ICC World T20 - The trio to watch out for with the willow in hand (Part 2) - Opinion – Continued
The man, who recently became the best batsman in T20 cricket, however is equally dangerous. That man is Brendon McCullum of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 who is brutal, pugnacious, but simply brilliant to watch when he is in his prime. His status as New Zealand’s most accomplished batsman in the format has never been disputed, as he manages to annihilate attacks when he opens the innings, on a regular basis.
He is prone to the odd failures here and there, but that can be attributed to his technical frailties that have been exposed time and time again. Once McCullum gets into gear however, there is no stopping him. Not many would forget the inhumane innings he played at Christchurch, where he destroy a powerful Australian attack, and in the process registered his first T20 hundred in 2010. That innings was laced with scintillating stroke play, as scoop shots off http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hugh-Morris-c63550.
McCullum’s recent form is also a damning fact for the oppositions he would be playing, and with an average just a tad higher than the diabolical http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 at Chennai recently, which has sent down alarm bells in the opposition camps, over what he could produce in this year’s tournament.
For the hosts, they would be banking upon one man who has a penchant for scoring big and smashing bowling attacks all over the park. That man is Tillakaratne Dilshan. No man in the history of T20 cricket for Sri Lanka has managed to bruise bowling attacks like Dilshan had done in his prime, and his record in Sri Lanka is simply outstanding. He is a different player to Chris Gayle, as he is prone to being an LBW candidate early on. He is more similar to McCullum, where his strong wrists, bottom hand, and ability to fire cuts and pulls with impunity, has helped him construct an extraordinary career.
Dilshan is vulnerable early on, yet once he manages to see off the new ball, he is virtually unstoppable. He loathes losing, and the fact that the ball might not swing prodigiously on most of the Sri Lanka pitches this time around, would be a confidence booster for the man from Kalutara. His 104 not out against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 was a treat for the gods at Pallekele in 2011, where towering sixes with brute force oozed off his willow. If he can keep his recklessness intact then, there is a strong possibility that Sri Lanka could move into the semi finals, courtesy his belligerence at the top of the innings.
Other players such as the diminutive http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758.
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