Prince EWS
Global Moderator
For a regular ODI? Sure.Seems viable to me that he'd be a sound fifth option.
At this level? Not even close IMO.
For a regular ODI? Sure.Seems viable to me that he'd be a sound fifth option.
I see the fifth bowler as someone who can bowl in the middle/late overs, which Klusener did. They generally go for a few more runs than others. But the fifth bowler basically has to be an all rounder as well.For a regular ODI? Sure.
At this level? Not even close IMO.
Isn't Garner already taken in 1st XI?Joel Garner
Richard Hadlee
Dean Jones
I disagree (respectfully). If Klusener can't be relied on to bowl, why would you want someone like Gayle having a go? Essentially it'll mean the team are flying, and things are a bit out of hand. In which case good captaincy would mean going back to your strike or stock bowlers (McGrath, Hadlee etc) for a bit, rather than someone like Gayle.I have no problem with selecting Klusener as the 5th bowler. But with him I'd need a 6th bowler, at least as backup. If not as good as Jayasuriya, someone like even Gayle or Symonds will do...or even someone like Yuvraj if you stretch it a bit...But I won't back Klusener to bowl 10 overs at this level match after match...
And guys like Steve Waugh will be more suitable to the 6th bowler role than 5th bowler in this kind of an all-time exercise.
Forget Gayle for the time, think about Jayasuriya. Think about a bowling lineup of (Hadlee+Ambrose+Pollock+Saqlain+Klusener). On a dustbowl, won't you wish if you had more than 10 overs from a spinner to exploit the conditions?I disagree (respectfully). If Klusener can't be relied on to bowl, why would you want someone like Gayle having a go? Essentially it'll mean the team are flying, and things are a bit out of hand. In which case good captaincy would mean going back to your strike or stock bowlers (McGrath, Hadlee etc) for a bit, rather than someone like Gayle.
Here is Steve Waugh bowling to Viv Richards in peak fitness. He seems quicker than I remember;I see the fifth bowler as someone who can bowl in the middle/late overs, which Klusener did. They generally go for a few more runs than others. But the fifth bowler basically has to be an all rounder as well.
Just to clarify, I'd choose Kapil over Klusener. But I certainly wouldn't have an issue with Klusener as the 5th bowler in the first or second XI.
We really should also be considering the merits of guys like Steve Waugh and Simon O'Donnell as pure ODI all rounders. Both excellent death/middle over bowlers who could bat very well. At one point, Steve Waugh was as good a one day bowler as anyone in the world.
Yeh, probably. I guess it comes down to conditions and team balance. I'm thinking more Australian conditions, but I guess elsewhere a second spinner is needed.Forget Gayle for the time, think about Jayasuriya. Think about a bowling lineup of (Hadlee+Ambrose+Pollock+Saqlain+Klusener). On a dustbowl, won't you wish if you had more than 10 overs from a spinner to exploit the conditions?
I think Dhoni is the same though. He usually starts reasonably slowly before starting to smash it. It's one of the reasons his T20I strike rate is so poor in comparison to his ODI strike rate.Yeah I agree; if Flintoff plays he should probably bat 5 or 6, but I'd have no issue with him doing that and Dhoni batting 7. Dhoni's batted below lots of worse ODI batsmen than Flintoff while playing for India.
Yes weldone, that would be a superb bowling attack.You're forgetting Pollock. This will be lip-smacking:
6. Dhoni
7. Kapil
8. Pollock
9. Hadlee
10. Saqlain
11. Ambrose
Yes, what PEWS said...
Klusener was a good bowler - but I won't back him to consistently bowl 10 overs in every match regardless of conditions opposition etc, especially at this level. Klusener would do well with an established 6th bowler like Jayasuriya.
Have absolutely no problem with Kapil, and to a lesser extent Flintoff bowling 10 overs every match...