The Magnificent Damien Martyn

Full name Damien Richard Martyn
Born October 21, 1971, Darwin, Northern Territory
Current age 36 years 341 days
Major teams Australia, Ahmedabad Rockets, ICL World XI, Leicestershire, Western Australia, Yorkshire
Nickname Marto
Playing role Higher middle order batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Height 1.81 m

Test debut Australia v West Indies at Brisbane, Nov 27-Dec 1, 1992
Last Test Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 1-5, 2006
ODI debut Australia v West Indies at Sydney, Dec 8, 1992
Last ODI Australia v West Indies at Mumbai (BS), Nov 5, 2006

Profile

No contemporary cricketer, Tendulkar aside, made batting look so simple as Damien Martyn. But it was not always thus. For the brash 21-year-old who waltzed into the Australian team at Dean Jones's expense, batting was an exercise in extravagance. To defend was to display weakness - a policy that backfired in 1993-94 when Martyn's airy square-drive at a crucial moment in Sydney triggered a five-run defeat by South Africa and a seven-year hitch to his own promising career.

By the time Western Australia, wanting a pretty face to spearhead their marketing campaign, had made him captain at 23, Martyn looked a tormented man. All the more remarkable, then, that he blossomed into a relaxed, classical, feathery artist. He was an elastic fieldsman and an old-style batsman whose first movement was back. He played with a high elbow, a still head, a golfer's deft touch, and had all the shots, including perhaps the most brutal reverse-sweep in the game.
Mostly, though, Martyn stuck to the textbook and composed pristine hundreds which, like the feats of the best wicketkeepers, passed almost unnoticed: an observation supported by the curious fact that, despite a Test average in the fifties, he reached the age of 30 without winning a Man-of-the-Match award. He was the quiet man of the 2003 World Cup-raising side, too, playing a minor role until he spanked 88 not out in the final - with a broken finger that later kept him out of a West Indian tour. His magnificent 13-month streak of 1608 Test runs at 61 and two Man-of-the-Series prizes from March 2004 finally moved him from the dressing-room shadows to the more uncomfortable limelight. Showing his hard-earned versatility, he crafted seven centuries on surfaces ranging from raging turners in Sri Lanka and India to green seamers in New Zealand and the hard bounce of home.

The flood ended in England and following a series of 178 runs and a couple of horrid umpiring decisions he was the major casualty of the Ashes loss. Retaining a one-day spot, he expected his five-day days were over - "If that's my last Test match, well, I've had a great time" - but was reprieved when the selectors wanted experience for the South Africa tour. As the decision to ignore policy by looking back to a 34 year old became increasingly doubtful, Martyn repaid with a nerveless 101 that led to victory in the final Test. After being a key part in Australia's first Champions Trophy success, he struggled in the opening two Tests of the Ashes series and swiftly retired. In February 2008 he swung another surprise of sorts by announcing he had joined the unofficial Indian Cricket League.

The Speed Merchant Darren Gough

Full name Darren Gough
Born September 18, 1970, Monk Bretton, Barnsley, Yorkshire
Current age 38 years 4 days
Major teams England, Essex, Yorkshire
Nickname Rhino, Dazzler
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Height 5 ft 11 in
Education Priory Comprehensive

Test debut England v New Zealand at Manchester, Jun 30-Jul 5, 1994 Last Test England v South Africa at Lord's, Jul 31-Aug 3, 2003
ODI debut England v New Zealand at Birmingham, May 19, 1994
Last ODI England v Pakistan at Lord's, Sep 2, 2006


Profile

Dazzler, extrovert, inspirer, attack leader and England's best strike bowler since Bob Willis and Ian Botham, Darren Gough grew from often-injured good to match-fit great, until a long-standing knee problem curtailed his Ashes campaign in 2002-03 heralding a premature end to his Test career the following summer.
However, he refused to concede his playing days were over and continued in England one-day colours, hanging grimly to a place until he was omitted from the 2007 World Cup Squad. But, not one for a quiet ending, after three years at Essex he returned to Yorkshire as captain on a two-year deal in 2007.

Not blessed with the height of Curtly Ambrose or Glenn McGrath - and thus lacking a stock ball to match - Gough developed other means of claiming wickets by watching, experimenting and learning. In the process he became England's first and foremost exponent of reverse-swing and a fine changer of pace. Just as Fred Trueman needed a straight man in Brian Statham to complement him, so had Gough in Andy Caddick. A showman like Cork, with a softer side, Gough could inspire team-mates and crowds with a diving catch or some daring hitting as well. He had the right chemistry to cause spontaneous combustion, to make things happen and help others play above themselves.
Nobody contributed more to England's four series wins in a row in 2000 and 2000-01 than Gough, who was Man of the Series against West Indies and in Sri Lanka. Succeeding there and in Pakistan, the traditional graveyard of fast bowlers, was the final stage of his development, although even his self-confidence took a battering after England's failure to compete against Australia the following summer.

In need of a rest, he chose to miss England's trip to India, and though selected for the one-dayers in New Zealand, he damaged his knee in the final match - it seemed trivial at the time, but mushroomed into a year of misdiagnosis and aborted comebacks. He was forced out of the Ashes tour and the World Cup, but somehow willed himself back to fitness in time for the 2003 season, when lesser mortals would have accepted their fate. And though he was instrumental in England's NatWest Series victory that summer, he was exposed in Test cricket, from which he retired after a heavy Lord's defeat against South Africa. He was overlooked for the one-day series in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka the following winter, and, in January 2004, he parted company with Yorkshire after 15 years to head to Essex, giving family reasons as the deciding factor.
Gough returned to the international stage in 2004, but was a shadow of his former self - save for a brief stint in South Africa in January and February 2005. Though he still harboured ambitions of playing in the 2007 World Cup, Gough's ebullient personality discovered life after cricket, when he won the BBC talent contest, Strictly Come Dancing. With his World Cup snub the international days ended, and he switched his attentions to nurturing the next generation at Yorkshire. During the second year of his two-year deal he announced it would be his last. Retirement, though, is unlikely to be too quiet.

The Aggressive Kiwi Jacob Oram

Full name Jacob David Philip Oram
Born July 28, 1978, Palmerston North, Manawatu
Current age 30 years 55 days
Major teams New Zealand, Central Districts, Chennai Super Kings
Playing role All-rounder
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Height 1.98 m

Test debut New Zealand v India at Wellington, Dec 12-14, 2002
Last Test England v New Zealand at Nottingham, Jun 5-8, 2008
ODI debut New Zealand v Zimbabwe at Wellington, Jan 4, 2001
Last ODI Scotland v New Zealand at Aberdeen, Jul 3, 2008

Profile

It is hard to miss Jacob Oram on the pitch, and not just because of his 1.98m height. He has a high degree of agility in the field, where his skills were developed as a schoolboy representative soccer goalkeeper, and he complements that with solid medium-fast bowling skills and a naturally aggressive approach with the bat. Foot problems during the summer of 2001-02 meant he missed a season at a vital stage of his development,

but he came back strongly in 2002-03 and sealed a place for himself in both the Test and one-day international sides. In 2003-04, he narrowly missed out on a century, as he struck 97 against Pakistan. But in the first Test against South Africa, he carved 119 not out and then 90 in the second Test, which earned him a touring spot for the England series in 2004. Oram continued to acquit himself well, and maintained his place for the Bangladesh tour in 2004-05. After suffering a stress reaction to a back injury, he missed Australia's tour of New Zealand in 2005 but returned to hit a delightful hundred, his third in Tests, against South Africa at Centurion in April 2006. His one-day game peaked at the CB Series in 2006-07, where his impressive striking rattled both England and Australia.

His first ODI century, an amazing 101 from 72 balls against Australia, almost got New Zealand over the line in a huge run-chase at Perth. He broke the ring finger on his left hand taking a catch on the boundary in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series soon after but made it to the World Cup. His comment that he would 'chop off his finger' to play sparked frenzied reaction in the media but was meant in jest and he went on to average 33 with the bat and 25 with the ball as New Zealand reached the semi-finals. One of five New Zealanders signed up by the IPL when he joined Chennai.

The Record Holder Wicket Keeper From South Africa Mark Boucher

Full name Mark Verdon Boucher
Born December 3, 1976, East London, Cape Province
Current age 31 years 291 days
Major teams South Africa, Africa XI, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Border, Cape Cobras, ICC World XI, Warriors
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Fielding position Wicketkeeper

Test debut Pakistan v South Africa at Sheikhupura, Oct 17-21, 1997
Last Test England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 7-11, 2008
ODI debut New Zealand v South Africa at Perth, Jan 16, 1998
Last ODI England v South Africa at Cardiff, Sep 3, 2008

Profile

It is a measure of the rapidity of Mark Boucher's rise that no-one is quite sure exactly how many cricketing records he currently holds. Fastest man to a 100 dismissals here, most innings without a bye over the road - they've tumbled out so quickly that it has been difficult to keep up. He also held the record for the highest score by a nightwatchman. Probably his most significant achievement, however, came in only his second Test match, his first on home soil, against Pakistan at the Wanderers in February 1998 when he and Pat Symcox put on 195 to set a new Test ninth-wicket partnership record. The real relevance of this feat lay not so much in its numbers, but in the fact that it was built with South Africa in desperate trouble at 166 for 8.

Boucher had made his Test debut still short of his 21st birthday a few months previously when he was rushed to Sheikhupura to stand in for the injured Dave Richardson. He served his apprenticeship on South Africa's 1997-98 tour of Australia, and took over as the first-choice keeper when Richardson retired at the end of that series. Boucher was not everyone's first choice to succeed Richardson - Gauteng's Nic Pothas had been waiting in the wings for some time - but once Boucher got his hands on the position, he refused to let it go. He found conditions in England difficult, both on the 1998 tour and during the 1999 World Cup, but he demonstrated courage, determination and nous in what became a run of 75 consecutive Tests before he was left out for the tour of India late in 2004. Those qualities brought him three Test hundreds in his first 25 Tests, and earmarked him as a possible future No. 5 or No. 6 batsman. He was also awarded the South African vice-captaincy when Shaun Pollock took over from Hansie Cronje, recognition of his willingness to get down and scrap when his team needs it - and he promised a scrap to regain the wicketkeeping gloves when a form dip eventually did cost him his place.
A brilliant, unbeaten 50 in the most thrilling one-day match ever - against Australia at Johannesburg on March 12 - saw South Africa chase down a record 434 with one wicket to go. In the ensuing three-Test series, displayed fine work behind the stumps and showed his love of a contest against Australia with two fantastic half-centuries and 175 runs at 35. Boucher kept decently in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka and played two gritty fifty-plus knocks even as South Africa fell 2-0. He was appointed captain for the ensuing tri-series also featuring India but played no part as South Africa withdrew after a bomb explosion in Colombo.

Boucher was replaced as captain for a short home series against Zimbabwe but was his side's highest run-scorer at the Champions Trophy in India. He remains a key component to the South African side in both forms of the game, his consistent batting allowing them another all-round option with plenty more challenges ahead as the team chase Australia at the top of the rankings. Against Pakistan in Karachi, 2007, he went past Ian Healy to claim the world record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper. He joined Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince in walking out on the Cobras in 2008 who chose not to pick the trio for their Pro20 season, but put all such issues behind him in England that summer, where he laid the demons of ten years earlier, and helped South Africa to their first series win in England of the post-Apartheid era.

The Classical Aussie Mark Waugh

Full name Mark Edward Waugh
Born June 2, 1965, Canterbury, Sydney, New South Wales
Current age 43 years 108 days
Major teams Australia, Essex, New South Wales
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium, Right-arm offbreak
Relations Brother - DP Waugh, Twin brother - SR Waugh
Test debut Australia v England at Adelaide, Jan 25-29, 1991
Last Test Australia v Pakistan at Sharjah, Oct 19-22, 2002
ODI debut Australia v Pakistan at Adelaide, Dec 11, 1988
Last ODI Australia v South Africa at Perth, Feb 3, 2002

Profile

The twin brother of Steve, Mark Waugh was one of the world's most elegant and gifted strokemakers. His game was characterised by an ability to drive, cut, pull and loft the ball so effortlessly that it could make him look disdainful of the talents of bowlers. Waugh made his name as a middle-order player for New South Wales in the late 1980s, twice winning the Sheffield Shield Cricketer of the Year titles as he built and maintained a first-class average in excess of fifty. Although he lived in the shadow of his more famous brother for a number of seasons, progression to international cricket was inevitable.


The only sour note when his promotion eventually came, for the fourth Test of the 1990-91 series against England, was that it arrived at Steve's expense. Critics took issue with Waugh's apparent loss of concentration at times and his capacity to occasionally succumb to lazy-looking shots. The weakness was on show most evidently during his disastrous 1992-93 tour to Sri Lanka when he scored four successive Test ducks, but it would be hard to find a player more difficult to contain when in full flight. To complement his batting skills, he offered handy part-time bowling as a medium-pacer-cum-offspinner and a remarkable penchant for spectacular saves and catches - he had few rivals to match his freakish brilliance in the field.

His many highlights included a world-record partnership of 464 for the fifth wicket with Steve for New South Wales against Western Australia in 1990-91; his sterling 138 on Test debut; three commanding centuries as an opener at the 1996 World Cup tournament; and 126 to seal the Frank Worrell Trophy in West Indies in 1995. The lowest moment came in late 1998 when it emerged that he and Shane Warne accepted money from an Indian bookmaker during a tour of Sri Lanka four years earlier. A laconic, unassuming character, Waugh announced his retirement from international cricket without fuss in October 2002 after losing his place in the Test squad to play England. He played on for two seasons at New South Wales, but his elegant best was behind him.

Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar

Full name
Shoaib Akhtar
Born August 13, 1975, Rawalpindi, Punjab
Current age 33 years 35 days
Major teams Pakistan, Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan, Asia XI, Durham, ICC World XI, Khan Research Labs, Kolkata Knight Riders, Pakistan International Airlines, Rawalpindi, Somerset, Surrey, Worcestershire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Test debut Pakistan v West Indies at Rawalpindi, Nov 29-Dec 3, 1997
Last Test India v Pakistan at Bangalore, Dec 8-12, 2007
ODI debut Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare, Mar 28, 1998
Last ODI India v Pakistan at Gwalior, Nov 15, 2007

Profile

Shoaib Akhtar burst onto the big stage in the 1999 World Cup with a long, hurtling run-up and blistering speed. His star status was sealed by a great flop of hair, a talent for show-boating and a vivid nickname - the Rawalpindi Express. But it was too much, too young. A huge ego and his blind ambition to break the 100mph barrier seemed to matter more to him than cementing his place in the Pakistan side, and in November 2006, he copped a two-year ban for using the banned substance, Nandrolone, but he was reprieved on appeal to the undisguised disgust of international drugs agencies.
It was the latest, but by no means the only, controversy in his chequered career. The authorities twice sidelined him over throwing allegations and although his action was cleared, courtesy of hyperextensible joints and the University of Western Australia, injuries created fresh doubts over his international future. However, he channelled his enormous resources far better in 2002, turning in two of the most blistering bowling efforts of the year, both against Australia. First, he blitzed them with a spell of 5 for 25 in a one-dayer at Brisbane, and then returned 5 for 21 in a spectacular performance in Colombo that all but won the Test. The 2003 World Cup was far more disappointing, though.

He promised much, but came a cropper, especially in the needle encounter against Sachin Tendulkar. Dropped after the World Cup, Shoaib roared back to form on the tour to New Zealand, but soon after came a forgettable - and controversial - series against India. Not only did he struggle for wickets, he also left the field at a crucial stage of the third Test citing wrist injury and back pain, though neither injury seemed to bother him when he came out to bat. Shoaib felt the heat, as his commitment and his relationship with the captain and the team management came into question as well. The series began a period in which Shoaib's career came under its gravest threat. Mutterings about his commitment were never far away and a difficult relationship with Inzamam and Bob Woolmer the coach didn't make matters easier. He blew hot and cold in Australia, looking Pakistan's most incisive threat for periods but also looking their most disinterested at others. A hamstring injury cut short that tour and a potpourri of fitness, commitment and attitudinal complaints meant he missed most of Pakistan's cricket in 2005.

But, inevitably perhaps, he came back against England, finishing with 17 wickets and proving the difference between the two sides. As well as being at the peak of his powers - a concotion of lethal slower balls, yorkers and bouncers - Shoaib looked a team man to the core. Typically since then he has spent much time on the sidelines, missing tours to Sri Lanka and most of England with a combination of ankle and knee injuries. He returned to play the ODI series against England and seemed back in full flow, before again missing the last match with an injury. At the time, it seemed his rehabilitation at the end of 2005 might become one of the most significant moments in Pakistan's history. But then came the drugs furore, and the realisation it had been too good to be true.
One day captured his essence; he returned against South Africa in Durban in 2006-07, having not been picked for the series initially, took 4 for 36 in 11 overs, set up a Test win, strained a hamstring, argued with the late coach Bob Woolmer, and returned to Pakistan. He was in Pakistan's squad for the 2007 World Cup, but pulled out at the last minute with an injury, though many suggested it was actually because of fears that traces of Nandrolone remained in his system, which might crop up in a dope test during the tournament. It turned out, in hindsight, to be a good tournament to miss.

Shoaib was not picked to represent Pakistan in the Abu Dhabi series against Sri Lanka and was dropped from the Asian squad for the Afro-Asia Cup after being initially selected. He, however, was named in Pakistan's squad for a brief tour of Scotland as well as the squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in September 2007. However, a dressing room bust-up with fellow paceman Mohammad Asif resulted in Shoaib being sent back home before the tournament even started, and he was banned the following April for five years. After a brief stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, his ban was reduced to 18 months, though accompanied by a hefty fine.

The Ashes Winer For England Michael Vaughan

Full name Michael Paul Vaughan
Born October 29, 1974, Manchester
Current age 33 years 323 days
Major teams England, Yorkshire
Nickname Frankie, Virgil
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Height 6 ft 2 in
Education Silverdale Comprehensive, Sheffield
Test debut South Africa v England at Johannesburg, Nov 25-28, 1999
Last Test England v South Africa at Birmingham, Jul 30-Aug 2, 2008
ODI debut Sri Lanka v England at Dambulla, Mar 23, 2001
Last ODI West Indies v England at Bridgetown, Apr 21, 2007

Profile

On September 12, 2005, Michael Vaughan secured his place in English sporting history by becoming the first captain to win an Ashes series since Mike Gatting in 1986-87. It was the culmination of a five-year journey for Vaughan, whose captaincy - calm, obdurate and ruthlessly effective - had become as classy and composed as the batting technique that, briefly, carried him to the top of the world rankings. With a priceless ability to treat triumph and disaster just the same, Vaughan faced up to his first ball in Test cricket with England four wickets down for two runs on a damp flyer at Johannesburg in 1999-2000, and drew immediate comparisons with Michael Atherton for his inhumanly calm aura at the crease.

But, despite the obvious similarities between the two - from their Mancunian heritage to their indifference to sledging - Vaughan soon demonstrated he was more than just a like-for-like replacement. Once he had made the place his own, Vaughan blossomed magnificently, playing with a freedom of expression that Atherton had never dared to approach. He sparkled his way to 900 runs in seven Tests against Sri Lanka and India in 2002, the prelude to a formidable series in Australia in which he became the first visiting batsman for 32 years to top 600 runs. Despite the fact that his one-day record at the time scarcely matched up to his impressive Test figures, he was appointed captain of England's one-day side in time for the 2003 home season, and inherited the Test captaincy two weeks later when Nasser Hussain abdicated out of the blue. Hussain, astutely, had spotted Vaughan's burgeoning man-management abilities, and despite a torrid baptism, including a record-breaking defeat at Lord's, Vaughan guided his team to a 2-2 draw.

After a stutter in Sri Lanka, he confirmed the arrival of a new era by routing West Indies on their home soil, the first time in three decades an England team had achieved such a feat. Returning home, he won seven out of seven Tests by whitewashing first New Zealand (3-0) then West Indies (4-0), went on to record a memorable 2-1 series win in South Africa, and then achieved Nirvana with a 2-1 triumph in arguably the greatest series of all time. But then came a terrible hiatus. A recurrence of an old knee injury meant that Marcus Trescothick stood in for the first Test of the post-Ashes era, in Pakistan, and the seriousness of the issue really became clear three months later in India, when he was forced home for a series of operations that wrecked his 2006 season and ensured that he would not be fit to lead England's return trip to Australia. Andrew Flintoff took over the captaincy, but the calls for Vaughan's return grew louder as England were bundled ever closer to their eventual 5-0 whitewash. Vaughan was duly recalled, as captain, for the one-day series and retained for the World Cup in spite of a debilitating hamstring strain that reduced him to just three appearances out of ten in a victorious CB Series campaign. He limped his way through the World Cup, in every sense of the word, becoming an increasing liability in the top order. Two months later he quit the limited-overs captaincy, but by then he had re-established himself at the helm of the Test side. He scored a memorable century on home turf at Headingley in his comeback game, before going on to overhaul Peter May's record of 20wins as England captain, but was never quite the same. Results faded away and, after defeat to South Africa at Edgbaston, he emotionally resigned although vowed to play on.

The Caribbean Son Ramnaresh Sarwan

Full name Ramnaresh Ronnie Sarwan
Born June 23, 1980, Wakenaam Island, Essequibo, Guyana
Current age 28 years 82 days
Major teams West Indies, Gloucestershire, Guyana, Kings XI Punjab
Playing role Batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak
Test debut West Indies v Pakistan at Bridgetown, May 18-22, 2000
Last Test West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, Jun 12-16, 2008
ODI debut England v West Indies at Nottingham, Jul 20, 2000
Last ODI Canada v West Indies at King City (NW), Aug 24, 2008

Profile

A nimble, Chaplinesque right-hander, Ramnaresh Sarwan was brought up in the South American rainforest around the Essequibo River. After his first Test innings, 84 not out against Pakistan, Ted Dexter was moved to predict a Test average of more than 50 - an unfair millstone to hang around any young player's neck. But on his first tour, to England in 2000, Sarwan lived up to the hype by topping the averages. His footwork, which seemed to require no early trigger movements, was strikingly confident and precise. It was a surprise when he then produced a horror run of three runs in five innings in Australia, but against India in 2001-02.

He was back to his composed best. Sarwan, who took over as Brian Lara's vice-captain in March 2003, required 28 matches and 49 innings to post his maiden Test century, 119 in December 2002 - and even then it came against the less-than-mighty Bangladeshis. But, as the likes of Graham Gooch and Steve Waugh can testify, the first time is often the hardest, and since then, his batting has achieved a greater level of consistency. A dream series against South Africa in 2003-04, where he averaged nearly a 100 runs a Test, was followed by a lean run against England. But he battled on, and returned to form in a stunning manner with an unbeaten 261 against Bangladesh in June. Then came the England tour in 2004 where he began and ended the tour on a low note, but was prolific in the middle. However, West Indian fortunes were on the ascendancy in one-dayers, as they reached the finals of the NatWest Series and then won the ICC Champions Trophy with Sarwan playing a big hand in both tournaments. However, he was one of the players involved in the contract dispute between with WICB and missed the first Test against South Africa in 2005. On his return he scored attractive runs, but was again overlooked for the captaincy when it was handed back to Brian Lara. He didn't fare well with the bat in the 2006-07 season, averaging just 25.90 in 13 games he played till the end of the Champions Trophy. In a shocking gesture, he was dropped from the second Test against Pakistan in the away series in November. He returned for the third Test and sustained a foot injury which kept him out of the one-dayers against Pakistan and the tour of India. He turned in some solid performances at the World Cup and was named as the captain following the retirement of Brian Lara. It wasn't exactly a field full of promising candidates. Injuries limited his appearances in 2007, and a friendly captaincy competition between Sarwan and Gayle continued with both players publicly supporting one another. Sarwan was Gayle's deputy on his return to the side in 2008 for the home series against Sri Lanka but the demotion did not affect his output, and he made three half-centuries and a hundred in the two Tests.

The Karnatka Train Javagal Srinath

Full name Javagal Srinath
Born August 31, 1969, Mysore, Karnataka
Current age 39 years 12 days
Major teams India, Gloucestershire, Karnataka, Leicestershire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Other Referee
Test debut Australia v India at Brisbane, Nov 29-Dec 2, 1991
Last Test India v West Indies at Kolkata, Oct 30-Nov 3, 2002
ODI debut India v Pakistan at Sharjah, Oct 18, 1991
Last ODI Australia v India at Johannesburg, Mar 23, 2003

Profile

Arguably the nation's fastest-ever bowler, Javagal Srinath heralded a period of awakening for Indian pace bowling, after Kapil Dev's swing had fired popular imagination. And when he retired from international cricket of 11 years in 2003, Srinath was second only to Kapil in number of Test wickets by an Indian paceman.

On his day, Srinath was outstanding. With a strong shoulder action, he hit the pitch with force, and bowled mainly incutters and inswingers, though in the right conditions he could move it the other way. As much as the slips, Srinath brought into play the man at short leg. On the dustbowls of India, he learned to harness the power of the old ball off the seam rather than in the air, the finest demonstration of which was his 6 for 21 at Ahmedabad in 1996-97 to bowl out South Africa in the fourth innings.

Late in his career - perhaps later than should have been - Srinath added variations to his bowling, in particular using the leg-cutter and the slower delivery to good effect in one-day cricket. In these final years, he played big brother to India's rising seamers, and himself excelled in India's World Cup campaign, Srinath's last international outing. As a batsman, he provided chaotic entertainment, but only occasionally fulfilled his potential.

Srinath's weak points were his stamina and his fragility under pressure. He often gave the impression that he could have done more, but by the time he was finished he had, in many ways, done enough.

The Lion Of Mardan Younis Khan

Full name Mohammad Younis Khan
Born November 29, 1977, Mardan, North-West Frontier Province
Current age 30 years 287 days
Major teams Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited, Nottinghamshire, Peshawar Cricket Association, Rajasthan Royals, Yorkshire
Also known as Younus Khan
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium, Legbreak
Test debut Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi, Feb 26-Mar 1, 2000
Last Test India v Pakistan at Bangalore, Dec 8-12, 2007
ODI debut Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Karachi, Feb 13, 2000
Last ODI Pakistan v Bangladesh at Karachi, Jul 4, 2008

Profile

A middle-order batsman, Younis Khan is fearless, as befits his Pathan ancestry. He plays with a flourish and is especially strong in the arc from backward point to extra cover. He is prone to getting down on one knee and driving extravagantly. But this flamboyance is coupled with grit. His main weaknesses are playing away from the body and leaving straight balls.

Younis was one of the few batsmen who retained his place in the team after Pakistan's disastrous World Cup campaign in 2003, but lost it soon after due to a string of poor scores in the home series against Bangladesh and South Africa. He came back for the one-day series against India, but failed to cement a place in the Test side. He is among the better fielders in Pakistan and he took a world-record four catches in one innings as substitute during Pakistan's demolition of Bangladesh in the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship.

He displayed further versatility by keeping and winning the Man of the Match award against Zimbabwe in the Paktel Cup. But it was his return to the side in October 2004, at the pivotal one-down, against Sri Lanka in Karachi that laid the groundwork for his emergence as a force in Pakistan cricket. He was the top run-getter in the disastrous 3-0 whitewash in Australia immediately after and on the tour of India, for which Younis was elevated to vice-captain, he blossomed. After a horror start to the series he came back strongly, capping things off with a match-winning 267 in the final Test.

Since then, barring minor troughs such as the 2005-06 series against England at home, his career has been one elongated peak, scoring hundreds against India and England for fun and becoming Pakistan's most successful one-down in recent memory. More importantly, the tour to India also showcased his potential as a future captain of Pakistan and his energetic and astute leadership has impressed many people. As captain in Inzamam's absence he led the side to a disastrous loss against the West Indies in 2005 but also to a memorable win against India in Karachi in January 2006.

He blotted his book by suddenly resigning from the captaincy in Inzamam's absence for the Champions Trophy 2006, only to return a day later and lead a scandal-afflicted side to a disappointing first round exit. He was the favourite to take over the captaincy after Pakistan's ignominous World Cup ouster in 2007 but he turned down the captaincy citing mental strain and decided to honour his commitment with Yorkshire by making himself unavailable for Pakistan. Younis, however, was named in the 15-man squad for Pakistan tour to Scotland, the ICC World Twenty20 and the home series against South Africa that followed.

The Stroke Maker Kumar Sangakara

Full name Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara
Born October 27, 1977, Matale
Current age 30 years 319 days
Major teams Sri Lanka, Asia XI, Central Province, Colombo District Cricket Association, ICC World XI, Kandurata, Kings XI Punjab, Marylebone Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Warwickshire
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Test debut Sri Lanka v South Africa at Galle, Jul 20-23, 2000
Last Test Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008
ODI debut Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 5, 2000
Last ODI Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Aug 29, 2008

Profile

Within months of breaking into the side at 22, Kumar Sangakkara became one of Sri Lanka's most influential players: a highly talented left-handed strokemaker, a slick wicketkeeper, a sharp-eyed strategist and an even sharper-tongued sledger, capable of riling even the most unflappable characters. His arrival was relatively unexpected, for his domestic performances were relatively modest, but the selectors' judgement was immediately justified as he starred in his first tournament, the Singer Series 2000 against South Africa and Pakistan, as a wicketkeeper-cum-batsman. During the early days his wicketkeeping could be ragged at times, but his effortless batting oozed class from the start.

He possesses the grace of David Gower but the attitude of an Australian. His approach is naturally aggressive and his greatest weakness is a capacity to over-react when the adrenaline really starts to pump. At the outset he was happier on the back foot but a fierce work ethic and a deep interest in the theory of batsmanship helped him round off his game, and he is now as comfortable driving through the covers as cutting behind point. His arrival was bad news for the popular Romesh Kaluwitharana, who soon lost his place in both forms of the game, although he made intermittent comebacks as the selectors worried about overburdening Sangakkara. His arrival also helped solve the long-term search for a No. 3 batsman to fill the void left since the retirement of Asanka Gurusinha. The exhausting dual responsibility of batting at No. 3 and keeping wicket is the source of widespread debate and the selectors relieved him of the gloves in one-day cricket after the 2003 World Cup. The change increased his productivity as a batsman but left the team unbalanced and he was handed back the wicketkeeping duties during Australia's tour in 2003-04. Unlike before, this time the extra burden had no effect on his batting. For a time the selectors indicated a desire for him to concentrate on his batting in Test cricket, but the rapid improvement of his keeping means that he was handed back the gloves to give the team balance. A charismatic personality and an astute thinker - he is training to be a lawyer between tours - Sangakarra is tipped as a potential future captain. He was rewarded for his consistent performances with a spot in the ICC World XI for the Super Series one-day matches in October 2005, but was surprisingly overlooked for the Test squad. However, his form has remained superbly consistent for Sri Lanka and he reached new heights in July 2006 when he added a world record 624 for the third wicket, against South Africa at Colombo, and his share was 287. He followed that with back-to-back centuries on tour in New Zealand, twin unbeaten double-centuries against Bangladesh, and a glorious 192 in defeat against Australia, to confirm his standing among the best wicketkeeper-batsmen of all time. He then anchored Sri Lanka's victorious 2008 Asia Cup campaign with three centuries.

The Fantastic Player Shivnarine Chanderpul

Full name Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Born August 16, 1974, Unity Village, East Coast, Demerara, Guyana
Current age 34 years 24 days
Major teams West Indies, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Durham, Guyana
Playing role Batsman
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak
Test debut West Indies v England at Georgetown, Mar 17-22, 1994
Last Test West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, Jun 12-16, 2008
ODI debut India v West Indies at Faridabad, Oct 17, 1994
Last ODI West Indies v Australia at Basseterre, Jul 6, 2008

Profile

The possessor of the crabbiest technique in world cricket, Shivnarine Chanderpaul proves there is life beyond the coaching handbook. He never seems to play in the V, or off the front foot, but uses soft hands, canny deflections, and a whiplash pull-shot to maintain a Test average over 40. In cricket terms, Chanderpaul has had two main problems: first, a low conversion rate of around one hundred to every ten fifties, and secondly, his physical frailty, widely thought to be hypochondria. That myth was exploded when a large piece of floating bone was removed from his foot late in 2000, and, suitably liberated, he set about rectifying his hundreds problem, scoring three in four Tests against India in 2001-02, and two more in the home series against Australia the following year, including 104 as West Indies successfully chased a world-record 418 for victory in the final Test in Antigua.

A good run in South Africa in 2003-04 preceded a tough one with England - only his second lean trot in a decade of international cricket. But like in the good ol' days, he rediscovered form on the tour to England, and though his batting did not change the team's fortunes, it lessened the margins of defeat greatly. However, in the Champions Trophy that followed, he contributed to the victory greatly with a consistent performance.

The following year he was appointed West Indian captain during an acrimonious contracts dispute, and celebrated with a double-century in front of his home fans in Guyana, although he was too passive in the field to prevent South Africa taking the series. Displaying a rare streak of violence, he once managed to shoot a policeman in the hand in his native Guyana, mistaking him for a mugger. In April 2006 he resigned as captain citing a need to focus on his batting. Having not made even a fifty in West Indies' last two Test series, his 301 runs in four games against India at home was a welcome relief. It was tough to predict his approach - in Antigua, with his side fighting for a draw, he made a glorious fifty; in St Kitts, with his side pushing for a win, he bizarrely turned defensive - but he remained the glue that held the batting together.

Nothing changed in the 2006-07 season where he looted 744 runs at 57.23 with six fifties and two consecutive hundreds - an unbeaten 149 against India being the highlight, in the ODIs. Like a limpet, he single handedly defied England's bowlers in 2007 with 446 runs in three Tests and was snapped up by Durham for the remainder of the season. Who needs Lara?

The Speed Train Makhaya Ntini

Full name Makhaya Ntini
Born July 6, 1977, Mdingi, nr King William's Town, Cape Province
Current age 31 years 65 days
Major teams South Africa, Border, Chennai Super Kings, ICC World XI, Warwickshire
Also known as George
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Test debut South Africa v Sri Lanka at Cape Town, Mar 19-23, 1998
Last Test England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 7-11, 2008
ODI debut New Zealand v South Africa at Perth, Jan 16, 1998
Last ODI England v South Africa at The Oval, Aug 29, 2008

Profile

Makhaya Ntini has had a fair bit to contend with during his young life. A product of the United Cricket Board's development programme, Ntini was discovered at a cattleherd in the Eastern Cape, given a pair of boots and packed off to Dale College, one of the country's best regarded cricketing nurseries. With an action consciously modelled on that of Malcolm Marshall, Ntini found himself touring Australia at the end of 1997 when Roger Telemachus failed a fitness test. He made his South African one-day debut at Perth in early 1998, bowling well in helpful conditions and his Test debut came against Sri Lanka in the same year. In 1999, however, Ntini was charged and initially convicted of rape. He steadfastly maintained his innocence and was subsequently acquitted on appeal.

It was, though, a harrowing ordeal for the first black African cricketer to play for South Africa and it is to his credit that he has been able to rebuild his career. He was not chosen for South Africa again until the Sharjah tournament in 2000 where he both surprised and impressed observers with greater control than had been evident previously. He carried his Sharjah form over to the three one-dayers against Australia in April this year, again bowling impressively.

Quite obviously, Ntini has bounced back from his troubles. Although he is a little short of the genuine pace of a Brett Lee or a Shoaib Akhtar, he is steadily improving and became the first South African to take ten wickets at Lord's in 2003 before devestating the West Indies in Trinidad in 2005 with 13 for 132, the best-ever match figures by a South African bowler. Finished the series against Australia at the end of 2005 with nine wickets at 29.33, including a menacing 5 for 64 in the first innings at Perth. Was forced to miss the third Test with a knee injury that restricted his bowling in the second innings at Melbourne. In the return series at home, Ntini proved a constant threat both as a wicket-taker and potential bruiser. Probing lines and a never-say-die attitude reaped him 19 wickets at 22.36 - with 6 for 100 and 4 for 78 at Johannesburg being a stand-out showing - and gave Justin Langer a warm welcome, in his 100th Test, with a first-ball clanger to the head that left him concussed. Backed up this fine series with 20 wickets in three Tests against New Zealand, and was rightfully Man-of-the-Series. Finished the 2005-06 season with 48 Test victims. In June, Ntini was awarded a benefit by Border for his ten years' service to the game. He managed just five wickets in a two-Test series in Sri Lanka in July-August but was an automatic choice for South Africa's 14-man squad for the Champions Trophy in India. Took eight wickets in the tournament, including a fiery spell against Pakistan at Mohali. When India toured South Africa at the end of 2006, Ntini topped the wickets tally in the Tests with 15, and just after that, when it was Pakistan's turn to visit for three Tests, he passed 300 wickets in a 19-wicket series. Ntini was unable to carry his hot streak into the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, where he managed just six wickets from seven games. Was dropped for South Africa's last two games, an indication of just how poorly he was performing, and was comprehensively outbowled by Dale Steyn in South Africa's series against West Indies, scraping 10 wickets at an unhealthy 38.50. But he improved his average with another 10 wickets against India, and came back from a difficult start to play a vital role in South Africa's subsequent series win in England. After a decade at the top, he remains the side's engine room.

The Guru Of Leg Spin Mushtaq Ahmed

Full name Mushtaq AhmedBorn June 28, 1970, Sahiwal, Punjab
Current age 38 years 72 days
Major teams Pakistan, Islamabad Cricket Association, Lahore, Lahore Badshahs, Multan, National Bank of Pakistan, Peshawar Cricket Association, Redco Pakistan Ltd, Rest of Punjab, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, United Bank Limited
Nickname Mushie
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak googly
Height 5 ft 4 in
Test debut Australia v Pakistan at Adelaide, Jan 19-23, 1990
Last Test Pakistan v South Africa at Faisalabad, Oct 24-28, 2003
ODI debut Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, Mar 23, 1989
Last ODI Pakistan v South Africa at Lahore, Oct 3, 2003

Profile

A bubbly, chubby legspinner with googlies aplenty, Mushtaq Ahmed is styled on his hero Abdul Qadir, whom he succeeded in the team. He is a matchwinner with a full house of legspin variations. At his best he is not far behind Shane Warne, but he does not get the in-drift and rip that makes Warne unique and he gets less bounce because of a lower arm.

He is a compact though not especially competent batsman who fends too gingerly to hint at permanency at the crease. Mushtaq has also suffered the vagaries of the Pakistan system. But his enthusiasm remains undimmed, despite being out of the team since a poor run of form in 2000-01. Some of his most memorable performances have been away from home, in England and Australia, and he played a key role in propelling Imran's Tigers to World Cup glory, memorably snaring Graeme Hick with one of his googlies. In 2003 he became the first bowler in five years to take 100 wickets in the English season, a return which was instrumental in guiding Sussex to the first Championship title in their history,a feat he and they repeated in 2006 and the following season. However, he put his future with the county at risk by signing with the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League. Persistent knee trouble forced him to retire from first-class cricket towards the end of the 2008 season.

The Sweet Timer Of The Cricket Ball Mahela Jayawardena

Full name Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene
Born May 27, 1977, Colombo
Current age 31 years 103 days
Major teams Sri Lanka, Asia XI, Asia XI, Kings XI Punjab, Sinhalese Sports Club, Wayamba
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Test debut Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Aug 2-6, 1997
Last Test Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008
ODI debut Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe at Colombo (RPS), Jan 24, 1998
Last ODI Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (RPS), Aug 29, 2008

Profile

A fine technician with an excellent temperament, Jayawardene's exciting arrival in 1997 heralded the start of a new era for Sri Lanka's middle order. His career reached new heights in 2006 when he was named captain, led a 5-0 one-day whitewash over England and then scored a Sri Lankan record 374 against South Africa at the SSC in Colombo. He added 624 for the third wicket with Kumar Sangakkara - a first-class record. Jayawardene is the best batsman the island had produced since Sanath Jayasuriya (the man whose record Jayawardene took with his 374) and his rich talent fuelled towering expectations. Perhaps mindful of his first Test, when he went out to bat against India at Colombo in 1997 with the scoreboard reading 790 for 4, he soon developed an appetite for big scores.

His 66 then was followed by a masterful 167 on a Galle minefield versus New Zealand in his fourth match. A marathon 242 against India followed in his seventh Test. However, after a prolific purple patch from 2000 to early-2002, his form became more patchy. His declining productivity in the one-day game was particularly alarming, although that was partly explained by his shuffling up and down the order. He suffered a run drought during the 2003 World Cup and was dropped immediately after. However, he soon regained his confidence and benefited from a stable batting position at No. 4 after the retirement of Aravinda de Silva. A good Test series against England was followed by a high-scoring run in 2004. He was appointed vice-captain of the one-day side for the second time in his career in 2003 and has been named by the selectors as the heir to the captaincy after Marvan Atapattu's current tenure. Jayawardene was given a chance to show what he brought to the captaincy when Atapattu was hit by back problems and he was named captain for the 2006 tour of England. He produced a stunning double of 61 and 119 at Lord's as Sri Lanka pulled off an amazing rearguard to save the match. The best, though, was still to come. After his 374 he struggled a little and fell into a slump, but as class players do he emerged in grand style and enjoyed a prolific series against England in December 2007. His one-day captaincy reached a high when Sri Lanka made it to the final of the 2007 World Cup, slumped in the following months with inconsistent results and soared again after defeating India to claim the Asia Cup the following year. Off the field he has won great admiration for his huge personal contribution to the HOPE cancer project.