Ages ago i started a 5 most important cricketer series.
But by the time i was half way through i already disagreed with my selections.
This one is not so much about the future of cricket, but about the here and now.
These are the guys that are leading cricket right now, forget about old men like Ponting and Tendulkar, these are the men.
Mitchell Johnson
Bats like bowling all rounders are supposed to; bowls like left armers almost never do; and has gone from a run leaking vanity project to the most explosive player on earth in one year. I’m not sure how.
Three players on the planet can make test hundreds and bowl at over 90 miles per hour. The other two are older, slower, and injury proner. Is Australia’s most important player by so far no one can work out who is the second most important.
When Dennis Lillee said he was a once in a generation player, did he mean as an all rounder?
Jesse Ryder
Prince Brendan McCullum may get the big IPL bucks, he might have the body art, and be the marquee player for New Zealand, but Jesse is the marquee.
Jesse is 6 tests into a career and is already carving India’s ‘way better than average’ bowling attack. Likes making runs under pressure, takes the odd wicket and seems to inspire his team mates. It’s too early to put him on this list, and yet here he is.
Keep him out of the pub and New Zealand have a messiah.
Virender Sehwag
Considered a novelty act for a great deal of his career, but only by troglodytes. Sehwag was the real deal even when internal politics kept him out of the Indian side.
Since returning in Perth, Sehwag has started to damage bowling attacks with a special brand of religious intent (Sehwagology). The problem with getting him out is that you still have to go through the best batting line up in cricket, the problem with not getting him out is he can make 300 at better than a run a ball.
There is no test batsman who can win a game, or produce a bowlers mental breakdown, quicker than this man.
Kevin Pietersen
No matter where you stand on KP, complete wanker or batting stylist par excellence, fewer cricketers are more engaging on or off the field. The world’s highest paid cricketer (we don’t count Freddie, you don’t get paid for being injured) is still the prize wicket of the English team, and is box office in every way.
Australia will know that if they can keep him quiet in the ashes, on the field (no one can keep him quiet off it), they will go along way to winning. He is 45% of the reason Lalit Modi wanted English players in the IPL.
Cricket’s David Beckham, and I mean that as a compliment and a slur.
Dale Steyn
Probably not the fastest bowler on the planet, but no one takes wickets at a quicker rate. Wrestles crocodiles in his spare time, and often has a weird shadow on his top lip.
Does seem to be very hit and miss, but is still young enough to get away with it. When he takes wickets, they seem to come in large bags and he looks on top of the world, for a great deal of the rest of the time he looks flat and bored.
Not the prettiest boy in the band, but the only one who can really sing.
okay…3 players who can bowl 90mph and score a ton…freddie, michelle, and who else? help me out here. i hope you didn’t mean that fat prick kallis.
Kallis and Freddie can both bowl quicker than 90 miles, one is too lazy to do so, and the other a physical basket case. Taylor is possibly another, although he rarely gets to 90 miles as often as Kallis does.
Homer, Bout time. Excellent article on him in the wisden cricketer last month about his dutch ambitions.
Sunny – That would be terrifying. His average bowling speed is a little less than 90 mph though, isn’t it?
Is it can score or has scored? Jerome Taylor’s 90pmh? Brett Lee might get a hundred if they play Bangladesh? Could make an argument for a man who bowls 50mph and scores hundreds – Dan Vettori…
Anyhow, re the KP Beckham analogy – interesting that they’re both regarded as the hardest trainers in the side, too…
Jerome Taylor? hits 90 and has a test hundred against New Zealand?
@amy – very good point. i got way laid by jrod describing them as “slower, injury proner”.
@theoldbatsman – oh yeah..brett lee! shame that you are out of the game for a few months and ppl forget your existence.
I’d turn my stile for Jesse and Dale – as for the rest? False idol, Aussie and wanker – nah
AB deVillers does not wish you to stay classy after leaving him off this list
http://www.pr-inside.com/nannes-australia-s-loss-is-netherlands-gain-r1161341.htm
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Victoria state fast bowler Dirk Nannes said Friday he would commit his international cricket career to the Netherlands after being overlooked by Australia for the Twenty20 world championships in England in June.
Nannes was one of Victoria’s stars this season and excelled in the shortened 20-over format, where he claimed
I initially thought Jrod was talking about Flintoff and Kumble, but realised that Flintoff hasn’t hit 90 mph since 2005. Taylor has indeed made a ton, against Gillespie, Mills, O’Blogger, Franklin and Vettori no less
Homer, that makes sense, for he’ll get to play the 2020 World Cup, Holland starting proceedings with a match against England at Lords. Should be interesting. And Holland will in all likelihood qualify tor the ODI World Cup. On the other hand, because Holland is not an ICC Full Member, Nannes would not not barred from representing Australia at ANY time in the future.
Bob, He hasn’t signed with Middlesex this year, as he signed a deal with Victoria.
My first thought at the other 2 who can bowl 90+ and hit test tons went towards Kallis and Flintoff.. but Kallis’ pace has dropped while Freddie hasnt hit a ton since who knows when.. Freddie is over rated I think.. he’s England’s Shoaib Akhtar..
Taylor makes sense but he’s not older and slower and injury prone.. Dwyane Bravo could be one but he is also not older..
Enlighten us Jrod..?
FOR ONCE! I dont have an opposition in ur post ! Maybe if u came up with 10, i might hv some reason to turn blue.
dirty dirk! :) was he in the game they defeated Kenya (tat was yday rite)
I cannot agree more on those 5 picks. Though a little doubtful about Dale Steyn. Maybe I havent seen him much.
You are spot on Sehwag. In fact I had defended Sehwag for his captaincy or the lack of it in my recent blog post. You might be interested. Here is the link : http://www.leggully.com/2009/04/02/in-defense-of-virendar-sehwag/
On a different note, I love you blog title with balls. Hilarious!
I am no sure on Mitchell johnson. But other 4 are super star. Steyn probably beat mcgrath in max wickets by a fast bowler if he do not get injured. reason is his yorkers are deadly against tailenders even if it is flat track. Super deadly when the ball is swinging. Almost look like he will take wicket on every ball. Sehwag ..oh well he is GOD of everything but he is human when he gets out cheaply. Pieterson is mr bravado and he is true cricketer who scores in any situation.
Mitchell johnson is hit or miss even in bowling. Unless it is super fast track , he bow like a glorified RP singh. But bat like man posessed when he is on song. He should be in Akram level with his super speed , something lacking. Once he figure it out , he will be as deadly as AKRAM. He has to bring “horizantal swing on the air to his arsenal. Then watch out.
Lets bow down to GOD for his 48 exciting runs today!.
Ceci – “false idol, Aussie and wanker”? Ok, that’s Mitchell Johnson out but what’s wrong with KP and Sehwag?
Oh, hang on…
did you say picks or pricks? Well there’s 2 fat pricks in there and 3 smouldering, sexy picks.
But then, cricket bloggers are mostly male, so you probably think fat pricks are sexy.
Rusty, probably depends on your definition of sexy, as the ladies love curvy Jesse. And when the word sexy is used, why do you assume it is about appearance? I would have thought a woman would know sexiness is way more than that.
jrod,
of course its all in the appearance! What else do men have? To think otherwise is just wishful thinking on the part of all men who don’t look like Mitch or Dhoni or Brendon ( or Dale – who needs pretty when he smoulders like that!).
Mate, dream on …
Sexiness in cricket is a whole different matter…