Top cricketing nations and the trait they are associated with

Cricket is a game of diversities which may pertain to its various different aspects such as playing conditions, style of play and approach towards the game. While the sport remains the same anywhere it is played, it is these small diversities that make it look different across the different cricket-playing countries.Over the past several years, some of the top cricketing nations have been linked to certian traits which seemingly set them apart from the others. Each country has its own trait which goes a long way in defining the way cricket is played there.Let’s take a look at 5 top cricketing nations and the trait they are associated with:

#5 South Africa - Pace

Pace bowler Steyn is currently the Number 1 Test bowler in the world

Just like Pakistan, South African cricket too has been primarily associated with pace throughout their cricketing history. The only difference is that they also have the conditions which are ideal for nurturing pace bowlers in their own backyard.

Rolling back the years to the time before they were banned from playing international cricket, it was fast bowlers like Neil Adcock and Peter Pollock who were South Africas primary strengths. And ever since their return to cricket in the early 1990s, things have only got better for the Proteas in terms of fast bowling.

It began with the likes of Allan Donald and Fanie de Villiers, the former being a terror for batsmen in his heyday and Shaun Pollock soon joined in. Donalds exit brought in another champion fast bowler in Makhaya Ntini who joined forces with Pollock to maintain the dominance of South African pacers in world cricket.

A few years later, the baton got passed on to the men who are currently carrying the mantle of the countrys fast bowling legacy, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. While these two dont even look close to stopping at this point, the Proteas already have young pacers like Kagiso Rabada knocking at the door.

This goes a long way in explaining why pace is the trait that fits South African cricket best.

#4 Australia - Bounce

Australian pitches are well known for the extra bounce they offer

Australias familiarity with bounce dates back to the infamous Bodyline seriesin 1932-33where they were undone bybitter arch-rivals England and their strategy of bowling bouncy deliveries aimed at the body of the batsmen.

The country is known to possess some of the bounciest pitches in the world, particularly those at the WACA ground in Perth and the Gabba in Brisbane. There are too many examples of teams succumbing to the bouncy conditions prevalent in Australia, the most recent ones being those of India and more famously England during the 2013-14 Ashes.

The Aussies have also had the privilege of having some greatfast bowlers who made the most of the bounce available on their home conditions. Primary examples include bowlers like Dennis Lillee, Fred Spofforth, Jeff Thomson, Alan Davidson, Brett Lee and most recently Mitchell Johnson.

Even the Australian batsmen are considered to be among the best when it comes to countering bouncy conditions. In fact, some of the great exponents of the hook and pull shots have hailed from the country in the form ofbatsmen like Ian Chappell, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey among others.

#3 England - Swing

James Anderson is one of the best swing bowlers in present-day cricket

The trait that has been associated most with England ever since the inception of the game itself has been swing. The simplest reason behind this is the nature of the English pitches which are traditionally known to support swing bowling and also the climate which sees more clouds than sun during the course of the year.

Even though England may have had somewhat a mixed bag in terms of performances at home, there have been several periods when they have displayed total domination. One such period is what the English have been having for the past 5 years or so, where they have demolished big teams like arch-rivals Australia and India quite comprehensively.

Over the past several years, England have produced some of the best exponents of swing bowling, the latest one being James Anderson who is certainly on course to become the best ever. Some of the other great swing bowlers to have represented the English side include Sydney Barnes, Alec Bedser, Ian Botham and Matthew Hoggard among others.

#2 Pakistan - Pace

Wasim Akram (L) and Waqar Younis (R) were one of the best fast bowling pairs

It is hard to remember the number oftimes we have heard from various members of the cricketing fraternity about how Pakistan possess a factory from which they tend to churn out fast bowlers almost every day. Such has been the prowess of pace bowling from the Pakistanis over the past few decades.

While the surfaces in their home country are least suited for fast bowlers as they are similar to what you find in other sub-continent nations India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, pacers from Pakistan can make the ball do all sorts ofthings in all types of conditions.

To add to their fast bowling credentials, they have been the inventors of the magicalart of reverse swing which has become such an important weapon in a fast bowlers armoury these days.

Some of the pace bowling legends that Pakistan has contributed to cricket include names like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Sarfaraz Nawaz and Shoaib Akhtar among several others.

#1 India - Spin

Ashwin (L) and Jadeja (R) seem set to carry on the mantle of quality Indian spinners

Perhaps no other cricket team in the world has been associated with a trait as much as India have been with spin. To begin with, pitches in India have always been known to assist spin bowling much more than pace mainly due to their slowness and tendency to dry up quickly.

The countryhas also given the cricketing world some of the greatest spinners that the game has seen and is still continuing to do so. The ever growing list consists of some fine bowlers like BS Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and most recently Ravichandran Ashwin.

Even when it comes to batting, Indian batsmen have been, for long, considered as the best players of spin in the world. The best of spinners who proved their mettle against batting line-ups from all over the world struggled to come to terms with batsmen from India, irrespective of whether playing in India or at their respective homes; the greatest example being someone likeShane Warne.