ICC World XI: Player Analysis – Part 5
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 (continued…)
The Pakistan captain’s fantastic Group Stage form continued into the knock-out stages. Shahid Afridi was instrumental in the West Indies batting collapse in the quarter-final. Four wickets were attributed to Afridi, who even came close to a hat-trick when
he dismissed two West Indies batsmen in consecutive deliveries.
It was Afridi’s handling of the media in the match press conferences exuded professionalism. The selection panel would also have taken notice of the captain’s ability to both remain calm himself and evoke the same feeling amongst his team.
The Pakistan skipper did not panic and demonstrated the composure a Tibetan monk would have been proud of, when Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar was dropped four times.
While Afridi’s performances with the bat left a lot of to be desired, it was the inspirational captain’s outstanding bowling that earned him a place as the leg spinner in the ICC World XI.
Dale Steyn
South African fast bowler http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dale-c52110 Steyn was the second player to be selected for his nation, by the esteemed panel, to represent the ICC World XI. The all action bowler known for being ruthless with the ball did what he does best and was the reason for many
a batsman returning to the pavilion.
When it came to selecting a fast bowler who can generate natural pace, defines the word passion and has a knack of putting in a performance when it matters the most, Dale Steyn was the perfect choice.
Steyn’s ability with the new ball is something any side would wish to have on their side as he demonstrated on more than one occasion in cricket’s premier tournament. The South African bowler’s three wicket haul against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 was what led his side
to a comfortable victory.
If anything, Steyn’s destruction of one of the most formidable batting line-ups in the modern game would have gotten the attention of the selection panel. The South African bowler took no less than five wickets against the eventual winners of the tournament
at the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Vidarbha-c860 Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
There was plenty of competition for places as to who the two fast bowlers in the World XI would be and although Dale Steyn’s inclusion came as a surprise to some, it was deserved.
Zaheer Khan
The third and final Indian player in the ICC World XI roster, Zaheer Khan was the obvious choice as the prestigious side’s main attack bowler. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s
captain Afridi as the leading wicket taker in the competition.
Though his best figures of 3 wickets for 20 runs may not be the most impressive in the tournament when you compare it to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 bowler Tim Southee’s average of three wickets almost every game, it is the nature and the timing of the wickets he took that
earned him the honour.
Khan took three wickets in every match on such a regular basis that it was his consistency that lent the usually hapless Indian bowling attack some stability. The West Indies and the South African’s were just two of the sides that lost, the almost trade
mark, three wickets to the Indian bowler.
[Continued in 'ICC World XI: Player Analysis – Part 6']
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