Approach To Pick An ODI Side (Part I of II)

Launce Klusener, Abdul Razzaq, Neil Johnson, Azhar Mahmood, Shane Lee, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Pollock, Damien Martyn and all other such all-rounders are very important members of their respective teams.

In a One-Day match there is less time and less opportunity but there are more expectations to perform in these matches. The team only gets 50 overs to bat and if they have some body like Shahid Afridi or Sanath Jaysuria who can turn all the game in the first 15 overs, then every captain feels himself as a satisfied man but if these players can play the role of 6th bowler and can bowl quick 5-6 overs and take an odd wicket then these players are a blessing for any team captain.

Similarly, if a team has Launce Klusener, Wasim Akram, Razzaq, Shane Lee and other such players who come late in the batting order and can smash the ball to all corners of the ground and can bowl full quota of 10 overs, then these players are really deserve very important place in the team.

Recently, in World Cup 99, England in United & Carlton Series (the series which I followed with great intrest and saw each and every match), there is an observation of the all-rounders taking their teams to victory. Neil Johnson was the hero for Zimbabwe, especially in the match against South Africa, Launce Klusener, (the player of the tournament in World Cup 99) was the South African Champion and really every bowler feared bowling to him and two Pakistani all-rounders Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood who really paved the way for Pakistan and Pakistan was runners-up in the World Cup.

Long batting line-ups show the strength of a team. South African batting line-up goes to no. 9 and sometimes even to no. 10, Pakistan batting-line up goes to no. 9 while Aussies somewhat has the same strength in their batting line-up. These strong batting line-ups has really helped their team to make big scores and has also helped incase there is a sudden collapse in the top order.

Batting wicket keepers has also marked a great importance in their teams. Moin Khan for Pakistan, Gilchrist for Australia and Mark Boucher for South Africa have really played great knocks for their respective teams and now these players are known as true all-rounders or batting wicket keepers. I think that no can forget the sixes of Moin Khan to McGrath and Allen Donald in World Cup and Gilchrist's great knock in the 2nd test match against Pakistan in Hobart. These wicket keepers are now called as batting wicket keepers and have played a true important role in their teams wins.

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