Kumar Sangakkara, Shahid Afridi – All-rounders in ICC World Cup 2011 (Part 2)
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Kumar Sangakkara – Sri Lanka:
Kumar Sangakkara is an all-rounder in a true spirit of the word. One of the most fluent batsmen http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 has ever produced – a great wicketkeeper and a real leader.
When in his groove, he is a delight to watch. His silky drives and the ability to pace his innings makes him a special commodity. Sangakkara is fully equipped to play against fast bowlers and spinners alike. His elegant batting style and the ability to play all around the park makes him unique. His range of shots makes it hard for the bowling side to set a field. Sangakkara can shift his gears as per the requirement of the game and is quite efficient in doing so.
On top of his batting skills, as a wicketkeeper, his hands are one of the safest in the world. He is very agile behind the stumps and rarely misses the stumping or any catching opportunity. Keeping wickets for bowling wizards http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Muttiah-Muralitharan-c78157 and Ajantha Mendis is no easy feat, but Sangakkara makes it look very simple. He is also rated as one of the best captains in the cricketing world. From behind the stumps, he keeps marshalling his troops. He is one of those rare captains who are proactive rather than reactive. Sangakkara is animated and vocal as a skipper and never gives up. Former Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu is all praises for Kumar Sangakkara, saying, “Probably the most versatile player in cricket today. A leader who has personality and earns a lot of respect by way of performance.”
Shahid Afridi – Pakistan:
Pakistani captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 is the most talismanic player in his team. He is one of only three players in the world who has picked 250 wickets and scored more than 5,000 runs. Everyone in the cricketing world is aware of his hitting capabilities. Even at the age of thirty, he is more agile than most young players in the team. In his 15-year career, he has featured in 312 games for Pakistan. His strike rate of 113.75 earns him a reputation of a brutal batsman and has been nicknamed ‘Boom Boom Afridi’.
He has three centuries in the list of the six fastest centuries ever. The right-handed batsman can be used at different batting orders. However, for the World Cup, it is expected that he will be batting down the order. The Asian tracks will suit his batting style and he can change the course of the game with his power hitting in the power plays.
His batting is not the only trait that has earned him a killer reputation, his bowling is quite potent as well. He is known for his quick leg-break googlies and can bamboozle the batsmen with his varied pace. He likes to keep the ball within the stumps and rarely gives a loose ball to hit. His ability to strike at the crucial stages of the game makes him a difficult bowler to face. The tracks in Asia will suit his kind of bowling and he is expected to be the key for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in the ICC World Cup 2011.
He is not known for his captaincy skills, but considering the team composition and the experience he has, he might be the right choice for the time. He is one of the rare Pakistani players who like to show aggression, which of course should be the trademark of all skippers. He likes to be vocal and is often seen encouraging teammates. His fielding can lift the spirits of the team and he is considered one of the best fielders on his squad.
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