The first half of the year is over. Cricket’s slam-bang version has satiated the thirst for big sixes and humongous scores – but now it’s time for cricket’s purest form to take over. A long (and exciting) Test calendar beckons, and with the points system introduced in the England-Sri Lanka series, the five-day version of the game may finally have some context.
India, Australia and England are to play more than 20 Tests amongst them, and with pitches around the world becoming more batsman-friendly, it has become imperative for the bowlers to put in the hard yards in order to be a cut above the rest. Here, Sportskeeda lists 5 bowlers who could make an impact in the upcoming cricket season.
#1 Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
If 2015’s left arm bowler of the year was Mitchell Starc, 2016 certainly seems to be going the lanky Bangladesh pacer’s way. Mustafizur Rahman has broken language, economical and even stereotypical barriers to emerge as one of the hottest properties on the international circuit.
He’s a canny and a wily customer to deal with – he can induce a false shot via a cutter or can crush toes via a yorker with equal precision – and has a shrewd cricketing brain that has earned the plaudits of David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan.
Rahman averages an unreal 14.50 in ODIs, has snared a four-wicket haul on Test debut, and has an economy of under 6 after his first 13 T20Is. He has befuddled the best in the business (Rohit Sharma has fallen prey to him three times already) and has the skill set and temperament to transfer his limited over success to the five-day version.
His exploits for Bangladesh in the World T20 – where he snared 9 wickets – and his league-winning contribution for the current IPL champions Sunrisers Hyderabad have propelled him into the spotlight again. He is due for a county stint with Sussex later this year and one can safely assume that this 20-year old’s career graph is only going to go up.
Upcoming fixtures: Tour of New Zealand in December
#2 Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa)
It’s been a while since cricket fans have seen a quality left arm chinaman bowler. There are plenty of names being thrown around – India’s Kuldeep Yadav was endorsed by Ravi Shastri recently – but only one has risen through the domestic ranks to make an international debut, and that is Tabraiz Shamsi.
Shamsi became a household name in India when he was snapped up by RCB to replace Samuel Badree in the 2016 IPL season, and his fun loving attitude and the courage to give the ball flight made him stand out in a format unforgiving for spinners.
Shamsi has already played 68 first class matches, and on the juicy, pacer friendly tracks of Johannesburg, he has emerged unscathed, with a scarcely believable career best of 13/120. He also has eleven 4 wicket hauls and eighteen five-wicket hauls in his kitty already.
His team-mate Kagiso Rabada was certainly South Africa’s find of the year in 2015, and one hopes that Shamsi can weave a similar web around batsmen in a packed calendar year for South Africa. With Australia’s travails against spin well exposed by now, Shamsi has a serious opportunity to become a regular in the playing XI for the Proteas.
Upcoming fixtures: Tri-series in West Indies, Tour of Australia in November, Hosting a series v Sri Lanka in December
#3 Jasprit Bumrah (India)
India’s fast bowling cupboard has been bare for a while since Zaheer Khan retired. Ishant Sharma has shown glimpses of being at the peak of his powers, but he still lacks a second fiddle.
The likes of Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron have been playing a game of musical chairs whilst batsmen have been making merry against India’s pace “attack”. In this context, the emergence of Jasprit Bumrah has become critical for India’s fortunes.
Since time immemorial, Dhoni had pined for a yorker specialist, and now, he finally has one. An unusual action, with barely a bent elbow and a wide-of-the-crease release point, Jasprit Bumrah has befuddled many batsmen en route to becoming the limited overs find for India.
He averages a commendable 25.01 for Gujarat at the first class level, and has already become India’s T20I bowling mainstay. His ability to deliver yorkers and slower balls at will has made him an invaluable asset for both India and Mumbai Indians, and with a flurry of Test matches ahead, he may find himself in the whites very soon.
Upcoming fixtures: Tour of Zimbabwe in June, Tour of West Indies in July
#4 Adam Zampa (Australia)
Cameron White, Steven Smith, Cameron Boyce – Australia has gone through a revolving door of leg spinners in pursuit of Warne’s heir apparent. They may have failed to find a Shane Warne, but they certainly have discovered an Adam Zampa.
With a bustling run up, excellent wrist movement and multiflous revolutions on the ball, Zampa was one of the finds of the Big Bash, where he plied most of his trade. He also averages under 25 in both ODIs and T20Is, which is a feat worthy of panegyrics.
He became noticed during his tenure at the Rising Pune Supergiants in the 2016 IPL, where he outshone his much-vaunted teammate R Ashwin to emerge as the side’s premier spinner. He even took 6-19 – the best figures by a spinner in IPL history – to further highlight his credentials.
With a three-wicket haul against West Indies recently to boot, Zampa looks to certainly make his presence felt in a packed Australian XI and be a suitable foil to Nathan Lyon this year.
Upcoming fixtures: Tri-Series in West Indies, Tour of Sri Lanka in July, Hosting SA in November, Hosting Pakistan in December
#5 Mohammad Amir (Pakistan)
Pakistan’s prodigal son has returned to cricket’s highest level. Mohammad Amir was a tearaway sensation in the handful of matches he played in 2009 and 2010, before one error of judgement made him the victim of hate, tirades and alienation from the sport he loved. He has served his sentence, and is back with the same venom and drive, albeit wiser (and with a shorter haircut).
Amir is certainly not going to win the fans’ appreciation and trust in one go, and as a 24-year-old, he will have to battle constant sledges, remarks and even infighting amongst his own mercurial team-mates about his infamous spot fixing scandal to emerge as the force he once was.
His outswinging deliveries to the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Alastair Cook are preserved on YouTube for posterity, and one hopes he can recreate that magic in his second coming.
His performance in the World T20, where he troubled India in a crucial group match, has certainly elevated the expectations levied on him. Amir averages under 30 in all formats of the game, and this July, he returns to the stage that had provided him misery and agony six years ago: Lord’s. Life truly has come a full circle for Mohammad Amir.
Upcoming fixtures: Tour of England in July, Tour of Australia in December
Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table
