THE SPEED GUN ALLAN DONALD

Full name Allan Anthony Donald
Born October 20, 1966, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State
Current age 41 years 316 days
Major teams South Africa, Free State, Orange Free State, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Test debut West Indies v South Africa at Bridgetown, Apr 18-23, 1992
Last Test South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Feb 22-24, 2002
ODI debut India v South Africa at Kolkata, Nov 10, 1991
Last ODI South Africa v Canada at East London, Feb 27, 2003

Profile

If the credit for South Africa's success in the modern era could be given to one player, that cricketer would be Allan Donald. A classical action and top-drawer pace would have won him a place in any side in his prime, and for much of his career he was the only world-class performer in the South African team, spearing the ball in, shaping it away and always making things happen. His strike rate was below 50 in Tests and close to 30 in one-day internationals.

Inevitably, he was over-bowled and the injuries began to accumulate in the twilight of his career. He quit Test cricket after breaking down in the crushing defeat by Australia at Johannesburg in 2001-02, retired from ODIs a year later, after South Africa's exit from the 2003 World Cup, and from all cricket a year later as his physical deterioration accelerated. Of Afrikaans stock, Donald speaks English with a slight Birmingham accent - at least, to South African ears - picked up during his lengthy spell as Warwickshire's overseas professional, a role he filled with distinction. No living South African player, past or present, commands as much respect from the public and his peers as Donald, the first bowler from his country to take 300 Test wickets. He transferred his huge knowledge of quick bowling to the commentary box and coaching and took up the role of bowling coach with England in 2007. However, when it was offered full time he turned it down, wanting to spend more time with his family, and instead took up a role with Warwickshire where he had enjoyed years of success as an overseas player in 1990s.

THE COVER DRIVE EXPERT MARCUS TRESCOTHICK

Full name Marcus Edward Trescothick
Born December 25, 1975, Keynsham, Somerset
Current age 32 years 248 days
Major teams England, Somerset
Nickname Banger, Tresco
Playing role Opening batsman
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Fielding position Occasional wicketkeeper
Height 6 ft 3 in
Education St Bernard Lovell School
Test debut England v West Indies at Manchester, Aug 3-7, 2000
Last Test England v Pakistan at The Oval, Aug 17-21, 2006
ODI debut England v Zimbabwe at The Oval, Jul 8, 2000
Last ODI England v Pakistan at Southampton, Sep 5, 2006

Profile

There is something biblical about Marcus Trescothick's career: seven years of plenty as a schoolboy, seven years of famine when he reached the Somerset 1st XI. And lo, it came to pass in 1999 that he batted on a pacy pitch at Taunton against Glamorgan while Duncan Fletcher was their coach, and made a storming 167, with five sixes, when the next-best score was 50. When England needed a stand-in one-day opener in 2000, Fletcher remembered Trescothick. He took to international cricket like a duck to a TV screen. A true opener, he formed a habit of starting a series well with a mixture of expert leaves, crisp cover-drives, spanking pulls and fearless slog-sweeps. Hefty, knock-kneed and genial, he is described by Nasser Hussain as a left-handed Gooch, but his ease on the big stage and his blazing one-day strokeplay are just as reminiscent of David Gower. His first four England hundreds came in a losing cause, confirming his ability to keep his head while all around are losing theirs. Opening in Tests with Mike Atherton, Trescothick acquired the air of a senior player as if by osmosis -

He joined the management committee on his first tour. All that stands between him and the top drawer is a tendency to get out when well set, to make a breezy 20 or 30. He seemed to have conquered this with a domineering home season in 2002, but it reappeared - like so many English frailties - as soon as the team landed in Australia. Trescothick endured fluctuating fortunes over the next couple of seasons. He showed glimpses of his blazing best against South Africa in 2003, when he capped his season with a determined 219 (and 69 not out) in the astonishing series-levelling victory at The Oval, but his form slid away drastically in the Caribbean that winter. The selectors never lost faith with him, and having stood in as captain for the first Test of the 2004 season, Trescothick cracked a pair of hundreds against West Indies at Edgbaston. At Johannesburg in 2004-05, he set up England's series victory with a brutal 180 on the final morning, and carried his domineering form into the home season. Having bullied 345 runs in two innings against the Bangladeshis, he spearheaded a no-holds-barred approach against Australia with 431 runs and a top score of 90, as he - and England - finally got the better of the one nation that really mattered. But his winter was cut short when he returned home suddenly from India under a cloak of secrecy, and after an indifferent summer it was announced he would miss the Champions Trophy as he was still recovering from a stress-related illness.
He was included in the Ashes squad for the 2006-07 campaign Down Under but lasted less than two weeks before he was again boarding a flight back home with a recurrence of his illness. His return to action started with Somerset and his 2007 form, plus England's continued failings in one-day cricket, meant he was recalled to England's preliminary 30-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championships. But he never made the cut, and, in March 2008, days after withdrawing from Somerset's pre-season tour to the UAE, he announced his retirement from international cricket. His autobiography, Coming Back to Me, was due for publication on September 1, 2008.

THE GREAT THINKER DENIEL VETTORI

Full name Daniel Luca Vettori
Born January 27, 1979, Auckland
Current age 29 years 214 days
Major teams New Zealand, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, Northern Districts, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire
Playing role Bowler
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox
Relations Cousin - JV Hill
Test debut New Zealand v England at Wellington, Feb 6-10, 1997
Last Test England v New Zealand at Nottingham, Jun 5-8, 2008
ODI debut New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Christchurch, Mar 25, 1997
Last ODI Scotland v New Zealand at Aberdeen, Jul 3, 2008

Profile
Daniel Vettori has been on the international scene so long it is sometimes hard to believe he is still in his twenties. The youngest man to play Test cricket for New Zealand, at the age of 18, he sits beside Richard Hadlee and Chris Cairns as New Zealanders to take 200 Test wickets and score 2000 runs. With time on his side, he could one day creep up towards Hadlee's 431 Test dismissals, but to do that Vettori would need to avoid the stress fractures in his back that troubled him earlier in his career. He also could not afford another form slump like the one he suffered in 2003-04. He returned to his best, though, and his mastery of drift and subtle variations in flight, speed and length earned him a reputation as New Zealand's most dangerous player. It was that guile and ability to confuse the batsmen that sometimes turned what seemed like innocuous deliveries into unplayable hand-grenades by the time they reached the other end.

He troubled Australia with 12 for 149 at Eden Park in March 2000, giving him his first ten-wicket Test. He continued to peak whenever he faced Australia and also feasted against Bangladesh in 2004, taking 20 for 224 in the two-match rout. He was recognised alongside Muttiah Muralitharan as one of the best spinners outside Australia for the Super Series in 2005-06, and was one of six players to represent the World XI in the Test and all three one-dayers. A handy lower-order batsman, he has two Test centuries, and his record as leader was superb whenever Stephen Fleming was unavailable. Fleming stepped down from the limited-overs captaincy after the World Cup and Vettori was installed as skipper for the Twenty20 World Championship. He was then appointed as New Zealand's long-term leader when took over from Fleming as the Test captain ahead of their two-Test tour of South Africa

THE GREAT LEADER GRAEME SMITH

Full name Graeme Craig Smith
Born February 1, 1981, Johannesburg, Transvaal
Current age 27 years 208 days
Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Cape Cobras, Gauteng, Hampshire Cricket Board, ICC World XI, Rajasthan Royals, Somerset, Western Province
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Test debut South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Mar 8-12, 2002
Last Test England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 7-11, 2008
ODI debut South Africa v Australia at Bloemfontein, Mar 30, 2002
Last ODI England v South Africa at Nottingham, Aug 26, 2008

Profile

In March 2003, at the age of 22, Graeme Smith became South Africa's youngest-ever captain, when he took over from Shaun Pollock following the disastrous World Cup campaign. A tall aggressive left-hand opener, Smith had few leadership credentials - and barely a handful of internationals under his belt - but for a nation eager for a fresh start after the disasters of the Hansie Cronje affair, Smith was clearly made of the right stuff. The selectors' faith was amply justified on South Africa's tour of England in 2003, when Smith scored back-to-back Test double-centuries - a national-record 277 at Edgbaston, and a match-winning 259 at Lord's - to put his side in firm command of the five-Test series. Smith had quickly settled in at the highest level, right from the moment he took Matthew Hayden's invective on the chin to score a battling half-century on his Test debut. Until his appointment, Smith's career had been hampered to a certain degree by South Africa's controversial quota system. His Test debut was delayed when Ashwell Prince was selected for the first Test against Australia in 2001-02, and he also missed out on original selection for the 2003 World Cup, although he later joined the squad when Jonty Rhodes cracked a finger.

Smith woke up to the harsh life of international cricket with a jolt in 2004. Reality bit fiercest on the subcontinent, where a declining South African side lost Test series to India and Sri Lanka. There was also a run of 11 defeats in 12 one-day internationals, the start of an ultimately fruitless struggle with England, and personal humiliation after some wily mind games from Stephen Fleming in Auckland. Yet for the most part, Smith continued to crunch runs aplenty. There was one minor epic: an unbeaten 125 to square the series in New Zealand that was made of granite. Smith yielded to no man physically, but he could be brought to his knees by more insidious means. By the end of the year, as Matthew Hoggard's in-swinger had him fumbling around his front pad time after time, even the runs had started to dry up. But he roared back to form in the series against West Indies in 2005, when he piled on three consecutive hundreds, and became the first captain since 1977 to finish a Caribbean tour without losing a game.
He captained South Africa to a thrilling 3-2 one-day series win over Australia at home in perhaps the greatest cracker of all. In a record-breaking contest between bat and ball, Smith powered his side's reply to Australia's 434 for 4 by hitting 90 from 55 and adding 187 for the second wicket with Herschelle Gibbs in just 20.1 overs. South Africa eventually won the match in 49.1 overs and Smith had a suitable boost going into the three-Test series. Torn ligaments in his right ankle, sustained during a running injury in Knysna, ruled Smith out for 12 weeks but he was retained as South Africa's captain for the Champions Trophy in India. Scores of 5 and 10 in the first Test loss against India at Johannesburg took his tally for the last ten Tests to 465 at 24.47, with just two half-centuries in 19 innings, but Smith bounced back hard with three consecutive fifties to take South Africa to a come-from-behind series win. In the series against Pakistan right after that, Smith struggled for runs, but crafted a crucial 64 at Cape Town that was worth a century. He hit two half-centuries in a 3-1 rout of Pakistan in the one-day leg of the series. In his first World Cup, Smith captained South Africa to the semis, where they were brutally hammered by eventual winners Australia. Personally, Smith had a good tournament, with 443 runs. After leading South Africa to a 2-0 Test-series rout against the touring New Zealanders, his side fashioned another come-from-behind series win against West Indies. On the tour of Bangladesh that followed, he entered the record books with an opening stand of 415 with Neil McKenzie during the second Test in Chittagong. He signed for the Rajasthan Royals in the first season of the IPL, though a hamstring tear kept him out of the final. For a while, the injury looked as though it might impact on Smith's subsequent tour of England, but it would have taken an amputated leg to prevent him taking the fielf for that series. A rearguard century to save the first Test was followed by a brilliant unbeaten 154 in the final innings of the third, as South Africa ended a 43-year hiatus with their first series win in England since the end of apartheid.

THE UNSTOPPEBAL CHRIS GAYLE

Full name Christopher Henry Gayle
Born September 21, 1979, Kingston, Jamaica
Current age 28 years 340 days
Major teams West Indies, ICC World XI, Jamaica, Kolkata Knight Riders, Worcestershire
Playing role Batsman
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Test debut West Indies v Zimbabwe at Port of Spain, Mar 16-20, 2000
Last Test West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, Jun 12-16, 2008
ODI debut India v West Indies at Toronto, Sep 11, 1999
Last ODI Canada v West Indies at King City (NW), Aug 24, 2008

Profile

A thrusting Jamaican left-hander, Gayle earned himself a black mark on his first senior tour - to England in 2000 - where the new boys were felt to be insufficiently respectful of their elders. But a lack of respect, for opposition bowlers at least, has served Gayle well since then. Tall and imposing at the crease, he loves to carve through the covers off either foot, and has the ability to decimate the figures of even the thriftiest of opening bowlers. In a lean era for West Indian cricket - and fast bowling in particular - Gayle's pugnacious approach has become an attacking weapon in its own right. His 79-ball century at Cape Town in January 2004, on the back of a South African first innings of 532, was typical of his no-holds-barred approach. However, Gayle's good run ended when England came calling early in 2004, and he averaged 26 against their potent pace attack - Steve Harmison, in particular, fancied his chances against Gayle, dismissing him four times in seven innings, as a lack of positive footwork was exposed. But men with little footwork often baffle experts, and after returning to form with an uncharacteristic century against Bangladesh, he exacted his revenge on England's bowlers with a battering not seen since Lara's 400, before coming within a whisker of emulating Lara himself, with a career-best 317 against South Africa in Antigua. In the disastrous 2005-06 tour of New Zealand he led the batting in the three-Test series, piling 235 runs - no other West Indian touched the 200-run mark. He also bowls brisk non-turning offspin, with which he has turned himself into a genuine one-day allrounder. Maturing quickly, he has become a consistently prolific scorer in the ODIs. He averaged over 40 in the 2006-07 season with three hundreds - an unbeaten 133 against South Africa in the Champions Trophy being the highlight, and three fifties. But expected to be one of the stars of the World Cup in the Caribbean, his batting was a major disappointment.

In the absence of the injured Ramnaresh Sarwan for their tour in 2007, Gayle was handed the captaincy for the limited-overs series in England and Ireland and found immediate success by beating England 2-1. He also led in the Test series against South Africa, leaving with a 1-1 result, and was retained as captain ahead of Sarwan for the home Tests against Sri Lanka in 2008. Gayle's $800,000 IPL price-tag made him one of Kolkata's most expensive players and he was initially reluctant to commit to the Test series against Australia when the schedules clashed. However, a groin injury meant he was unable to play any IPL matches anyway. After losing the home Test and ODI series against Australia, he quit the captaincy, only to change his mind soon after.

The Great Middel Order Batsman Jacques Kallis

Full name Jacques Henry Kallis
Born October 16, 1975, Pinelands, Cape Town, Cape Province
Current age 32 years 314 days
Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Cape Cobras, Glamorgan, ICC World XI, Middlesex, Western Province
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Test debut South Africa v England at Durban, Dec 14-18, 1995
Last Test England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 7-11, 2008
ODI debut South Africa v England at Cape Town, Jan 9, 1996
Last ODI England v South Africa at Leeds, Aug 22, 2008

Profile

In an era of fast scoring and high-octane entertainment, Jacques Kallis is a throwback - and an astonishingly effective one at that - to Test cricket's more sedate age, when one's wicket was a commodity to be guarded with one's life, and runs were but an accidental by-product of crease occupation.
After a distinctly ordinary start to his Test career, Kallis blossomed into arguably the world's leading batsman, with a defensive technique second-to-none, and the adhesive qualities of a Cape Point limpet. Generally a placid and undemonstrative man, he nailed down the crucial No. 3 position in the South African batting order after a number of players had been tried and discarded, and his stock rose exponentially from that moment. In 2005, he was honoured as the ICC's Test and overall Player of the Year, after a run of performances against West Indies and England that marked him out as the biggest scalp in the modern game.

His batting is not for the romantic - a Kallis century tends to be a soulless affair, with ruthless efficiency taking precedence over derring-do, and he has never quite dispelled the notion that he is a selfish cricketer, with more interest in his average than his team's position. But whatever it is that makes him tick, it has propelled him to the top of the all-time South African Test batting charts, and until the emergence of Andrew Flintoff, he was by some distance the leading allrounder in the world game, capable of swinging the ball sharply at surprising pace off a relaxed run-up. He is a strong man with powerful shoulders and a deep chest and he has the capacity to play a wide array of attacking strokes, if not always the inclination. To add to all this, he is a fine slip fielder.
Missed the first Test of South Africa's tour of Australia at the end of 2005 with an elbow problem, struggled facing Brett Lee at Melbourne and was hampered by the injury in making a patient and crucial 111 in the first innings at Sydney. Added a slow, unbeaten half-century in the second innings as South Africa contemplated their declaration and ended with an average of 61.33. Stood in as captain for the gut-wrenching third Test in a return series at home recently, and was the lead South African batsman in a bowler-dominated contest. A fighting 114 out of a total of 267 at Durban highlighted his series return of 227 runs and seven wickets. With Graeme Smith ruled out for 12 weeks with an ankle injury, Kallis was named captain for three ODIs and a Twenty20 against Zimbabwe at home ahead of the Champions Trophy in October.
Against India at home at the end of the 2006, Kallis topped the ODI run tally on either side with 168 at 84, including an unbeaten hundred, but managed only one fifty in the Test series. Against Pakistan just after that, Kallis continued to amaze with his all-round feats. He was the leading run-scorer of the series and his bowling was vital in a weaker attack at Newlands. In the ODIs, he hit two crucial half-centuries and topped the averages. At the 2007 World Cup, Kallis was South Africa's highest run-scorer with 485, but drew further criticism for his sluggish approach at the crease. Failed in the semi-final against eventual winners Australia. Kallis was not included in the South African side for the Twenty20 World Championship at home in September.
It was, however, no surprise to see him live up to his reputation after being recalled to the side for short tour of Pakistan towards the end of 2007. After back-to-back Man-of-the-match titles there really was only one contender for Man of the Series, and Kallis continued his excellent form with hundreds and wickets in series against New Zealand and West Indies at home. Kallis's continued run of prolific scores helped him displace Mohammad Yousuf from the second position in the rankings for Test batsmen, and Kallis also extended his lead in the rankings for Test allrounders, where he moved in first place ahead of Andrew Flintoff.

THE STYLEISH RICKY PONTING

Full name Ricky Thomas Ponting
Born December 19, 1974, Launceston, Tasmania
Current age 33 years 249 days
Major teams Australia, ICC World XI, Kolkata Knight Riders, Somerset, Tasmania
Nickname Punter
Playing role Higher middle order batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Height 1.78 m
Education Mowbray Primary; Brooks Senior High School, Launceston
Relations Uncle - GD Campbell
Test debut Australia v Sri Lanka at Perth, Dec 8-11, 1995
Last Test West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, Jun 12-16, 2008
ODI debut Australia v South Africa at Wellington, Feb 15, 1995
Last ODI West Indies v Australia at St George's, Jun 29, 2008

Profile
Acclaimed by Academy coach Rod Marsh as the best teenage batsman he had ever seen, Ricky Ponting began with Tasmania at 17 and Australia at 20, and was given out unluckily for 96 on his Test debut. He was and remains the archetypal modern cricketer: he plays all the shots with a full flourish of the bat and knows only to attack, and his breathtaking, dead-eye fielding is a force in the game by itself. A gambler and a buccaneer, he is a natural at one-day cricket. He has had his setbacks, against probing seam attacks and high-class finger-spin, which, when out of form, he plays with hard hands. In the 1990s there were off-field indiscretions that led him once to admit publicly to an alcohol problem, but he overcame the issues and became part of the heartbeat of one of Australia's most successful teams. After the retirement of Ian Healy he took over as the man who led the singing of the victory song, passing it on when he assumed the captaincy.

With many lessons learned, Ponting's growing maturity was acknowledged by the ACB when he saw off competition from Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist to succeed Steve Waugh as Australia's one-day leader early in 2002. It was a seamless transition: Ponting led the successful 2003 World Cup campaign from the front, clouting 140 not out in the final, and acceded to the Test crown when Waugh finally stepped down early in 2004. A broken thumb suffered in the Champions Trophy in England forced him to watch Gilchrist lead Australia's first series victory in India for 35 years from the dressing room, although he returned for the final Test. Batting-wise his first year as captain was one to forget, but he began his second with 207 against Pakistan, joining Don Bradman and Greg Chappell as the only Australians to reach four double-centuries.

By the time the eagerly-awaited 2005 Ashes series got underway the cracks in an almost invincible Australian side were beginning to appear. A humiliating one-day loss to Bangladesh caused the first ripple of dissent against his leadership style, and it grew as the contest progressed. A heroic 156 helped save the Old Trafford Test, but on September 12, 2005, Ponting became the first Australian captain since Allan Border in 1986-87 to taste defeat in an Ashes series. The result hurt and the pain lingered throughout the next summer, but he regrouped and reglued to start an amazing streak of 16 wins in 17 Tests, culminating in the 5-0 demolition of England to regain the urn in the most emphatic way. Ponting was Man of the Series as Australia became the first team in 86 years to achieve an Ashes cleansweep and his 576 runs at 82.28 confirmed him as the game's modern master. The summer was tarnished slightly when England handed Australia their first tri-series finals loss for 14 years and he missed the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy defeat with a back injury. Each lowlight was quickly forgotten as he ensured a third consecutive World Cup win and his second as an undefeated captain.
Waugh believes his successor will hold the game's run-scoring record when he retires. The world's leading strokeplayer, he finished 2005 with 1544 runs and posted twin hundreds three times in five months, joining Sunil Gavaskar as the only other man to achieve the feat, and the double effort in his 100th Test at the SCG was magnificent. He followed up with another 1333 runs in 2006 and owns more centuries than anyone but Sachin Tendulkar. Frighteningly, he is far from finished.

GRACEFUL BATSMAN STEPHEN FLEMING

Full name Stephen Paul Fleming
Born April 1, 1973, Christchurch, Canterbury
Current age 35 years 143 days
Major teams New Zealand, Canterbury, Chennai Super Kings, ICC World XI, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Wellington, Yorkshire
Playing role Higher middle order batsman
Batting style Left-hand bat
Test debut New Zealand v India at Hamilton, Mar 19-23, 1994
Last Test New Zealand v England at Napier, Mar 22-26, 2008
ODI debut New Zealand v India at Napier, Mar 25, 1994
Last ODI New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Kingston, Apr 24, 2007

Profile
Graceful and determined, Stephen Fleming will go down as his country's most successful captain and one of their best batsman after an international career that spanned 15 years. He owns a series of records, including the first New Zealander to pass 7000 Test runs, a landmark reached during his final series against England in 2008. During his last innings, in Napier, he did just enough to lift his career average over 40. Nine Test centuries is a poor return for such a talent, but Fleming was worth than his statistics.

A stint with Middlesex in 2001 laid the foundations for a successful re-evaluation of his batting methods where the inability to convert half-centuries to centuries did no justice to his quality. But after a breakout innings of 134 not out to steer New Zealand to a classy World Cup victory over South Africa, along with another spell in county cricket, with Yorkshire, Fleming confirmed his greater batting consistency with a career-highest 274 not out against Sri Lanka in the first Test of their 2003 series. He followed that with an equally impressive 192 at Hamilton against Pakistan later that year and was named New Zealand's cricketer of the year in 2004.
The date 26 October, 2004 will remain in Fleming's memory, as he gained three New Zealand Test records in facing the Bangladesh attack at Chittagong. Firstly, his 87th Test earned him the record for most caps won by a New Zealander and, in striding to the crease for the 150th time, this was the greatest number of Test innings for New Zealand. And, as he moved to 81, in an innings where he would strike 202, he surpassed Martin Crowe's record aggregate of 5444 runs in Tests for New Zealand. He launched his first book, Balance of Power in December 2004 and, in the following season, captained Nottinghamshire to their first county title since 1987. He had a benign tumour removed from his face in December 2005, during Australia's one-day tour of New Zealand.

The following May he made his 100th Test appearance, against South Africa - appropriately at Centurion - although failed to mark the occasion with an innings of substance. A wonderful 262 followed at Cape Town but New Zealand were unable to win the match. The World Cup in the West Indies was Fleming's fourth as a player and third as captain and he led New Zealand to another semi-final. That was his final act as one-day skipper, though, as he announced he was standing down from that half of his role but wanted to continue leading the Test side. He spent the off-season playing at Nottinghamshire and dodging questions about whether he would join the Indian Cricket League. In September he announced he would stay on as a New Zealand Test player but retired from ODIs, and at the same time was relieved of the Test captaincy after a decade in charge, in favour of Daniel Vettori. However, after being tempted by the Indian Premier League he announced his international retirement and the series against England was his last.

MASTER OF GOOGLY ANIL KUMBLE

Full name Anil Kumble
Born October 17, 1970, Bangalore, Karnataka
Current age 37 years 309 days
Major teams India, Asia XI, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Karnataka, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Surrey
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak googly
Test debut England v India at Manchester, Aug 9-14, 1990
Last Test Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008
ODI debut India v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, Apr 25, 1990
Last ODI Bermuda v India at Port of Spain, Mar 19, 2007

Profile

No bowler in history has won India more Test matches than Anil Kumble, and there probably hasn't been a harder trier either. Like the great tall wristspinners Bill O'Reilly and his own idol BS Chandrasekhar, Kumble trades the legspinner's proverbial yo-yo for a spear, as the ball hacks through the air rather than hanging in it and comes off the pitch with a kick rather than a kink. It is a method that has provided him stunning success, particularly on Indian soil, where his deliveries burst like packets of water upon the feeblest hint of a crack, and more than one modern-day batsman has remarked that there is no more difficult challenge in cricket than handling Kumble on a wearing surface.

Kumble's prodigious capacity to bear pain was proved in Antigua in 2002 when he bandaged his fractured jaw to deliver a stirring spell, and that to continuously learn when, in the mid-2000s, after a decade of middling away performances, he influenced memorable wins in Headingley, Adelaide, Multan and Kingston, using an improved googly, bigger sidespin and more variation in flight and on the crease.

In a brilliant though always downplayed career Kumble has claimed virtually every Indian record. In 1999 in Delhi he swallowed all ten wickets in an innings against Pakistan. In December 2001, on home turf in Bangalore, he became the India's first spinner to take 300 Test wickets. A year later, almost to the day, he became the first to do so in one-dayers. In August 2007 at The Oval he went past Glenn McGrath's 563 wickets and in January 2008 he broke the 600 barrier, to stand behind only Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, emphasising his contribution to spin's golden era. And at The Oval he chalked up what, judging by the pure ecstasy of his reaction and the dressing room's, was perhaps his most cherished feat of all - a Test century that had been 17 years and 118 matches in the coming.

Less than a month after his 37th birthday, though, he received the ultimate honour when he was named India's Test captain for the home series against Pakistan. He went on to win the series, the first home triumph against Pakistan in 27 years, before playing a big role in holding the side together during the controversial series in Australia.

THE KING OF SWING CHAMINDA VASS

Full name Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas
Born January 27, 1974, Mattumagala
Current age 34 years 206 days
Major teams Sri Lanka, Asia XI, Basnahira North, Colts Cricket Club, Deccan Chargers, Hampshire, Middlesex, Worcestershire
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Left-arm fast-medium

Test debut Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Kandy, Aug 26-28, 1994
Last Test Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008
ODI debut India v Sri Lanka at Rajkot, Feb 15, 1994
Last ODI Sri Lanka v India at Dambulla, Aug 18, 2008
Profile

Chaminda Vaas is easily the most penetrative and successful new-ball bowler Sri Lanka have had, and he has served his country well. He swings and seams the ball with skill, his trademark delivery being the late indipper. However, he also bowls a carefully disguised offcutter, and has recently added reverse-swing to his armoury, a skill that has made him a consistent wicket-taker even on bland subcontinental pitches. He outbowled New Zealand's seamers in green conditions at Napier to give Sri Lanka their first win in an overseas Test, in 1994-95. In 2001-02 he made a quantum leap, taking 26 wickets in the 3-0 rout of West Indies, becoming only the second fast bowler, after Imran Khan, to take 14 wickets in a match in the subcontinent.
He then went on to take the first-ever ODI eight-for, against Zimbabwe, which included a hat-trick. He also claimed a hat-trick with the first three balls of the match against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup. Vaas reached the 300-wicket milestone in Tests against India in 2005-06, having passed the mark in ODIs on the tour to Zimbabwe. In 2004 he also gained overdue recognition for his talent when he was selected for the World XI at the inaugural ICC Awards. Vaas is easily Sri Lanka's second-most successful bowler - after Muttiah Muralitharan - in both forms of the game. His approach to his batting is equally sincere and in recent years he has gradually gained recognition as a useful allrounder. He waited 97 Tests for his maiden century, against Bangladesh, and soon after, became the third Sri Lankan to play 100 Tests or more.

The MATCH WINER MICHAEL BEVAN

Full name Michael Gwyl Bevan
Born May 8, 1970, Belconnen, Australian Capital Territory
Current age 38 years 103 days
Major teams Australia, Chennai Superstars, Kent, Leicestershire, New South Wales, South Australia, Sussex, Tasmania, Yorkshire
Nickname Bevo
Playing role Batsman
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Slow left-arm chinaman
Other Coach
Height 1.80 m
Test debut Pakistan v Australia at Karachi, Sep 28-Oct 2, 1994
Last Test Australia v South Africa at Sydney, Jan 2-5, 1998
ODI debut Australia v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, Apr 14, 1994
Last ODI Sri Lanka v Australia at Colombo (SSC), Feb 29, 2004

Profile

Regularly dubbed the world's best limited-overs batsman, Michael Bevan continued his prolific ways when his international career closed at the end of the 2003-04 season. An essential part of the one-day outfit for a decade, especially when orchestrating calm chases in crises that often ended in last-over or last-ball heroics, he was cut from the contract list with two World Cup wins and kitbags full of highlights. He will long be remembered for his pair of sensational innings against West Indies at Sydney in 1996 and New Zealand at Melbourne in 2002, when nerveless batting and juggling of the tail secured nail-biting victories. Picking the gaps, running hard and knowing the right moment - and place - to hit a boundary were the hallmarks of his success. He was also a fine fieldsman and his left-arm wrist spin, which swung from erratic to more than useful, added to his lure and allowed him to play Tests as a batting allrounder.


Bevan enjoyed a promising start to his Test career with 82 in his debut innings and another two half-centuries in his first series against Pakistan in 1994-95, but he managed only a stop-start four-year campaign and was hindered by an inability to play the short ball at the highest level, which was strange as he had few problems with it in Australian or English domestic cricket. He never made a century, although he was twice unbeaten in the 80s when batting down the order and running out of partners against West Indies, who he upset with 15 wickets in the 1997-98 series. After that his Test career slid, but while he lost his baggy green he worked on making unforgettable memories in the green and gold one-day uniform, finishing with 232 appearances and a phenomenal average of 53.58 that was boosted by six centuries, 46 fifties and 67 not outs.

Born in Canberra, Bevan made his first-class debut in 1989-90 in South Australian colours, hitting a thrilling century in his first innings, before the completion of a 12-month stint at the Academy led to a move back to New South Wales. It was in Sydney that he began to make his greatest strides as a player, quickly assuming a regular middle-order berth in the strongest state team in the country and, aside from a poor run in 1992-93 which resulted in a brief omission, using it as a launching pad to the national team. Shortly after being cut by the Australian selectors - Trevor Hohns said his "contribution to the one-day side had decreased" - he signed a two-year deal with Tasmania and proved his days of domination were not finished when he struck a domestic record 1464 runs in the Pura Cup, including eight centuries. He was named the Pura Cup Player of the Year and his Bradmanesque scoring achieved an average of 97.60, but there was no return to the international arena and no sign of him being included for the 2007 World Cup. After a disrupted summer following a knee operation, he made brief appearances for Tasmania in 2005-06 and 2006-07. However, his body was struggling - he also suffered hip and heel problems in his last three years - and he retired in January 2007.

THE SULTAN OF MULTAN INZIMAM UL HAQ

Full name Inzamam-ul-Haq
Born March 3, 1970, Multan, Punjab
Current age 38 years 168 days
Major teams Pakistan, Asia XI, Faisalabad, ICC World XI, ICL Pakistan XI, Lahore Badshahs, Multan, National Bank of Pakistan, Rawalpindi, United Bank Limited, Yorkshire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Slow left-arm orthodox
Test debut England v Pakistan at Birmingham, Jun 4-8, 1992
Last Test Pakistan v South Africa at Lahore, Oct 8-12, 2007
ODI debut Pakistan v West Indies at Lahore, Nov 22, 1991
Last ODI Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Kingston, Mar 21, 2007


Profie
Inzamam-ul-Haq is a symbiosis of strength and subtlety. Power is no surprise, but sublime touch is remarkable for a man of his bulk. He loathes exercise and often looks a passenger in the field, but with a willow between his palms he is suddenly galvanised. He plays shots all round the wicket, is especially strong off his legs, and unleashes ferocious pulls and lofted drives. Imran Khan rates him the best batsman in the world against pace. Early on he is vulnerable playing across his front pad or groping outside off stump. He uses his feet well to the spinners, although this aggression can be his undoing. Inzi keeps a cool head in a crisis and has succeeded Javed Miandad as Pakistan's premier batsman, but his hapless running between wickets is legendary and most dangerous for his partners. There were no such problems against New Zealand at a boiling Lahore in 2001-02, when Inzamam belted 329, the second-highest Test score by a Pakistani and the tenth-highest by anyone. However, he was then dogged by poor form, scoring just 16 runs in Pakistan's ill-fated World Cup campaign in 2003. He was dropped from the team briefly, but then roared back to form, scoring a magnificent unbeaten 138 and guiding Pakistan to a thrilling one-wicket win against Bangladesh at Multan. He was rewarded with the captaincy of the team, and despite leading them to victory in the Test series in New Zealand, question-marks about his leadership qualities surfaced when Pakistan were beaten in both the Test series and the one-dayers against India. But the selectors persevered with him and this bore results when he took a team thin on bowling resources to India and drew the Test series with a rousing performance in the final Test, Inzamam's 100th. After scoring a magnificent 184, Inzamam led the team astutely on a tense final day and took Pakistan to victory. Since that day, Inzamam has gone from strength to strength as captain and premier batsman. By scoring a hundred against West Indies in June 2005, he kept up a remarkable record of matchwinning centuries, amongt the best of modern-day batsmen. A magnificent year ended with Inzamam leading his team to triumph over Ashes-winning England; personally the series was arguably his best ever. He never failed to make a fifty, scored twin centuries at Faisalabad for the first time, going past Miandad as Pakistan's leading century-maker and joining him as only the second Pakistani with 8000 Test runs. As captain, he never looked more a leader, uniting a young, inexperienced team and turning them, once again, into a force to matter globally. The turn of the year brought contemplation; he missed the Test victory over India at Karachi with a persistent back injury. The subsequent ODI thrashing also raised concerns about Inzamam as ODI captain, none of which were entirely wiped away during ODI and Test wins in Sri Lanka. Pakistan were then beaten comprehensively in the Test series in England though all was forgotten - including Inzamam's own poor form - by events at The Oval. There, Inzamam, astonishingly for a man perceived as so insouciant, became the most controversial figure in cricket for a week, leading his side off the field in protest at charges of ball tampering made by umpires Billy Doctrove and Darrell Hair. They refused to come out at first, then delayed the start before eventually forfeiting the Test, the first time in the history of the game. In Pakistan, he became a national hero, saviour of a country's pride and honour. He was banned for four ODIs and returned to lead the side to a series-win over West Indies followed by a disappointing Test series in South Africa, and then quit the one-day game after Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup at the first hurdle, an event overshadowed by the death of Bob Woolmer. Even though he expressed his desire to be part of the Test team, Inzamam was not offered a central contract in July and, according to a few, might signal the end of his illustrious international career.

He, however, made that decision himself after signing up for the Indian Cricket League and faced a life-time ban from PCB. He later quit the ICL and made himself available for selection. The second Test against South Africa in Lahore was his farewell game. He fell just two short of Javed Miandad's record for the highest Test aggregate by a Pakistan batsman and 60 short of a career average of 50.

STEPHEN WAUGH ONE OF THE GREAT CAPTAIN,S OF THE CRICKET WORLD

Full name Stephen Rodger Waugh Born June 2, 1965, Canterbury, Sydney, New South WalesCurrent age 43 years 76 daysMajor teams Australia, Ireland, Kent, New South Wales, SomersetPlaying role Lower middle order batsmanBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm mediumRelations Brother - DP Waugh, Twin brother - ME Waugh
Test debut
Australia v India at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 1985
Last Test
Australia v India at Sydney, Jan 2-6, 2004
ODI debut
Australia v New Zealand at Melbourne, Jan 9, 1986
Last ODI
Australia v South Africa at Perth, Feb 3, 2002

Profile

Steve Waugh is the ultimate evolved cricketer. Thrown to the wolves at 20, he flailed at all bowling, sent down bouncers at Viv Richards, and tasted Ashes defeat. Then he helped win a World Cup and made 393 runs before losing his wicket in England in 1989 - but admitted that he did not understand his own game, and 18 months later lost his place to his minutes-younger twin, Mark. It was his catharsis. Upon his recall, he minimalised his batsmanship, forgoing risk and waiting for the loose ball, which he still punished severely. He was all but forced to give up bowling by back problems. A series of epic innings ensued, none better than his 200 in Jamaica in 1994-95 to speed Australia to an historic series win, or his twin hundreds at Old Trafford to turn the 1997 Ashes series. He succeeded Mark Taylor as Test captain in 1999, and began with a torrid 2-2 draw in the Caribbean, but later led Australia boldly in 15 of their world-record 16 successive Test victories. With Shane Warne, he turned Australia's form around so completely in the 1999 World Cup that they won it, and he became (with Tom Moody) one of only two Australians to win the trophy twice. But he was denied the opportunity to defend his title when he was unceremoniously axed from the one-day side, like Taylor before him, following Australia's poor showing in the 2001-02 VB Series. He railed against his omission, but even he couldn't reverse it. He continued as Test captain, though, winning yet another Ashes series in 2002-03, and continuing (after frenzied debate) for the West Indian tour that followed Australia's 2003 World Cup win under Ricky Ponting. An inveterate sightseer, Waugh wrote a series of successful tour diaries, helped set up a charity for the daughters of lepers in Calcutta, and subscribed fervently to the power of the mind. At 36, he won the Allan Border Medal as Australia's best player of 2001. He finally retired at the end of the 2003-04 series against India, bowing out with 80, his last shot an untypical heave to backward square leg.

SMALL TEAM,S BIG PLAYER ANDREW FLOWER

Full name Andrew Flower Born April 28, 1968, Cape Town, Cape Province, South AfricaCurrent age 40 years 111 daysMajor teams Zimbabwe, Essex, Marylebone Cricket Club, Mashonaland, South AustraliaNickname PetalsBatting style Left-hand batBowling style Right-arm offbreakFielding position WicketkeeperOther CoachHeight 5 ft 10 inEducation Vainona High SchoolRelations Brother - GW Flower

Test debut
Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Oct 18-22, 1992

Last Test
Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Bulawayo, Nov 16-19, 2002

ODI debut
Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe at New Plymouth, Feb 23, 1992

Last ODI
Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe at East London, Mar 15, 2003

Profile

The elder of two Test-playing brothers, Andy Flower was for a long time Zimbabwe's only batsman of true Test quality in all conditions. For a period of about two years from the start of 2000 he was so phenomenally consistent that he has no rival as the best player in Zimbabwe's history. His wicketkeeping, though, was sometimes less dependable, and probably suffered from the added strain of having to lead the side. He had two stints as captain, leading Zimbabwe to their first Test victory against Pakistan in 1994-95, and then becoming the first Zimbabwean to lead a Test tour of England, in 2000. An assured player of fast bowling since his early days as an opener, Flower matured into one of the best players of spin in the world, and on the Indian tour early in 2001 he made 540 runs for twice out. By then, he had gone from underrated over-achiever to a recognised star, with a spell at No. 1 in the international ratings. Opposing bowlers targeted him accordingly and after a phenomenal Test against South Africa at Harare, when he made 142 and 199 not out, he suffered a rare slump. Off the field, Flower is a keen student of Zimbabwe's history, of which he is now a notable part. He announced his retirement from international cricket after a turbulent 2003 World Cup, which started with an unprecedented protest by Flower, and his equally brave team-mate Henry Olonga, about what they called the "death of democracy" in Zimbabwe. Flower played for Essex from 2002 until 2006, and enjoyed a season in South Australia in 2003-04. He was joined at Essex by his brother Grant in 2005, and they became the first brothers to score first-class centuries for the county in the same innings against Lancashire that year. But injury ruled him out of the 2007 season, and when the offer came to become England's assistant coach, he retired and took it.

Herschelle Gibbs The Classic Player To Watch

Full name Herschelle Herman Gibbs Born February 23, 1974, Green Point, Cape Town, Cape ProvinceCurrent age 34 years 175 daysMajor teams South Africa, Cape Cobras, Deccan Chargers, Glamorgan, Western ProvinceBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm bowler
Test debut
India v South Africa at Kolkata, Nov 27-Dec 1, 1996
Last Test
South Africa v West Indies at Durban, Jan 10-12, 2008
ODI debut
Kenya v South Africa at Nairobi (Gym), Oct 3, 1996


Last ODI
Bangladesh v South Africa at Dhaka (SBNS), Mar 14, 2008

Profile

Summoned from the school classroom as a 16-year-old to make his first-class debut in 1990, Herschelle Gibbs's feet moved beautifully at the crease but struggled to find the ground in real life. Admitting that a Test debut in front of 70,000 at Eden Gardens wasn't as nerve-wracking as sitting his final exams, as well as the fact that he reads little outside of magazines and comics, contributed to a reputation for simplicity. In fact, Gibbs can be a warm and generous person. His passion for one-liners and verbal jousting continues to hamper his advancement as a serious professional, and his brush with career death in the Cronje match-fixing scandal added to the impression of a man who had failed to grasp the magnitude of his impact on the nation's youth. A life-skills programme with the former Springbok rugby legend Morne du Plessis during the 2001 off-season was designed to address the matter.
At the crease, however, Gibbs can be invincible. There is no shot beyond his compass, while Test-match opening has not tempered his desire for explosive entertainment. The speed of his hands is hypnotic, frequently allowing him to hook off the front foot and keep out surprise lifters. His trademark is the lofted extra-cover drive, hit inside-out with the certainty of a square cut. Sporting comparisons can be odious, but in the field - at backward point - he really is the next Jonty Rhodes. Arguably his most famous innings came in a record-breaking one-day contest against Australia at Johannesburg when South Africa chased down an improbable 434 in 49.5 overs. Gibbs' contribution was a 111-ball 175 to power the hosts to a 3-2 series win in perhaps the greatest cracker of all. Having avoided touring India since 2000, Gibbs made himself available for the Champions Trophy in October and was selected in South Africa's 14-man squad. A lean trot continued into late November, but Gibbs showed glimpses of a return to form with a match-winning unbeaten 93 in a series clincher against India at home.
Gibbs was banned for two Tests by the ICC after being was charged under Level 3.3 of the ICC's Code of Conduct for making abusive comments about a section of the crowd during the Test series against Pakistan in early 2007. He was showing a return to somewhere near his best during the 94 at Centurion Park, which formed a rare period of bat-dominated action. His future appears to be in the middle order, unless the desperation for an opener forces him up. On March 16, 2007, during a World Cup game against Netherlands, Gibbs smashed himself into the record books. His six sixes off Dan van Bunge's fourth over was a record for international matches and he managed 342 runs, with four half-centuries, in the tournament. In 2008 he signed for Glamorgan's Twenty20 side.

CHRIS CAIRNS ONE OF THE GREAT ALL ROUNDER IN THE WORLD OF CRICKET

Full name Christopher Lance Cairns Born June 13, 1970, Picton, MarlboroughCurrent age 38 years 64 daysMajor teams New Zealand, Canterbury, Chandigarh Lions, ICC World XI, Northern Districts, NottinghamshirePlaying role All-rounderBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm fast-mediumRelations Father - BL Cairns, Uncle - BL Roberts

Test debut
Australia v New Zealand at Perth, Nov 24-28, 1989

Last Test
England v New Zealand at Nottingham, Jun 10-13, 2004

ODI debut
New Zealand v England at Wellington, Feb 13, 1991

Last ODI
New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Napier, Jan 8, 2006

Profile

One of the more colourful characters in the New Zealand side, Chris Cairns has developed from something of a rebel to a more senior statesman, especially after the part he played in ending the players' strike in 2002. However, his genuine ability has been seen in only fleeting glimpses due to an inordinate number of injuries at crucial stages. When fit, he is one of the finest allrounders in the world, and he became only the sixth man to achieve an allrounder's double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs in March 2004. However, his bowling and batting has on the whole lacked the sort of impact which led New Zealand to their first one-day international tournament success, the 2000 ICC tournament at Nairobi. He continued to flourish in 2001-02, helping New Zealand to the VB Series final, but knee and back injuries came back to blunt his form. However, he came back for New Zealand's 2003-04 series against South Africa and announced that the 2004 Test series in England would be his last, but would continue to play one-dayers. New Zealand lost all three Tests, but, suitably, Cairns bowed out at Trent Bridge, his adopted home from his days with Nottinghamshire. In the first Test at Lord's, he passed Sir Vivian Richards's previous record of the most sixes in Test cricket. He played for Notts from 1989 to 1996, and returned in 2003. Upset at missing out on New Zealand's tour of South Africa in September 2005 - his captain, Stephen Fleming, was similar perplexed - he vowed to be fit and available for the World Cup in 2007. New Zealand lost the five-match one-day series 4-0, and Cairns was reinstated for Australia's one-day tour of New Zealand in December. On January 22, 2006, Cairns announced his retirement from ODIs in a tear-filled press conference. A Twenty20 match against West Indies on February 16, 2006 was his last game for New Zealand.

THE GREAT TIMER OF CRICKET BALL YUVRAJ SINGH THE SIX HITER

Full name Yuvraj Singh Born December 12, 1981, ChandigarhCurrent age 26 years 247 daysMajor teams India, Asia XI, Kings XI Punjab, Punjab, YorkshireBatting style Left-hand batBowling style Slow left-arm orthodoxRelations Father - B Yograj Singh

Test debut
India v New Zealand at Mohali, Oct 16-20, 2003

Last Test
India v South Africa at Kanpur, Apr 11-13, 2008

ODI debut
Kenya v India at Nairobi (Gym), Oct 3, 2000

Last ODI
India v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Jul 6, 2008

Profile

Generously gifted, Yuvraj Singh is looked upon as a strong, fearless natural destined for great things. Two months short of his 19th birthday, he made an almost messianic entry into international cricket, toppling Australia in the Nairobi Mini-World Cup in 2000-01, with a blistering 84 and some scintillating fielding. In time he was to supplement these skills with clever, loopy left-arm spin. While Yuvraj's ability to hit the ball long and clean were instantly recognised, he was soon found to be troubled by quality spin and perceived to lack commitment, traits for which he temporarily lost his place in the one-day side. But on returning, for the last two one-dayers against Zimbabwe in early 2002, he swung the series India's way with a matchwinning innings in each game, and then went to England and played a key role in three Indian chases in their dream run in the NatWest tri-series. It took 15 months more, and an injury to his captain, Sourav Ganguly, for Yuvraj to get a Test look-in. On the third such opportunity, against Pakistan on the first day on a greentop at Lahore, he stroked a stunning century off 110 balls. The 2005-06 season proved to be a watershed for Yuvraj, with 1161 runs at 58 in the one-dayers, as he transformed himself into one of the keystones in India's batting line-up. He was soon preferred over VVS Laxman in Tests when India went in with five batsmen, but a lean series in the West Indies meant that he was still struggling to match potential with performance. Yuvraj picked up his form in one-day cricket, and overcame a knee injury sustained before the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy to book a spot to the 2007 World Cup. India were knocked out early, but Yuvraj continued his form through the year. There were two highlights in the second half of the year: the first, a record six sixes in one Stuart Broad over in a 12-ball fifty during India's fairytale run at the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa, and an awesome Test hundred against Pakistan at Bangalore, which swung the momentum back India's way. Yuvraj was included in India's Test squad for a four-Test series in Australia. He then captained Kings XI Punjab to the semi-finals of the IPL

VIRENDER SEHWAG THE ONE MAN SHOW

Full name Virender Sehwag Born October 20, 1978, DelhiCurrent age 29 years 298 daysMajor teams India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, India Blue, Leicestershire, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XIBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm offbreak

Test debut
South Africa v India at Bloemfontein, Nov 3-6, 2001

Last Test
Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008
ODI debut
India v Pakistan at Mohali, Apr 1, 1999

Last ODI
India v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Jul 6, 2008

Profile

Virender Sehwag is a primal talent whose rough edges make him all the more appealing. By the time he had scored his first centuries in one-day cricket (off 70 balls, against New Zealand) and Test cricket (on debut, against South Africa, from 68 for 4), he was already eliciting comparisons with his idol Sachin Tendulkar. It is half true. Like Tendulkar, he is short and square with curly hair, plays the straight drive, backfoot punch and whip off the hips identically, but leaves Tendulkar in the shade when it comes to audacity.
Asked to open the innings in Tests on the tour of England in 2002, Sehwag proved an instant hit, cracking an 80 and a 100 in the first two matches. Regularly thereafter, he kept conjuring pivotal innings at the top of the order, none as significant as India's first 300 (which he bought up, characteristically, with a six), at Multan against Pakistan in early 2004.
Sehwag bowls effective, loopy offspin, and is a reliable catcher in the slips. He also once almost split the cricket world: when he was banned for a match by the ICC referee Mike Denness on grounds of excessive appealing, the Indian board wasn't prepared to listen, and even played an unofficial Test with South Africa to prove a point. When a compromise was finally reached, Sehwag was back to his merry ways.
Though he continued to dominate in the Test arena, Sehwag's one-day form dipped alarmingly - after January 2004, he went through a period of 60 matches where he averaged under 29. Despite his fitness levels dropping and his one-day spot being under threat - he was dropped from the side for the home series against West Indies in early 2007 - Sehwag continued to sparkle in Tests, as shown by his magnificent 254 at Lahore. In June, he came excruciatingly close to scoring a century before lunch in the first day against West Indies in St Lucia, a feat never accomplished before by an Indian batsman.
After a string of poor scores, Sehwag was dropped from India's Test squad to Bangladesh in 2007, and was not considered for either the Test or ODI sides to England. He was a surprise pick for the Test team to tour Australia after not being named in the initial list of probables.
Sehwag had to wait for two matches before he made a strong comeback in the Perth Test, where he gave the innings' momentum with knocks of 29 and 43, and took two wickets with his offspin in Australia's second innings, to help India claim one of their greatest wins. He followed it up with scores of 63 and an imperious 151 - his first century in the team's second innings - to help India draw the Test in Adelaide. Then, in the first Test against South Africa in Chennai, he made an even more emphatic statement, rattling off the quickest triple-century in Test cricket, off just 278 balls. He eventually made 319 - the highest score by an Indian - and in the process became only the third batsman, after Don Bradman and Brian Lara, to pass 300 twice in Tests. In his next Test series against Sri Lanka in 2008, Sehwag thrived while the Indian middle-order struggled against the mystery spin of Ajantha Mendis. His double-hundred and half-century were instrumental in India winning the Galle Test.

THE GREAT ALL ROUNDER ANDREW FLINTOFF

Full name Andrew Flintoff Born December 6, 1977, Preston, LancashireCurrent age 30 years 250 daysMajor teams England, ICC World XI, LancashireNickname FreddieBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm fastHeight 6 ft 4 inEducation Ribbleton Hall High school

Test debut
England v South Africa at Nottingham, Jul 23-27, 1998

Last Test
England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 7-11, 2008

ODI debut
England v Pakistan at Sharjah, Apr 7, 1999

Last ODI
England v India at Lord's, Sep 8, 2007

Profile

In the summer of 2005, Andrew Flintoff established himself as England's greatest allround cricketer since the days of Ian Botham, producing a succession of wholehearted and inspirational performances to reap 402 runs and 24 wickets in five Tests, and carry his team to glory in arguably the greatest Ashes series of all time. It was a performance that reverberated around the globe, and propelled Flintoff to the sort of superstar status that his many admirers had always believed was within his grasp, but had often despaired of him ever achieving. Big, northern and mightily proud of it, he hits the ball harder than any English cricketer since Botham, and uses his colossal 6'4" frame to generate speeds in excess of 90mph which, allied to his metronomic accuracy and burgeoning mastery of reverse-swing, make him one of the most intimidating bowlers in the game. For a time Freddie was destructive and self-destructive in equal measure - his precocious skills and size led to a Test debut at the age of 20, but two years later he was struggling with his weight and his motivation, barely able to bowl because of persistent back problems, and barely worth a place in the Lancashire seconds. In 2001, he was given an ultimatum by his management team, and requested to be sent to Rod Marsh's ECB Academy. It gave him the motivation he needed, and when England SOSed for him during that winter's India tour, he was a reformed character. Despite being found out by India's spinners, he picked up a maiden Test century against New Zealand and was an integral factor in a successful home summer in 2002. Unfortunately, it was all too exciting for the England management. By the time they flew out to Australia in October, Flintoff had been bowled into the ground, and could barely walk after a hernia operation. But he returned to action in time for the World Cup, where he was the most economical bowler in the tournament, and come the 2003 season, he was ready to take centre stage. He came of age in the Test series against South Africa, thumping a therapeutic 95 in England's remarkable comeback at The Oval to go with a defiant century at Lord's, and produced a starring role in England's series win in the Caribbean, where he learned at last to slip the handbrake and become a genuine attacking option with the ball. After helping England to a 2-1 series win in South Africa, he flew home early for an operation on his troublesome left ankle, forwent his honeymoon to speed his recuperation, then returned fitter and better than ever. He single-handedly inspired England to a two-run victory over Australia at Edgbaston, in one of the greatest Tests of all time, followed up with a maiden Ashes hundred at Trent Bridge, sealed the series with a marathon five-wicket haul at The Oval, and embarked on a 17-hour bender culminating in an open-top bus parade through the streets of London. By now, he was a global superstar to bracket alongside Sachin Tendulkar or Shane Warne, but the trappings of fame and the hindrances of his ever-troublesome ankle combined to sap his effectiveness. He stepped into the breach to captain England on an injury-plagued tour of India in March 2006 - and inspired his side to a series-levelling win at Mumbai - but within four months he was out of action once again. In his absence Andrew Strauss captained England to victory over Pakistan, but Flintoff persuaded the selectors to put him in charge for the Ashes in 2006-07 - a desperate campaign that resulted in a 5-0 thumping. Though he atoned in part by leading England to a surprise victory in the subsequent one-day CB Series, he was disciplined by the England management for his excessive drinking and at the subsequent World Cup, with Michael Vaughan back in charge, stripped of the vice-captaincy after drunkenly capsizing a pedalo in St Lucia following England's defeat to New Zealand. He continued to pound away with the ball, visibly discomforted by his ankle problem, but his efforts with the bat became embarrassing. He didn't feature in any of England's seven Tests of the 2007 summer, and by the time he had undergone a third ankle operation that September, many wondered if he would ever add to his tally of 67 Tests. But at Headingley the following July, he returned to the fray against South Africa, after an 18-month Test hiatus. Though his influence couldn't stave off a ten-wicket defeat, the pace of his bowling was not in question and nor, for the time being, was his fitness

MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN THE GREATEST SPINER EVER

Full name Muttiah Muralitharan Born April 17, 1972, KandyCurrent age 36 years 117 daysMajor teams Sri Lanka, Asia XI, Chennai Super Kings, ICC World XI, Kandurata, Kent, Lancashire, Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic ClubBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm offbreakHeight 5 ft 7 inEducation St Anthony’s College, Kandy

Test debut
Sri Lanka v Australia at Colombo (RPS), Aug 28-Sep 2, 1992

Last Test
Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008

ODI debut
Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Aug 12, 1993

Last ODI
India v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Jul 6, 2008

Profile

Averaging nearly six wickets per Test, Muttiah Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in the game, the greatest player in Sri Lanka's history, and without doubt the most controversial cricketer of the modern age. Muralitharan's rise from humble beginnings, being the Tamil son of a hill-country confectioner, to the top of the wicket-takers' list in Test cricket has divided the cricket world in the past decade because of his weird bent-arm bowling action.
He bowls marathon spells, yet is forever on the attack. From a loose-limbed, open-chested action, his chief weapons are the big-spinning offbreak and two versions of the top-spinner, one of which goes straight on and the other, which has now been labelled his doosra, which spins in the opposite direction to his stock ball. His newest variation is a version of Shane Warne's slider, which is flicked out the side of his hand and rushes onto batsmen like a flipper. His super-flexible wrist makes him especially potent and guarantees him turn on any surface.
His career has been beset with controversy from the start. Suspicions about his action were whispered soon after his debut against the Australians in 1993 and then aired freely after he was called for throwing while touring Australia in 1995-96, first in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne by Darrel Hair and later in the one-day series that followed. He was cleared by the ICC after biomechanical analysis at the University of Western Australia and at the University of Hong Kong in 1996. They concluded that his action created the 'optical illusion of throwing'.
But the controversy did not die away. He was called again on the 1998-99 tour to Australia, this time by Ross Emerson. Muralitharan was sent for further tests in Perth and England and was cleared again. However, the perfection of his doosra prompted further suspicion and at the end of a prolific three-match home series against Australia in March 2004 he was reported by ICC match referee Chris Broad. More high-tech tests followed, and ultimately forced the ICC to seriously look into the entire issue of throwing in international cricket, which revealed that many bowlers bend their arms during delivery, and that Murali might have been made an unfair victim. On the field, Murali continued to pile on the wickets, overtaking Courtney Walsh's 519-wicket world record to become the highest wicket-taker in Test history in May 2004.
It is unlikely that Muralitharan's career will ever be controversy-free, a fact that he now accepts. But the rapid progress of technology and sports science in the past decade has undoubtedly salvaged his reputation. He continues to pick up wickets by the bucket load, although many large hauls have come against the two weakest nations - Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. However, he saves his most stunning efforts for the big boys, such as his duel with the Australians in 2004 and his eight-wicket haul at Trent Bridge in 2006 which produced a famous series-levelling win against England.
Muralitharan picked up 23 wickets in the 2007 World Cup, though Sri Lanka were unable to repeat their 1996 final win against Australia. Muralitharan next featured in the home Test series against Bangladesh when, with the last of his 26 wickets, he became the second player to 700 Test wickets. He duly passed Warne's Test record of 708 wickets against England in December 2007, fittingly on his home ground in Kandy.

RUN STOPING GIANT SHAUN POLLOCK

Full name Shaun Maclean Pollock Born July 16, 1973, Port Elizabeth, Cape ProvinceCurrent age 35 years 27 daysMajor teams South Africa, Africa XI, Dolphins, Durham, ICC World XI, KwaZulu-Natal, Mumbai Indians, Natal, WarwickshireBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm fast-mediumRelations Grandfather - AM Pollock, Great-uncle - R Howden, Father - PM Pollock, Uncle - RG Pollock, Cousin - AG Pollock, Cousin - GA Pollock

Test debut

South Africa v England at Centurion, Nov 16-20, 1995

Last Test

South Africa v West Indies at Durban, Jan 10-12, 2008

ODI debut

South Africa v England at Cape Town, Jan 9, 1996

Last ODI

South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, Feb 3, 2008

Profile

Considering the type of stuff floating around in his gene pool, it would have been surprising if Shaun Pollock had not been an international cricketer - and a very good one at that. Dad Peter led the South African attack through the 1960s; uncle Graeme was one of the finest, if not the finest, left-hander to play the game. Shaun has bits of both in his makeup, but it is as an immaculate, Hadlee-esque, line and length seamer that he has established himself. At the start of his first-class career, though, he was both slippery and aggressive and his Natal team-mates delighted in totting up the number of batsmen he pinned match after match. He was brought into the South African Test side against Michael Atherton's England tourists in 1995/96 and although his father was the convener of selectors, there was never a hint of nepotism and the younger Pollock took quickly to the higher level.
In 1996 he had a spell with Warwickshire cut short because of an ankle injury and missed the tour to India at the end of that year. But he soon returned to resume his new-ball partnership with Allan Donald and this pairing was the springboard of much of South Africa's success during the latter half of the 1990s. Indeed, it is possible to argue that the emergence of Pollock inspired Donald to greater heights as the latter found himself with a partner who both complemented and challenged him. Perhaps the straightest bowler in world cricket, Pollock is able to move the ball both ways at a lively pace. He also possesses stamina and courage in abundance as in proved in Adelaide in 1998 when he toiled on hour after hour in blazing heat to take 7 for 87 in 41 overs on a perfect batting pitch.
If there is a criticism of Pollock, it is that he has underperformed with the bat, but most Test teams would be perfectly happy to have him in their side if he never scored a run. Pollock was thrust into the captaincy in April 2000 when Hansie Cronje was drummed out of the game, and he faced the biggest challenge of his career - to lift a shocked and demoralised South African side. However, after a solid start to his captaincy, he lost some credibility after a 3-0 drubbing in Australia in 2001-02, and was later blamed for South Africa's disastrous World Cup in which they failed to qualify for the Super Sixes. As a result, Pollock immediately lost the captaincy and was replaced by Graeme Smith. Though his nagging brilliance around offstump remains, his pace and ability to take wickets at the top of the order has dipped.
Pollock missed the first Test against Australia at home in early 2006 with a back injury and was relegated from opener to first-change by the third. Four wickets in two Tests, with a new run-up and on pitches tailormade for his style, showed that he has slowed. But with 100 Tests under his belt, Pollock remains an integral part of the side. He missed the first Test against Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second daughter, returned for the second and was a pale shade of his former self. He managed just one wicket, and it was a telling sign of what appeared to be Pollock's decline to see him resort to offspin after being tonked over his head for six by Sanath Jayasuriya. All that was reversed in the Champions Trophy in India, where he showed great form, and against India and Pakistan at home at the end of 2006 and in the new year. Man of the Series in both the ODIs and Tests against India, Pollock was highly impressive with the new ball and chipped in with useful scores down the order. It was fitting that he became the first South African to take 400 Test wickets. Pollock continued his fine form against the touring Pakistanis next, despite being surprisingly rested for the final Test. Thrifty with the ball and useful with bat he offered precious control and breathing space for his captain. In the ODI series, he was the highest wicket-taker on either side and his 5 for 23 in the final game crushed a weary Pakistan. For the second consecutive one-day series in a row, Pollock was adjudged Man of the Series. It was decent form to carry into his fourth World Cup, but his lack of pace was exposed on the small Caribbean grounds, especially by Matthew Hayden, although his miserly spell against England was key in South Africa securing a semi-final berth. He lost his place in the Test line-up late in 2007 but returned against West Indies, on his home ground in Durban, for what turned out to be his final Test. He announced his retirement midway through the match, the following one-day series being his last international commitments.

GLENN MCGRATH A GREAT FAST BOWLER

Full name Glenn Donald McGrath Born February 9, 1970, Dubbo, New South WalesCurrent age 38 years 185 daysMajor teams Australia, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, Middlesex, New South Wales, WorcestershireNickname Pigeon, MillardPlaying role BowlerBatting style Right-hand batBowling style Right-arm fast-mediumHeight 1.95 m Education Narromine Primary; Narromine High School

Test debut Australia v New Zealand at Perth, Nov 12-16, 1993

Last Test Australia v England at Sydney, Jan 2-5, 2007

ODI debut Australia v South Africa at Melbourne, Dec 9, 1993

Last ODI Australia v Sri Lanka at Bridgetown, Apr 28, 2007

Profile

The young Glenn McGrath was described by Mike Whitney as "thin - but Ambrose-thin, not Bruce Reid-thin". Much later, Mike Atherton compared McGrath to Ambrose on a vaster scale. Catapulted from the outback of New South Wales into Test cricket to replace Merv Hughes in 1993, McGrath became the greatest Australian fast bowler of his time. He went on to beat Courtney Walsh's 519 wickets in the 2005 Super Test to become the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers and his claim to the title of Australia's greatest fast man is contested only by Dennis Lillee. His obituary was prepared a few times - he was doubted after coming back in 2004 from ankle surgery and there were similar fears following a long lay-off to care for his wife two years later - but he wrote his own farewells. He retired from Tests at the SCG - his home ground - after Australia whitewashed England 5-0 in the 2006-07 Ashes and was adjudged the Man of the Tournament during Australia's successful World Cup campaign in 2007, his final one-day appearance.
McGrath's USP was an unremitting off-stump line and an immaculate length. He gained off-cut and bounce, specialised in the opposition's biggest wickets - especially Atherton's and Brian Lara's - and he was unafraid to back himself publicly in these key duels. He was a batting rabbit who applied himself so intently that while playing for Worcestershire he won a bet with an Australian team-mate by scoring a fifty. The hard work eventually paid off in Tests, when he made 61, the third-highest score by a No. 11, against New Zealand in 2004-05. Only in his occasional fits of ill-temper did he fail himself.
He rewrote the World Cup record-books in 2003 with 7 for 15 against the outclassed Namibians, on his way to adding another winner's medal to a bulging collection. An ankle injury threatened to derail his quest for 500 Test wickets, but after briefly contemplating retirement he bounced back with yet another five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at Darwin in July 2004. Three months later, at Nagpur, he became the first fast bowler to play 100 matches in the baggy green, and his greatness was further confirmed when knocking down the brittle Pakistanis at Perth with 8 for 24, the second-best figures by an Australian.
Adept at picking his moments, he chose the first day at Lord's to reach 500 and his subsequent ankle and arm injuries were crucial to Australia losing the Ashes in 2005. The following summer was also painfully disrupted with the recurrence of his wife Jane's cancer, which called for immediate treatment and McGrath's full attention. He pulled out of the VB Series finals as well as tours to South Africa and Bangladesh, but he made an emphatic comeback that culminated in him taking a record 26 wickets in the 2007 World Cup.