Experience packed teams set for final ICC Champions Trophy
The final 50-over Champions Trophy to be conducted by
theInternational Cricket Council promises to the best ever conducted if
the enthusiasm among the countries participating and the ICC s is an
indication.It will be played in England, the home of cricket, next
month. Countries contesting the trophy are Sri Lanka, England,
Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa.
Australia are the reigning champions. Sri Lanka too were on the winning
podium when rain which washed out the final in Sri Lanka, saw the home
country and India sharethe trophy.
It was in England that this tournament was given birth to and it is
right that it will have its finale also in England. The ICC has made
arrangements to give it a fitting farewell.Big crowds are expected to
soak in the thrills at matches
to be played in Cardiff, Birmingham, Nottingham and Kennington
Oval.Surprisingly the final will be played in Birmingham and not at the
famed Kennington Oval.
Countries have named squads
All participating countries have named their squads. Although some of
the cricketers of teams participating are figuring in the Indian Premier
League, the rest of the players are hard at training to get their acts
right in the middle.Knowing the conditions in England which favours seam
and swing, all teams have packed their teams with bowlers able to make
the ball wobble about, but have not ignored the spin departments.Stars
who could have lit up the cricketing firmament in England such as Kevin
Pietersen, Sahid Afridi and Jacques Kallis will be missing.Pietersen is
out recovering from injury, while Afridi and Kallis have been omitted
owing to poor form.Australia is the reigning champions and though their
rankings in the limited over games have dropped in recent times they are
determined to continue to hug the trophy and have named a formidable
squad to see them through.The Aussies will miss Ricky Ponting and the
high scoring Michael Hussey. Both have quit the big time game and their
influence will be badly missed by Captain Michael Clarke.
Cricketing terminators
But the Aussie selectors have given Clarke a team of cricketing
terminators who can demolish any opposition and bring back the
trophy.Clarke as usual will lead from the front and inspire the
Aussies.The Aussies are famed to revel in the Limited-over bashes and it
should be no different this time round. The selectors have infused some
young blood and Clarke has welcomed them.A batsman with the penchant for
big hitting George Bailey will be Clarke’s deputy. Bailey has proved his
hitting abilities and should strengthen the batting and be an ideal
deputy to Clarke with his Twenty20 experience as captain.According to
Chief Selector John Inverarity, the Champions Trophy is another
important step in their aim to get back the number one ranking. The
Aussies have won this trophy twice before.The surprise in the squad is
Mitchell Marsh brother of Shaun and son of former Aussie opening batsman
and one time Sri Lanka coach Geoff Marsh. Just 21 he has been sent,
probably on a learning experience.The new man in is fast bowler Nathan
Coulter-Nile.
England go for Ravi Bopara
England who have won the Twenty20 World Cup under Paul Collingwood,
have never laid their hands on the 50-over World Cup, and will be
hitching to win this trophy.Being the hosts and well versed in the
conditions, and in their endeavour to win they have picked a squad that
can deliver. It will be great disappointment if their lions fail to
devour all opposition this last time round.New skipper Alastair Cook has
done a good job since taking over the reins from South African born
Andrew Strauss. Primarily a longer version game batsman, left handed
Cook has accustomed well to the ‘cowboy’ game.Batting all rounder Ravi
Bopara is the only surprise inclusion. Bopara has failed to live up to
his potential and maybe this is the opportunity he has been waiting for.
The England camp is happy with the return of Tim Bresnan and Graeme
Swann after injury.The man to watch in their batting is Irish born
belligerent left hander Eoin Mogan. Morgan is a blaster when he gets
going and hits the ball with ferocious force. He is one of the successes
in the Indian Premier League.
Safety first by Lankan selectors
The Sri Lankan selectors have gone for a safety first method and
picked a team with all their old war horses. The selectors should have
indulged in a bit of aggression and plonked in a couple of promising
youngsters.Hopes are that the old hands will deliver. But none of the
old hands such as Tillekeratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayewardene, Kumar
Sangakkara and captain Angelo Matthews have been making big runs in the
IPL.However the squad looks nicely balanced. The only surprise is the
recalling of left-arm medium pace bowler who has the ability to get the
ball to wobble about both ways Chanaka Welegedera. The selectors have
taken a risk in including him because he is injury prone, especially
with his hamstring.Allrounder Thisara ‘Panda’ Perera is the only player
keeping the Lankan flag flying in the IPL and its hoped that he will
carry this form with him into the ICC Champions Trophy.
Afridi dumped from Pakistan squad
Surprisingly Pakistan cricket is riddled with controversy and owing
to this their game in all forms is not what it should be. They are
oozing with talent. But match fixing allegations and internal fighting
has not helped take their game to the top.Now comes the news that Sahid
Afridi and Umar Akmal have been benched for want of form. Afridi and
Akmal are brilliant willow wielders when in form. But the selectors have
gone for form players and so both miss out.Afridi alleges that skipper
Misbah Ul Haq has a hand in his dropping which Misbah denies. Misbah has
been too defensive a captain and the Pakistan selectors would not have
been faulted if like the West Indies they went to England with a new
captain.
India also dump senior players
India who will be strong contenders for the trophy have sidelined
three formidable players in Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj
Singh. The selectors have had the courage to be different and have
slotted in some young and aggressive players.Led by that dasher Mahendra
Singh Dhoni, the selectors have given him some youngsters who are
shining in the IPL. Sehwag, Gambhir and Singh have been flops in the IPL
and the selectors have played the right stroke in leaving them out.India
is the reigning World Champions and they have the flair and the
aggression for this style of game and if their players hit the right
pitch they could push aside all opposition and take home the trophy.
Bravo new West Indies captain
The West Indies selectors have taken a bold step by relieving regular
skipper Darren Sammy and replacing him with the dashing and daring all
rounder Dwaynne Bravo.Bravo is hitting it big in the IPL and this would
have prompted the selectors to give him a go and retain Sammy in
Twenty20 as captain. Sammy is in the squad and should help Bravo with
his experience when faced with situations.The player the crowds will be
yearning to watch will be ‘man mountain’ Chris Gayle. If and when he
gets his act going, strokes flow from his bat like sparks from a welders
gun. Pity that the South African selectors were forced to drop their
reliable allrounder Jacques Kallis from their squad to England.Kallis
too is suffering poor form in the IPL.It is said that Kallis requested
to be kept out for personal reasons, But that is further from the truth.
In comes Jean Paul Duminy who has recovered from injury.The player to
watch in the SA squad is right hander Abraham de Villiers who can
frustrate and take any attack to the cleaners. The bearded Hashim Amla
who is known for his consistency will also need watching.New Zealand
will be only team who would have had a feel of English conditions
because they will play a Two-Test series against England before stepping
out in quest of the ICC Champions trophy.
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