Shaun Tait the bowling prodigy - ICC World Cup 2011
Shaun Tait is the quickest fast bowler, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 has ever produced. He also sits at the top of the ranks in World’s fastest bowlers chart and when fit, can even touch the 100mph mark. Speed is Shaun’s trademark while his in-swinging yorker is impossible to block. Last year in England, he unleashed a ball against England at Lord's that registered at 161.1kph, the second-fastest of all-time. The only unfortunate aspect for Tait’s speed is that it is not consistent and not being used by him in every format of the game. He has already given up Tests and first-class games, preferring to focus mainly on limited-over cricket.
Tait is so quick that not even the top batsmen want to face him. Along with his rocket-paced deliveries, he has the quality to swing the ball late and it all becomes a real pain for batsmen, who fear for their safety and their wicket. A fit Shaun is truly a match changer as he can take wickets any time and be economical at the end of an innings.
He made his first-class debut in 2002-2003 and performed phenomenally well. Tait was brought to international side in 2007 against England where he showed his range, picking up 2 wickets in his opening matches, and clocked 160kph. In his 28 one-day games, he has picked up 51 wickets at a strike rate of 26.9 which is the third best among bowlers who have played more than 25 matches in 50-over format but what the figures don't show is how the bowlers at the other end benefited from the batsmen trying to cash in after being terrified by Tait's pace.
Tait shot on to the Test scene during the infamous 2005 Ashes series. Tait has a ‘slingy’ nature of his action which puts an excessive amount of strain on the shoulder and it comes as little surprise that injuries have blighted his career. He becomes expensive sometimes, giving away too many extra runs but his impressive strike rate especially in the shortest form of the sport marks him out as a top class strike bowler. Tait won The Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year in 2003-04 and also picked up the ING Cup’s Best New Talent prize.
Shaun’s fitness prevented him from claiming a regular place in the Test arena but he has remained a brutal bowler in the shorter version of the game. In January 2008, he surprisingly announced an indefinite break from the game due to physical and emotional exhaustion and since returning later that year has focused only on Twenty20s and one-dayers. Tait has proved himself as a highly successful strike bowler in the limited over cricket, as he has delivered some blistering spells in his short career. His excellent performance proved Denis Lillee's belief that he "has all the resources to stick the ball right up the noses of the batsmen”.
Despite numerous setbacks of severe injuries, his quick yorkers with sharp reverse-swing cause huge problems for batsmen on the crease. World Cup 2011 is Tait’s second appearance in the mega event as he was also a part of Australian World Cup 2007 side where he picked up 23 wickets including 4 wickets in semi-final against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757. Tait’s performance in last mega event on Caribbean batting-friendly tracks gives a hint that he would play well if given a chance to prove his worth in the World Cup.
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