As if India’s draw in the World Cup is not challenging enough initself, a couple of veteran players are on the verge ofretirement, their powers waning with every passing series
Anand Vasu28-Jan-2003As if India’s draw in the World Cup is not challenging enough initself, a couple of veteran players are on the verge ofretirement, their powers waning with every passing series. Butthe one aspect that is sure to generate huge interest when thetournament hits Africa in February and March is the charge of theyouth brigade. In fact, even across the spectrum of teams, thepast year has seen an almost unprecedented rise of youngcricketers surging to the front-lines of battle.Starting with India, there is little need to look further thanthe cornerstone of their recent limited-overs success both homeand away. Even as the side struggled to come to grips with theloss of strength in the bowling department, skipper SouravGanguly and coach John Wright pegged their hopes on the battingand fielding departments. The mantra for success was heard overand over again save runs on the field and run between wicketslike hares.
© CricInfoFew put this theory into practice better than the duo of YuvrajSingh and Mohammad Kaif. With Rahul Dravid keeping wicket, Indiawere able to pack the side with batsmen, but they still needed tobe especially sharp in the field. This was where the naturalathleticism of Yuvraj and Kaif came to the fore. Who can forgetthe way India edged past South Africa in the Champions Trophyalmost solely on the brilliance of Yuvraj Singh? Plucking catchesout of thin air in crucial positions close to the wicket, Yuvrajmade sure that South Africa were under pressure at all times.And, of course, possibly India’s greatest triumph of the year the NatWest series triumph – was engineered by the franticrunning between the wickets of Kaif.But that’s not all. Two other pillars of India’s success ZaheerKhan and Virender Sehwag – truly came of age in 2002. WhileSehwag has stolen many hearts with his dashing brand of battingat the top of the order, few will disagree that Zaheer’s fire inthe belly has propelled him into the role of spearhead of thebowling attack. For this pair, like Yuvraj and Kaif, theforthcoming World Cup will be their first.And what an arena! Every cricketer, let alone the young, dreamsof doing well in the World Cup, and India will be particularlymotivated after their dismal tour of New Zealand. But India, evenwith their success, is not the only team that has turned to youthto bolster their sagging fortunes.Australia, easily the front-runners to walk away victorious forthe second time in a row, have shifted their policy fromexperience to youth in a systematic manner. Legends like SteveWaugh find themselves out in the cold as Australia search for ayoung all-rounder to take them forward.
© CricInfoAustralia’s oldest enemy, England, have traditionally been theslowest to move their feet when it comes to accepting change.Even they, however, have had to rethink their strategies, backingup experience with the precocious enthusiasm of youth. The latestentrant to the side, 20-year-old James Anderson, impressed withhis nippy bowling in the VB Triangular Series in Australia. WithDarren Gough a constant injury concern and Andy Caddick losingpace by the day, Anderson will have to put his hand up and becounted if England are to go far on the seamer-friendly SouthAfrican wickets.In sharp contrast to England, Pakistan have always believed inthrowing the cricketers into the deep end when they barely knowhow to swim. It was under pressure in the 1992 World Cup thatPakistan threw up the talent of Inzamam ul-Haq, and in 2003, itwill be the left-hander Taufeeq Umar to carry the burden ofexpectation. A responsible batsman at the top of the order, Umarwill have the unenviable task of lending solidity to a brittlebatting line-up that can be as shaky as it can be brilliant.Competing almost directly with Umar is his Sri Lankancounterpart, Jehan Mubarak. Only 21, Mubarak was born inWashington but schooled in the privileged bastion of Sri Lanka’seducational system, Royal College, where he was a highly talentedall-round sportsman. After choosing to stick with cricket, thetall but elegant left-hander has fast made a name for himself asa batsman of high promise. In a team that has explosive yetunorthodox batsmen like Sanath Jayasuriya and AvishkaGunawardena, Mubarak comes as a whiff of fresh air.
© CricInfoLast, and certainly not least, come the men from the Caribbean.Having recently beaten India 4-3 in an action-packed one-dayseries, the West Indies discovered the strength of its youth.While Chris Gayle’s wanton hitting at the top of the order wascertainly the one aspect that stole the show, there were twoother youngsters whose roles will be crucial in the World Cup.Ramnaresh Sarwan looks cool, composed and all class when he isout in the middle. He has the ability to pace himself and stay atthe wicket long something that the West Indies has alwayslacked. And then there’s Jermaine Lawson; with pace, strength anda force of character, Lawson blew away the much-vaunted Indiantop-order with a spell of fast bowling that conjured up visionsof the West Indians teams of old.With conditions playing a large part, it will be adaptabilitythat wins the day. While experience has its obvious advantages,there’s a certain freshness and enthusiasm that only comes fromyouth. and the drive, the passion to go the extra mile and edgesomeone else out, is where the rookie looms large. The World Cupwill separate the men from the boys; only, the boys may come outon top with the men stopped dead in their tracks.