Top 5 wicket takers, in ODI World Cups (part 3)
(Continued from Part 2... Chaminda Vass)
Vass is a left arm fast bowler of varied skills, other than pace. He can swing the ball both ways at a good enough speed to trouble the best batsmen in the business. A thoughtful in-dipper being his trademark delivery, and, he has a deceptive off-cutter.
Recently, he has developed the art of reverse swing, which has really made him successful on grassless wickets of Sri Lanka and its surrounding region. The left-armer has been a smart operator, regarding the way he has modified his action during the years.
However, he might not be as talented as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292, but he still is very effective. Vass knows his limitations, and, his every wicket is a well thought-out plan. The left-armer knows how and when to use his weapons. In addition, he is a great reader of
the game, conditions and situations. You know, what you are going to get from Chaminda, when he is on the cricket field.
The veteran left-armer has blossomed more in ODIs than in Test cricket where he has gathered 400 victims in 322 matches at an average of 27.
In World cups, the left arm quickie has gathered 49 scalps in 31 matches at an average of 21 with the best of 6/25. In his hunt of 49 victims, he has taken a single five-wicket-haul with an economy rate of 3.97.
Chaminda remains an integral part of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758’s World cup plans. He can provide guidance, to the young Sri Lankan fast bowlers. Therefore, if he fires in the upcoming World cup in February 2011, then Sri Lanka will be a force to reckon with.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Javagal-Srinath-c66513
He is arguably the fastest bowler to play for India. Perhaps, he is the country’s 2nd greatest bowler. Srinath had the ability to unsettle the best of the batsman with his steep bounce on the docile wickets of India.
He and most bowlers in southern Asia learn to swing the ball in the air because of lifeless pitches. But Srinath was of a different mould. He was more of a seam bowler, as he used to hit the pitch hard to extract any kind of movement and uneven bounce from
the pitch. Though, wickets in India don’t offer much assistance, still it was his ability to extract seam movement that really made him stand out among other bowlers of the region.
As his career progressed, he added more variations in his armoury to give more dimensions to his bowling. He added off-cutters and in-dippers to his attack. Mainly, he was an in-swing bowler.
It was due to his wrist positions that he was able to bring the ball back into right handers. Whenever, the conditions favoured him, he was able to bowl out-swingers. Lately, he learnt the art of reversing the ball that really made him even more effective
in the death overs of an ODI innings.
When Srinath retired, he was the 2nd most successful fast bowler of the country with 236 wickets in 67 matches at an average of 30.
Like most south Asian bowlers, he too was more productive in ODI cricket than in Test cricket. His 315 wickets in 229 matches, gathered at an average of 28 with the best of 5/23 are evidence of his effectiveness in the shorter version of the game. On the
biggest stage of cricket, he has wonderfully contributed in a couple of India’s victories.
In World cups, he featured in 34 matches, scalping 44 victims at an average of 27 with the best of 4/30. His economy of 4.35 isn’t a bad one, considering the fact he was India’s premier death bowler.
Srinath remains a role model for India’s upcoming fast bowlers.
Only, Murali and Vass, of the top five will be part of the 2011 World cup in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747. So they can, further improve their numbers. There is a great chance for Murali to end his career as the highest wicket taker in World cup history.
He will need 19 wickets to remove Glenn McGrath from top of the podium.
It will be of greater interest to see how the bowlers around the World fare in cricket’s ultimate tournament. We might see a different list of top 5 wicket takers, after the conclusion of 2011 World cup.
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