From prodigies to legends - Part I

The decade has just begun and over the next ten years there will be legends added to the already illustrative list of cricketers who begun their careers as small men and went on to become shining stars.

LEGENDS OF THE NOUGHTIES

The last decade saw many cricketers who built their career magnificently in this ten year time span. Virender Sehwag comes first in our mind. He scored a hundred on debut at Bloemfontein against South Africa. Now after 9 years post that innings, Sehwag’s now enjoying appreciations and accolades from all over the world. Ian Chappell has recently gone on to call Sehwag as the “New Bradman”. Ricky Ponting is another cricketer who has done a world of good for himself and for Australia in the noughties. Ponting was never close to Tendulkar’s records at the start of 2000. Although he started his career in the late 1990s, the real rise to the greatness he now relishes has been because of his prolific form that started with the Ashes (2001).

Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have been two of the leading bowlers of the decade. Their careers blossomed after 2000. Even though, Zak and Bhajji have done exceedingly well for India, the growth of Makhaya Ntini has been the most impressive in world cricket. His is a “rags to riches” story. The first black cricketer to play test cricket for South Africa, Makhaya completed playing 100 tests for South Africa.

THE STORY OF YOUNG AND GIFTED

It’s time to look for the future now. 2000s are now part of history. It’s important to see what world cricket will get in the next ten years, when the whole game’s complexion is going to change like a whirlwind.

One of the most important factors for a new-age cricketer is his ability to adapt. Along with this adaptability, he must be supremely fit to last ten years.

Here is the list of cricketers, who might easily become legends and superstars by the end of this decade.

MITCHELL JOHNSON (AUSTRALIA) – Over the next few years, teams will be ripped apart by Johnson’s pace and late swing. Former Australian speedster, Dennis Lillee called him “one-in-a-generation” cricketer. Mitchell Johnson’s life since his debut has been both smooth and thorny. He has been roughed up by batsmen time-and-again. But, he has never been short of confidence to have a crack at the batsmen. These are times when it’s very hard to find genuine fast-bowlers troubling batsmen consistently. Johnson’s pace unsettles every batsman. If his exploits at Perth in 2008 and his performances in South Africa (2009) are anything to go by, Johnson is here to stay for another 7-8 years definitely.

Johnson’s contribution to Australian cricket doesn’t stop with his aggressive fast-bowling. His batting has come of age. Last year he scored about 500 test runs (including a test century) and also picked 63 wickets. That helped him join the elite club of all-rounders in test history to have taken 50 plus wickets and score 500 runs in a year.

PETER SIDDLE (AUSTRALIA) – Since the time, McGrath & co departed from the test scene, Australia’s major worry has been with their bowling department. Even though, the Aussies possess strong batsmen in the form of Watson, Ponting, Hussey and Clarke, their bowlers haven’t actually reached that stardom. But, the likes of Johnson and Siddle are on their way to achieve more in their career.

Something tells me that, Siddle’s career would carve out exactly in the same as Jason Gillespie’s career panned out. He might be the “work-horse” of the Australian bowling unit; a bowler who can give 20 tireless overs at quite some speed every single day. Siddle’s commitment in the team is spectacular, again like Jason Gillespie. While, Johnson might lead the Australian attack as their strike bowler, Siddle would play the second fiddle perfectly, just as Gillespie did for McGrath.

The luck factor also plays against him on most occasions. If ever he was lucky like others, he might have grabbed at least 20 more wickets by now. But, that doesn’t stop him from bowling fiercely.

UMAR AKMAL (PAKISTAN) – There is something special about this kid. He is still not yet out of his teenage but has a cool head and a sensible cricketing brain inside that head. I first followed Akmal in a practice one-day game in Sri Lanka (2009). Abdul Razzaq was staging his comeback into the Pakistan team after cutting the ties with ICL. Pakistan was in deep trouble with about 6 wickets lost with another 20 overs left in their innings. Razzaq joined this kid in the middle. And the rest as they say is history. Akmal exploded and scored a quick-fire 80. He went to propel the Pakistan score beyond 300, when the team was looking down the barrel against the Sri Lankan Board President’s XI.

Akmal’s first international series was against Sri Lanka this year. His performances were so refreshing and impressive that he even got a place in the test team. Some of his knocks in test matches have been brilliant, to say the least. His debut test in Dunedin, where he scored a test ton on debut followed by 75 in the second innings, his 51 in Melbourne (Boxing Day test) against Australia have all been marks of what might be a great cricketer in the making.

He has been the answer for Pakistan’s search for a quality batsman in their line-up. Since, Younis Khan, Pakistan hasn’t actually got any batsman who can score runs at will in test cricket. Now that, Umar has made that transformation, he will carry a load of expectations on his young shoulders every time he goes to bat. Yesterday, he lost his cool while chasing 176 against Australia at Sydney. But, as time goes on, his maturity levels will also grow.

Every time I see this kid bat, I am somehow reminded of the young Sachin Tendulkar. It reminds me of Tendulkar because he is gifted and aggressive, just like the teenage Tendulkar. He has a good cricketing brain, again like Tendulkar. He is playing in an era, where he will soon start shouldering the whole batting responsibility after the likes of Yousuf and Younis leave the scene. This again is like Tendulkar of the 90s when he received little support from other batsmen when touring overseas.Pakistan cricket will definitely revive and one of the pillars of this revival would be Umar Akmal. Just keep tab on how this cricketer grows in the next ten years! You’ll be amazed to see where he reaches.

There is already lot of hype surrounding him. Mark Taylor recently called Umar Akmal’s batting as a mixture of Javed Miandad and Sachin Tendulkar. Taylor can’t be totally wrong. Can he?

MOHAMMAD AAMER (PAKISTAN) – While Pakistan carries a great history in generating fast-bowlers, Wasim Akram holds a special place in that history. There haven’t been too many sensation left-arm fast bowlers in their history, or for that case, in world history itself.

Every time, a left-arm fast bowler makes a debut in the world stage, his skill and performances are calibrated against Akram. Imagine when a left-arm quickie debuts for Pakistan! Sohail Tanvir did it a couple of years ago and fizzed off the scene.

Aamer is the newest sensation with the ball. His ability to swing the ball both ways at a good speed makes him a special cricketer. And after all he is just 17. This makes the comparison even more reasonable. Akram made his debut in his teenage and was sensation even before he turned 20.

Aamer has got the patience, the temperament that a fast-bowler needs. Now that he claimed 5 wickets against Australia during the Boxing Day test (the youngest to claim 5 wickets in an innings), Aamer’s performance levels have gone one step higher.

Mohammad Aamer has not become a sensation by just taking wickets, but by taking some of the most important wickets in the opposition. Be it in the Champions Trophy match against India, where snapped Sachin Tendulkar, or be it in the test series against Sri Lanka where he got the wickets of Sangakkara and Jayawardene or be it the Boxing Day test where he picked up Ricky Ponting, Aamer’s wickets have stung really badly for the opponents.

Over the next ten years, Aamer will move seamlessly from just sharing the attack to leading the attack for Pakistan. He is already bowling in excess of 140 kph. With age, he is bound to become even stronger and that would mean, he would bowl even faster.

Aamer’s contribution doesn’t end with his bowling. He is also a very handy batsman. One of the signs for his batting ability came up recently in the 3-ODI series in UAE. The way he manhandled Daniel Vettori, showcased what he can actually do.

Mohammad Aamer will definitely fill Wasim Akram’s boots by the end of 2019. But, to fill those shoes he would definitely take 10 years time. This change will definitely happen, but will take time.

GAUTAM GAMBHIR (INDIA) – He might be 28 as he moves into the new decade. But, Gambhir’s performances over the past year or two have taken him to unexpected heights. Of all those young Indian batsmen who’ve come in the scene recently, Gautam Gambhir has been the lone shining star. His rise has left many of his peers behind.

Gambhir’s biggest asset is the amazing consistency he shows in all formats. He can bat for two days and save a test match; score a quick fifty in a T20 and at the same time make a huge century in an ODI. All this, Gambhir can conjure up in just about a fortnight’s time. This very talent makes him the ideal batsman for this decade. Being flexible, as I said before, is one of the most important characteristic for the new age batsman.

His batting style has got him lots of appreciations and compliments. One of the best he would cherish is Sehwag calling him “The New Wall” of India.

Gambhir will hold the torch held high for India in the next 5-6 years. He still has about 9-10 years of international cricket left in him.

Cometh 2019, Gauti will be a legend among mortals.