And then there were none....

Written by Ravi Singh

Monday, 04 February 2008

One of the main attractions of cricket lies with the individual player; to see a batsman in full flow, sweetly timing a ball so that it bisects fielders with pinpoint accuracy to run all the way to the boundary, or to see a bowler, all rhythm and deadly grace, charging in to deliver that unplayable ball. It heightens the senses and brings a feeling of wonder and appreciation that compares to looking at a work of art hanging in a gallery.

It is with nostalgia that I write this article. The days of watching Brian Lara work his magic on an international stage are over. Shaun Pollock, my favorite all rounder, has called it a day and that master of destruction, Adam Gilchrist, has hung up his boots. Gone are the tormentors of batting lineups, Glen McGrath and Shane Warne. Sometime in the next couple of years, the Little Master will be done. That powerful, elegant Indian middle order will be no more, Sourav Ganguly, the wristy VVS Laxman and my personal favorite, Rahul Dravid, The Wall. The highly underrated spinner, Kumble, is also not far behind. Jayasuriya has retired from Tests and Murli is amongst the last of the great spinners. Inzy, that Pakistani who created a new respect for the term "lazy grace" is gone. It makes me ask the question, who else is left to carry the torch, who else can excite the senses like these gentlemen did?

For Sri Lanka, Kumar Sangakarra is still young and highly entertaining. Lasith Malinga shows promise and has the venom that becomes a fast bowler.

For Australia, Michael Clark is a very good batsman, but a cloud hangs over his head since his refusal to walk after that obvious catch. Matthew Hayden, despite his ability to hit centuries at will, is all power and brute force. How many of his match winning innings are actually remembered? Ponting will most likely go on to set the world record for the highest number of test runs, but will he ever be compared to Lara or Tendulkar? Brett Lee is their bowling spearhead and is better than ever. He is the one bowler in international cricket that can compare with the days of old.

For England, Andrew Flintoff is exciting when on song, but how much longer will his ankle keep up? Harmison has the right stuff, but then loses it like his run up. Monty Panesar is a character for sure, but can he be as good as Warne or Murli? Kevin Pietersen is flamboyant and a peacock amongst pigeons. His color adds style to an otherwise colorless team.

India's new find, Ishant Sharma, and his working over of Ricky Ponting was a feast to be remembered, but time alone will tell if he scales the heights set by Glen McGrath. High-strung Sreesanth has shown he can back his mouth up with his pace, but we will have to see if either become humble over time. It's strange to actually look to the future for Indian fast bowlers, instead of batsmen.

For South Africa, Jacques Kallis is great but boring, as is most of the South African batting lineup. Dale Steyn, the young colt, however, is a worthy replacement to Shaun Pollock, even if he is more in the mold of an Allan Donald.

For Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar's career is almost over and with all their fast bowlers breaking down over time it is difficult to pick a standout performer. No new batsmen have come to the fore to replace Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan. Hopefully time will bring someone.

For the West Indies it is the same sad story. Chris Gayle is still young and can still contribute, but what will happen when his reflexes start to slow? Excellent hand eye coordination can only make up so much for minimal footwork. Will he end up like Viv Richards at the twilight of his career? Shiv Chanderpaul is 33 and seems to have been around forever holding up the side, and until Marlon Samuels can consistently show his promise for several games in a row, I will still consider him a petulant underachiever. Jerome Taylor shows good promise though.

New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe all have the numbers to make up the sides, but apart from Shane Bond, whose career is now uncertain, and Mohammad Ashraful, who is an elegant batsman, there is little to choose from.

Hopefully the new generation of cricket lovers will find its heroes from the current and upcoming batch of players. For me, however, my generation is coming to an end, and I now understand why my father fondly remembered the days of Sunil Gavaskar, Imran Khan, Viv Richards and Malcolm Marshall. Cricket is still part of my heritage and life, but now a little less so.

(Click here To Know More About Ravi Singh)

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