bagapath
International Captain
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan writes:
Now fuse Gilchrist's murderousness, Dhoni's cool, Tendulkar's technique, Jayasuriya's power, Lloyd's big-game temperament, Jones' athleticism, Greg Chappell's grace and Miandad's chutzpah. Make sure this composite cricketer scores at an unheard of strike rate. Get him to smash a century every 15 ODI innings, at a time when middle-order batsmen score one in 62. He should be a master at milking the bowling, gathering speed towards the finish; if his team is in early trouble, he should counterattack with a vengeance. He should dominate under gloomy skies or in the furnaces of the subcontinent. He should annihilate bowlers both in the day and at night. Get him to bowl offspin. And make him a great captain. Ensure he wins two World Cup finals - one with his fielding, another with the bat. And while you're at it, let him pilot his side to a third World Cup final. Through it all, see that he never wears a helmet. Give him oodles of swagger. And, to add to the aura, let him chew gum.
What are you left with? The greatest one-day cricketer of all. And perhaps the greatest there will ever be.
Now fuse Gilchrist's murderousness, Dhoni's cool, Tendulkar's technique, Jayasuriya's power, Lloyd's big-game temperament, Jones' athleticism, Greg Chappell's grace and Miandad's chutzpah. Make sure this composite cricketer scores at an unheard of strike rate. Get him to smash a century every 15 ODI innings, at a time when middle-order batsmen score one in 62. He should be a master at milking the bowling, gathering speed towards the finish; if his team is in early trouble, he should counterattack with a vengeance. He should dominate under gloomy skies or in the furnaces of the subcontinent. He should annihilate bowlers both in the day and at night. Get him to bowl offspin. And make him a great captain. Ensure he wins two World Cup finals - one with his fielding, another with the bat. And while you're at it, let him pilot his side to a third World Cup final. Through it all, see that he never wears a helmet. Give him oodles of swagger. And, to add to the aura, let him chew gum.
What are you left with? The greatest one-day cricketer of all. And perhaps the greatest there will ever be.
Wonder cricket
The one-dayer as a form has moved along lickety-split - thanks to the genius of players like Lloyd, Garner, Dean Jones, Jayasuriya, Saqlain and Miandad
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