the various franchises (although the teams were allowed to retain the services of four top players from previous years). And while some teams have hoarded the big name overseas players, the rules say that only 4 non-Indians can play at any one time. So let's have a look at the various teams that will contest IPL4.
In today's Idiot's Guide I'll have a look at the five teams in Group A, while tomorrow will be Group B.
Group A
Mumbai Indians - Captained by Sachin, and keeping hold of some big name players, Mumbai are favourites this year. With Kieron Pollard, Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds they'll hit big, and in Lasith Malinga they have a deadly player with the ball. Downside is that there are nine overseas players - who may not be too pleased if they're on the bench every game. Squad perhaps a bit top heavy, with some huge names followed by some not very big ones, but the MI will hope the lesser known guys can step up to complement the big performances of the stars.
Delhi Daredevils - Choosing only to retain Virender Sehwag, who captains the side, the Daredevils selected a almost completely new squad from before. Only Sehwag and South Africa's Morne Morkel were at the World Cup, which could play into their hands compared to the fatigue of other teams. The DD have "taken punts" on a few players, with lesser known overseas Aussies Travis Birt, Matthew Wade and Aaron Finch all getting selected - but they've all excelled in the Big Bash so could really pay off. Big hitting David Warner will return at the top of the order as well. The Daredevils have gone for inexperienced players who could pay off spectacularly, but then again, the lack of star players may count against them as they could slump in form. Will be interesting to see how they go.
Deccan Chargers - After winning IPL2 (the South African one) under the stewardship of Adam Gilchrist, the Chargers released all of their players and started again. Now with a new wicket-keeper/captain in Kumar Sangakkara, the Chargers have a completely new squad, filled with some big names. While they will probably miss Kevin Pietersen for the tournament due to injury, Dale Steyn, Sangakkara, JP Duminy and Cameron White are all big names and proven T20 players, as well as having local internationals such as Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha and MS Gony on the books. Could be dark horses as have strength in both batting and bowling.
Kings XI Punjab - Deccan's loss is Punjab's gain, as Adam Gilchrist comes in to captain the Kings XI, who have been the whipping boys of previous IPL's. However, in Gilchrist, David Hussey and Dinesh Karthik, Punjab have players who have been there and done it in T20s, as well as handy players in Piyush Chawla, Ryan McLaren and Shaun Marsh. Not much is expected of the Kings XI, but they will hope to improve on the previous disappointments.
Pune Warriors India - Not a great deal is known about the new boys Pune, but they're captained by World Cup Man of the Moment Yuvraj, as well as boasting the likes of Jesse Ryder, Angelo Mathews, Graeme Smith and world's greatest T20 bowler ever Alfonso Thomas. Not much is known about the Warriors, and as such, could spring a few surprises.
So there's the teams of Group A. Check back tomorrow for some Idiot's Guides to the teams of Group B.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
The Cult of Sachin
It took the World Cup for me to truly embrace the Sachin.
I knew he was great. The stats told me that. But I'd never really realised just how great.
Sachin was making hundreds before I was even born. He'd been single handedly carrying his country while I was in nappies, and consistently churning out the runs while I was getting into cricket. It wasn't that I wasn't in awe of it, but the sheer amount of runs and consistency of them made me blase. Sachin scored another century? Oh.
I've seen him bat in a test match, back at Lord's in 2007. While to millions (even billions) this would be the greatest thing to ever have happen in their lives, I was generally more interested in Jimmy Anderson taking a five for. To me, Sachin was just a batsman - just a batsman who happened to be out lbw for 37. I knew of the runs, but I'd never really appreciated his genius.
As time went by, the achievements got more extraordinary. Over 14000 test runs. 50 test centuries. The only ever score of 200 in an ODI. The World Cup started - and the adulation that goes everywhere with him swept me up. The superb hundreds against England (number 98) and South Africa (99) made me realise what I'd been missing. Previously I'd seen the borderline stalker / obsessive comments on Cricinfo from Sachinistas, and dismissed them as frenzied lunatics. But suddenly, I'd been bitten with the Sachin bug, and I started seeing sense in what they had to say. "Sachin is no mere mortal, Sachin is God". Why not - someone with that level of ability surely has to have some sort of divine assistance.
Before being swept up in the Cult of Sachin, I'd have seen the Indian players giving Sachin (who scored 18 and bowled two overs of cack in the final) a triumphant carry on the shoulders as ridiculous postering. Why not captain and man of the match Dhoni? Why not nearly-centurion Gambhir? Why not leading wicket taker Zaheer? Why not man of the tournament Yuvraj? But lifting Sachin just made sense.
"Sachin has carried us for 21 years, so it is only right that we carry him today" said Virat Kohli. And having been fully inducted into the Cult of Sachinism, I'd have been alongside him, hoisting the Little Master into the air. And I don't care who knows.
Now, I'm off to spam Cricinfo with some meaningless comments about how great Sachin is compared to everyone else ever...
I knew he was great. The stats told me that. But I'd never really realised just how great.
Sachin was making hundreds before I was even born. He'd been single handedly carrying his country while I was in nappies, and consistently churning out the runs while I was getting into cricket. It wasn't that I wasn't in awe of it, but the sheer amount of runs and consistency of them made me blase. Sachin scored another century? Oh.
I've seen him bat in a test match, back at Lord's in 2007. While to millions (even billions) this would be the greatest thing to ever have happen in their lives, I was generally more interested in Jimmy Anderson taking a five for. To me, Sachin was just a batsman - just a batsman who happened to be out lbw for 37. I knew of the runs, but I'd never really appreciated his genius.
As time went by, the achievements got more extraordinary. Over 14000 test runs. 50 test centuries. The only ever score of 200 in an ODI. The World Cup started - and the adulation that goes everywhere with him swept me up. The superb hundreds against England (number 98) and South Africa (99) made me realise what I'd been missing. Previously I'd seen the borderline stalker / obsessive comments on Cricinfo from Sachinistas, and dismissed them as frenzied lunatics. But suddenly, I'd been bitten with the Sachin bug, and I started seeing sense in what they had to say. "Sachin is no mere mortal, Sachin is God". Why not - someone with that level of ability surely has to have some sort of divine assistance.
Before being swept up in the Cult of Sachin, I'd have seen the Indian players giving Sachin (who scored 18 and bowled two overs of cack in the final) a triumphant carry on the shoulders as ridiculous postering. Why not captain and man of the match Dhoni? Why not nearly-centurion Gambhir? Why not leading wicket taker Zaheer? Why not man of the tournament Yuvraj? But lifting Sachin just made sense.
"Sachin has carried us for 21 years, so it is only right that we carry him today" said Virat Kohli. And having been fully inducted into the Cult of Sachinism, I'd have been alongside him, hoisting the Little Master into the air. And I don't care who knows.
Now, I'm off to spam Cricinfo with some meaningless comments about how great Sachin is compared to everyone else ever...
Friday, 1 April 2011
My Team of the World Cup
So we're just about at the end of another World Cup. So as such, everyone's naming their representative teams of the World Cup. And seeing as I've got not much else better to do, I thought I'd have a go...
Openers
There have been some openers who have really set this World Cup alive. Sehwag and Tendulkar have really set the tone for India - Sehwag with a flurry of quick runs to take advantage of the powerplay early while Tendulkar hangs around to play the innings of substance. Sri Lanka have had Tharanga and Dilshan, who have now racked up two 200+ partnerships. Pakistan's Hafeez has batted well, and has the advantage of taking some handy wickets with much improved bowling. Martin Guptill's form with the bat for New Zealand's also been better than expected, and he could get into most World XI sides thanks to his fielding alone. And Ireland's Paul Stirling has shown maturity beyond his years with fine performances with bat and ball. All worth entrants, I'm sure, which has made the opening spots very hard to select. However, I've gone for Virender Sehwag, for his explosive play throughout the early powerplays, and because of his amazing 175 against Bangladesh, and for Tillekeratne Dilshan, for his couple of centuries, plus the fact that he offers a bit with the ball.
Middle-order
There are a couple of the middle-order who almost pick themselves. Yuvraj Singh has been India's finisher and has contributed immensely with the ball, so he's in. AB de Villiers hit two early hundreds, and looked South Africa's best bat, so in he comes. Ryan ten Doeschate, often a lone voice for Holland, also hit two centuries, and will provide ample support for the bowlers. So they're all in. And someone who I simply can't ignore is Sachin Tendulkar. While I didn't pick him in the position he's been playing this World Cup (opener), it would be unjust to not find space in this World Cup Team for him given the success he's had, so he will bat at three. So my middle order is Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh and Ryan ten Doeschate.
Wicket-Keeper
This hasn't been a brilliant World Cup for the keepers. While Brendon McCullum and Brad Haddin had flashes of brilliance at the top of the order, they were few and far between. MS Dhoni hasn't contributed much to the Indian middle order. Morne van Wyk looked out of his depth in international cricket. Matt Prior looked even worse. Only one has stood out - and what a World Cup he's had. Step forward Kumar Sangakkara, who makes it into the team with a World Cup average of 104 (so far) with one ton and two fifties.
Bowlers
In the difficult sub continental conditions, we've seen some bowlers struggle. However, the truly good bowlers have found reward, and have had excellent World Cups. Umar Gul and Dale Steyn, the two best fast bowlers, have led their countries well. Zaheer Khan likewise. Before his injury, Stuart Broad was looking to be the star of an England bowling outfit that was seriously out of sorts, but sadly his injury cut short a World Cup where he could have made a real difference. Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee both blew teams away in the groups as well. But the two pacers I've gone for are Dale Steyn, for his superb five-fer against India as well as general good performances in a format that some didn't rate him in, and Umar Gul, who was as excellent with the old ball as he was with the new throughout the tournament (except the semi-final). Spin wise, it's been a rich World Cup. Shahid Afridi has been the leading wicket taker, and has proved his obvious ability with the ball. Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson have both chipped in with plenty for South Africa as well. Graeme Swann, (the world's best spinner) toiled away for some reward for England, and George Dockrell belied his age to put in some very mature performances for Ireland. Not forgetting, of course, Muttiah Muralitheran in his final World Cup. However, the spinners I've gone for are Shahid Afridi, as he has been taking wickets by the bucket load, as well as offering some late order hitting (even though that wasn't seen too often this World Cup). And South Africa's Robin Peterson, who surprised many to be a real potent threat for the Proteas. Imran Tahir can feel very unlucky that he didn't make the selection, but an unfortunate hand injury ruled him out of a few games where Peterson made his mark.
Captain
Of the guys I've picked, Afridi and Sangakkara both skippered their sides during the World Cup, so it's between them. As much as I've enjoyed Afridi's excitable energy-filled captaincy, I fear that his enthusiasm may only work for a Pakistan side, so that immediately rules him out. And it helps that Sangakkara has had an excellent World Cup as captain, rotating his bowlers well and setting inventive fields. So Kumar Sangakkara it is to lead the team.
So that's the team I've gone for. There are a few shocks (an associate player, no English, Aussies, West Indians or New Zealanders) but I'm happy with that team. I reckon they'd give anyone a game - they bat deep (with some useful players up the order), as well as having four top out-and-out bowlers plus handy overs from ten Doeschate, Yuvraj and Dilshan. Agree? Disagree? Let me know, either by the comments section, on Twitter, or on my new sparkly Facebook page.
Sehwag
Tendulkar
Dilshan
Sangakkara (c / wk)
de Villiers
ten Doeschate
Yuvraj
Afridi
Peterson
Gul
Steyn
Openers
There have been some openers who have really set this World Cup alive. Sehwag and Tendulkar have really set the tone for India - Sehwag with a flurry of quick runs to take advantage of the powerplay early while Tendulkar hangs around to play the innings of substance. Sri Lanka have had Tharanga and Dilshan, who have now racked up two 200+ partnerships. Pakistan's Hafeez has batted well, and has the advantage of taking some handy wickets with much improved bowling. Martin Guptill's form with the bat for New Zealand's also been better than expected, and he could get into most World XI sides thanks to his fielding alone. And Ireland's Paul Stirling has shown maturity beyond his years with fine performances with bat and ball. All worth entrants, I'm sure, which has made the opening spots very hard to select. However, I've gone for Virender Sehwag, for his explosive play throughout the early powerplays, and because of his amazing 175 against Bangladesh, and for Tillekeratne Dilshan, for his couple of centuries, plus the fact that he offers a bit with the ball.
Middle-order
There are a couple of the middle-order who almost pick themselves. Yuvraj Singh has been India's finisher and has contributed immensely with the ball, so he's in. AB de Villiers hit two early hundreds, and looked South Africa's best bat, so in he comes. Ryan ten Doeschate, often a lone voice for Holland, also hit two centuries, and will provide ample support for the bowlers. So they're all in. And someone who I simply can't ignore is Sachin Tendulkar. While I didn't pick him in the position he's been playing this World Cup (opener), it would be unjust to not find space in this World Cup Team for him given the success he's had, so he will bat at three. So my middle order is Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh and Ryan ten Doeschate.
Wicket-Keeper
This hasn't been a brilliant World Cup for the keepers. While Brendon McCullum and Brad Haddin had flashes of brilliance at the top of the order, they were few and far between. MS Dhoni hasn't contributed much to the Indian middle order. Morne van Wyk looked out of his depth in international cricket. Matt Prior looked even worse. Only one has stood out - and what a World Cup he's had. Step forward Kumar Sangakkara, who makes it into the team with a World Cup average of 104 (so far) with one ton and two fifties.
Bowlers
In the difficult sub continental conditions, we've seen some bowlers struggle. However, the truly good bowlers have found reward, and have had excellent World Cups. Umar Gul and Dale Steyn, the two best fast bowlers, have led their countries well. Zaheer Khan likewise. Before his injury, Stuart Broad was looking to be the star of an England bowling outfit that was seriously out of sorts, but sadly his injury cut short a World Cup where he could have made a real difference. Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee both blew teams away in the groups as well. But the two pacers I've gone for are Dale Steyn, for his superb five-fer against India as well as general good performances in a format that some didn't rate him in, and Umar Gul, who was as excellent with the old ball as he was with the new throughout the tournament (except the semi-final). Spin wise, it's been a rich World Cup. Shahid Afridi has been the leading wicket taker, and has proved his obvious ability with the ball. Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson have both chipped in with plenty for South Africa as well. Graeme Swann, (the world's best spinner) toiled away for some reward for England, and George Dockrell belied his age to put in some very mature performances for Ireland. Not forgetting, of course, Muttiah Muralitheran in his final World Cup. However, the spinners I've gone for are Shahid Afridi, as he has been taking wickets by the bucket load, as well as offering some late order hitting (even though that wasn't seen too often this World Cup). And South Africa's Robin Peterson, who surprised many to be a real potent threat for the Proteas. Imran Tahir can feel very unlucky that he didn't make the selection, but an unfortunate hand injury ruled him out of a few games where Peterson made his mark.
Captain
Of the guys I've picked, Afridi and Sangakkara both skippered their sides during the World Cup, so it's between them. As much as I've enjoyed Afridi's excitable energy-filled captaincy, I fear that his enthusiasm may only work for a Pakistan side, so that immediately rules him out. And it helps that Sangakkara has had an excellent World Cup as captain, rotating his bowlers well and setting inventive fields. So Kumar Sangakkara it is to lead the team.
So that's the team I've gone for. There are a few shocks (an associate player, no English, Aussies, West Indians or New Zealanders) but I'm happy with that team. I reckon they'd give anyone a game - they bat deep (with some useful players up the order), as well as having four top out-and-out bowlers plus handy overs from ten Doeschate, Yuvraj and Dilshan. Agree? Disagree? Let me know, either by the comments section, on Twitter, or on my new sparkly Facebook page.
Sehwag
Tendulkar
Dilshan
Sangakkara (c / wk)
de Villiers
ten Doeschate
Yuvraj
Afridi
Peterson
Gul
Steyn
Friday, 25 March 2011
Yuvraj Singh and Ricky Ponting
This picture couldn't be any more symbolic if it tried. Copyright someone on Twitter.
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