Modern cricketing era has witnessed an incredible transition with the popularity of the limited overs format.The shortest format of the game has certainly lived up to its expectations to showcase the unpredictable nature of game.Lopsided matches are a rarity in the limited overs format.Ergo,for teams to win those cliffhangers picking the right combination is imperative.Having a couple of match-winners doesn't always help you get over the line.
"The face of the team are the people who're playing on the cricket field. The team is not about one individual."
Gautham Gambhir,India batsman part of world cup winning team 2011,captain of Delhi,KKR
Ideally the equation for a perfect winning combination involves the classical approach.
Starting with the bowling point of view ;Two good seam/swing bowlers preferably those who can work up a decent pace around 85-90 mph is a must.
The pace duo of Wasim AKram and Waqar Younis were unplayable in their prime and forged a lethal partnership.This deadly duo was a batsmen's nightmare.They were exceptional with the new ball and with the old ball they extracted huge amounts of reverse swing.
Swing and seam bowlers can make of use of the shiny new ball and occasionally get some assistance from the pitch.For a hit the deck kind of bowler bowl upfront with genuine pace.A good yorker and bouncer more than being wicket taking deliveries come in hand during the death overs.Death bowling is an art which comes with experience.
Death bowling techniques range from mixing up pace,varying line and length,then some new additions like slower bouncers used by Tim Bresnan ,and Zaheer Khan's knuckle ball became effective.Reverse swing is a weapon which every fast bowler must have in his armory. Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram were popular exponents of this art and had great success.
A couple of specialist spinners add another dimension to the attack.The fifth bowler's slot is a very crucial position and preferably an all-rounder's slot.These five bowlers constitute the core of the bowling unit.Besides them part timers can be added to the mix.They have a tendency to lure set batsmen into a false sense of security.More often than not this gives them an advantage and presents a higher chance of getting wickets.
The odds are high if there is a quality bowling all-rounder in your side.Australia has been dominant in the shorter format of the game because there is no dearth of bowling all-rounders.Fast bowling all-rounders are a really asset to every team.Slow bowling all-rounders are becoming more common nowadays, some of them being real match-winners.Bowling all-rounders have an edge over batting all-rounders as they can turn the match on its head.
Contemporary batting has evolved with the advent of the t20 format.Innovation and improvisation has introduced us to the switch shot,reverse slog sweep,ramp shot,scoop shot and the paddle sweep.Building an innings becomes equally important when conditions favor bowling.The temperament of every batsman needs to be considered before selecting the batting order.Batting order plays a decisive role in forging a formidable batting unit.
Openers must look for consistency and assess the conditions before playing big shots.
Top order batsmen need to anchor the innings and try to rotate the strike as much as possible.Two players with the same temperament should never be placed in adjacent positions in the batting order.
For example, there is a batsman at no.3 who can construct an innings and a batsman at no.4 who is comfortable playing with the same temperament.
If one of them averages a strike rate of 60 in the first 50 balls and the other one manages 70 that considering they bat out the overs from 15-40.The most likely scenario would be that one of them would be forced to play the aggressor ,this would mean one of them has to change their game and go out of their comfort zone and play attacking cricket.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakara piled on runs building platforms and propelling Sri Lanka to massive totals.While chasing as well they looked a class apart and complimented each other beautifully.
Hence the batting order becomes very crucial.The middle order forms the heart of a batting line up.Any team with a solid middle order are likely to win the match.Finishers are modern cricket's contribution and t20 brings the best out of them.Finishing is much more than entertaining viewers with breathtaking stroke play.Ideally a team needs two good finishers irrespective of the conditions.
Now there is this popular saying "catches win matches" and I can't agree more.Fielding has evolved quickly and we have witnessed some world class fielding in the recent times.Good fielders are irreplaceable in a team.“Collectively and individually fielding is largely a matter of thoughts and discipline.” I. A. R. PEEBLES
Positions like backward point,cover,mid-wicket and square-leg need specialist fielders.A good wicket-keeper is equivalent to 3 slip fielders. Slip fielding and close-in catching determines the strength of a good fielding unit.
The legendary Jonty Rhodes answers a question on the technique of fielding in slips
"Fielding in the slips needs soft hands, like when you're batting. A guy like Mark Taylor, he's right up there. He had great hands, no matter if it was Shane Warne bowling or Glenn McGrath. He took some fantastic catches. I've tried to field in the slips and my hands just aren't soft enough. Also, you need to be a more relaxed kind of guy rather than an excitable, jumping-around kind of person like me."'Fielding isn't work when you're enjoying it'
Fielding at the boundary line requires speed and agility.Presence of mind is a prerequisite for a boundary fielder.Knowing where the line is and also the awareness of the fielders around you is necessary.
Playing good cricket needs good understanding of the game.'Try and stick to the basics'-the instruction of every coach.The key is to read the conditions and develop a strategy accordingly.Concluding with the quote of the legendary spin wizard:
"The face of the team are the people who're playing on the cricket field. The team is not about one individual."
Gautham Gambhir,India batsman part of world cup winning team 2011,captain of Delhi,KKR
Ideally the equation for a perfect winning combination involves the classical approach.
The pace duo of Wasim AKram and Waqar Younis were unplayable in their prime and forged a lethal partnership.This deadly duo was a batsmen's nightmare.They were exceptional with the new ball and with the old ball they extracted huge amounts of reverse swing.
Swing and seam bowlers can make of use of the shiny new ball and occasionally get some assistance from the pitch.For a hit the deck kind of bowler bowl upfront with genuine pace.A good yorker and bouncer more than being wicket taking deliveries come in hand during the death overs.Death bowling is an art which comes with experience.
Death bowling techniques range from mixing up pace,varying line and length,then some new additions like slower bouncers used by Tim Bresnan ,and Zaheer Khan's knuckle ball became effective.Reverse swing is a weapon which every fast bowler must have in his armory. Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram were popular exponents of this art and had great success.
A couple of specialist spinners add another dimension to the attack.The fifth bowler's slot is a very crucial position and preferably an all-rounder's slot.These five bowlers constitute the core of the bowling unit.Besides them part timers can be added to the mix.They have a tendency to lure set batsmen into a false sense of security.More often than not this gives them an advantage and presents a higher chance of getting wickets.
The odds are high if there is a quality bowling all-rounder in your side.Australia has been dominant in the shorter format of the game because there is no dearth of bowling all-rounders.Fast bowling all-rounders are a really asset to every team.Slow bowling all-rounders are becoming more common nowadays, some of them being real match-winners.Bowling all-rounders have an edge over batting all-rounders as they can turn the match on its head.
Contemporary batting has evolved with the advent of the t20 format.Innovation and improvisation has introduced us to the switch shot,reverse slog sweep,ramp shot,scoop shot and the paddle sweep.Building an innings becomes equally important when conditions favor bowling.The temperament of every batsman needs to be considered before selecting the batting order.Batting order plays a decisive role in forging a formidable batting unit.
Openers must look for consistency and assess the conditions before playing big shots.
Top order batsmen need to anchor the innings and try to rotate the strike as much as possible.Two players with the same temperament should never be placed in adjacent positions in the batting order.
For example, there is a batsman at no.3 who can construct an innings and a batsman at no.4 who is comfortable playing with the same temperament.
If one of them averages a strike rate of 60 in the first 50 balls and the other one manages 70 that considering they bat out the overs from 15-40.The most likely scenario would be that one of them would be forced to play the aggressor ,this would mean one of them has to change their game and go out of their comfort zone and play attacking cricket.
Hence the batting order becomes very crucial.The middle order forms the heart of a batting line up.Any team with a solid middle order are likely to win the match.Finishers are modern cricket's contribution and t20 brings the best out of them.Finishing is much more than entertaining viewers with breathtaking stroke play.Ideally a team needs two good finishers irrespective of the conditions.
Now there is this popular saying "catches win matches" and I can't agree more.Fielding has evolved quickly and we have witnessed some world class fielding in the recent times.Good fielders are irreplaceable in a team.“Collectively and individually fielding is largely a matter of thoughts and discipline.” I. A. R. PEEBLES
Positions like backward point,cover,mid-wicket and square-leg need specialist fielders.A good wicket-keeper is equivalent to 3 slip fielders. Slip fielding and close-in catching determines the strength of a good fielding unit.
The legendary Jonty Rhodes answers a question on the technique of fielding in slips
"Fielding in the slips needs soft hands, like when you're batting. A guy like Mark Taylor, he's right up there. He had great hands, no matter if it was Shane Warne bowling or Glenn McGrath. He took some fantastic catches. I've tried to field in the slips and my hands just aren't soft enough. Also, you need to be a more relaxed kind of guy rather than an excitable, jumping-around kind of person like me."'Fielding isn't work when you're enjoying it'
Every South African fielder has had a role model to look up to: Jonty Rhodes, Peter Kirsten and Sybrand Engelbrecht explain why the country has never lacked fielding talent.A B De Villiers continuing the tradition of South-Africans. 'If you hit in the air against SA ,expect to be caught"
Fielding at the boundary line requires speed and agility.Presence of mind is a prerequisite for a boundary fielder.Knowing where the line is and also the awareness of the fielders around you is necessary.
Playing good cricket needs good understanding of the game.'Try and stick to the basics'-the instruction of every coach.The key is to read the conditions and develop a strategy accordingly.Concluding with the quote of the legendary spin wizard:
"To me cricket is a simple game.Keep it simple and just go out and play."-Shane Warne,Legendary leg-spinner,second in the all time list of leading wicket takers in tests
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