In cricket, the batsmen win matches. But the bowers win tournaments. In the past, it’s the bowlers who have been the prime factors for their team’s success in the prestigious tournaments. The 2019 version of the Cup is not going to be any different.
All quick bowlers will relish the English weather and pitches. More than swing, the balls will be wobbling around like an unguided canon. On most of the pitches, not only the batsmen, the men with gloves behind the wicket too are going to have a watchful time. It’s a different story, 300 plus scores have been recorded in England. However, it’s the bowlers, who will have the last laugh. The team with the most potent attack is likely to win in the greatest cricketing extravaganza.
Apart from the hosts- England, each leading side, Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand boasts of a very potent attack with proven track records.
Look at the English side. The wily Mark Wood has got a mate, to share the new ball from the other end: Jofra Archer. The sudden emergence of Archer, mind you, he is quick enough to surprise the best player on a docile wicket, as he did during the last IPL, provides Eoin Morgan the potent weapon to use as and when he needs a breakthrough. Morgan too enjoys the luxury of the other resources, Liam Plunkett, the much underrated, Chris Woakes, the spinner duo- Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. In the middle overs, Morgan can always bank on the ebullient Ben Stokes. On paper, the English attack looks much better than that of the other top contenders for the coveted cup-Australia, India, South Africa and the dark horse, New Zealand.
Defending champions, Australia will expect its leader of the bowling pack Mitchell Starc to deliver the punches at the opponents. He will be assisted by the energetic Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile or Jason Behrendorff. Adam Zampa and part timer Glenn Maxwell be useful with their slow turners. In the Aussie side, one bowler who can rip through the opponent is the Cummins. He runs in athletically and bowls at a lethal pace, sometimes too hot to handle for the batsmen.
The quickie trio Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi with the variations of leg spinner Imran Tahir can run through any batting side. Individually, each of them can upset even the best batting units. Rabada and Tahir are two of the top five ODI bowlers. Steyn has experience while height, bounce and raw pace make Ngidi a dangerous commodity on the pitch. But it is the boyish faced, ever smiling Rabada, who certainly will wreck havoc with his consistent 145km/ph
In Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami India enjoys a really good attack. There are also, Hardik Pandya- the much talked about and often compared with the Great Kapil Dev and the left arm orthodox Ravindra Jadeja.
Kumar, with his swing will create problems and even the best in the business of opening the innings will have a tough time in negating Kumar, at least in the initial overs. Bumrah is considered the best fast bowler in the world in limited version of the game. It will be interesting to watch Shami in particular. For, in the English conditions, his deliveries with upright seam position would be extremely difficult to negotiate.
The Kiwis too has a lovely mix of everything in their armoury. The left right combination of Trent Boult and Tim Southee is undoubtedly a skipper’s delight. Lockie Ferguson is the only genuine 150kmh man among the black caps. Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner , and Colin de Grandhomme offer the extra options to captain Kane Williamson.
However, the attack to watch out for in this all important tournament, is ironically the least, spoken or written about, so far. With its fragile and temperamental attitude and performance, Pakistan side, may not find a place in the experts book, as a contender for the cup. But, as in the past, this side is capable to upset the pundits, on any given day. It’s agreed, they lack a star, may not have the preparations as compared to other teams. However, overlook and underestimate the Pakistani attack, at your own peril.
For Mohammad Amir, who didn’t figure in the squad till the last moment is a magician with the new ball. He can bowl as quick as any, swing the ball both the ways, stun even the kings of batting with his terrific art. Remember the last champions trophy final in 2017 , how in his first spell he grounded the famed Indian batting line up.
His new ball partner, the new found Pathan, Shaheen Shah Afridi is a great prospect. You can’t miss the two characters, Wahab Riaz and Hasan Ali, followed by the rookie Muhammad Hasnain and two spinners Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan. Practically speaking, when it comes to bowling, Pakistan has a healthy problem of plenty. And without doubt the bowling side in the tournament.
When on song, they can make the best batsmen in the world and in this format, nervous. Till they are attacked, if successfully, the Pakistan bowlers look pretty ordinary, as if they have lost all interest in the game. However, as soon as a wicket falls, they would start firing from all cylinders. Something inherent in their nature, it seems.
