The Beautiful Player To Watch Nathan Astle

Full name Nathan John Astle
Born September 15, 1971, Christchurch, Canterbury
Current age 36 years 357 days
Major teams New Zealand, Canterbury, Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Mumbai Champs, Nottinghamshire
Playing role Opening batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Relations Sister - LM Astle
Test debut New Zealand v Zimbabwe at Hamilton, Jan 13-17, 1996
Last Test New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Wellington, Dec 15-18, 2006
ODI debut New Zealand v West Indies at Auckland, Jan 22, 1995
Last ODI England v New Zealand at Adelaide, Jan 23, 2007

Profile

One of cricket's free spirits, Nathan Astle became a lively allrounder at Test and one-day level without losing his breezy confidence. He began at Canterbury as a no-account batsman and the most parsimonious of medium-paced bowlers, but his batting developed quickly. After becoming a free-scoring one-day player Astle was turned by the national coach Glenn Turner into a first-rate Test top-order batsman, with consecutive hundreds in West Indies in 1995-96. He ripped up the record books with his 222 against England, at Christchurch in 2001-02, which was the fastest double century in Tests, coming up off only 153 balls. A knee injury forced him out of action towards the end of 2003, but he was picked for the tour of England in 2004. Astle is now an assured batsman in both games, an expert slip-catcher, and an occasional medium-pace partnership-breaker.

He may be a certain selection, but his laid-back attitude means he has never been considered for the captaincy, despite his seniority. His 10th Test match century was made against Sri Lanka in April 2005, followed soon after by his 11th. And in September, he became only the tenth man to score 15 ODI centuries, arguably becoming New Zealand's greatest one-day player. In 2006 he signed for Lancashire, although he wasn't at his ballistic best. He surprised most people by retiring from international cricket six weeks before the Word Cup, citing a lack of motivation. Six months later, he retired from first-class cricket as well.

The Wall Rahul Dravid

Full name Rahul Sharad Dravid
Born January 11, 1973, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Current age 35 years 239 days
Major teams India, Scotland, Asia XI, Bangalore Royal Challengers, ICC World XI, Karnataka, Kent
Nickname The Wall
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Fielding position Occasional wicketkeeper
Education St. Joseph's Boys' High School
Test debut England v India at Lord's, Jun 20-24, 1996
Last Test Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008
ODI debut India v Sri Lanka at Singapore, Apr 3, 1996
Last ODI India v Australia at Nagpur, Oct 14, 2007

Profile

Rahul Dravid, a cricketer who seamlessly blends an old-world classicism with a new-age professionalism, is the best No. 3 batsman to play for India - and might even be considered one of the best ever by the time his career is done. He already averages around 60 at that position, more than any regular No. 3 batsman in the game's history, barring Don Bradman. Unusually for an Indian batsman, he also averages more overseas - around 60, again - than at home. But impressive as his statistics are, they cannot represent the extent of his importance to India, or the beauty of his batsmanship.

When Dravid began playing Test cricket, he was quickly stereotyped as a technically correct player capable of stonewalling against the best attacks - his early nickname was 'The Wall' - but of little else. As the years went by, though, Dravid, a sincere batsman who brought humility and a deep intelligence to his study of the game, grew in stature, finally reaching full blossom under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. As a New India emerged, so did a new Dravid: first, he put on the wicketkeeping gloves in one-dayers, and transformed himself into an astute finisher in the middle-order; then, he strung together a series of awe-inspiring performances in Test matches, as India crept closer and closer to their quest of an overseas series win.

Dravid's golden phase began, arguably, in Kolkata 2001, with a supporting act, when he made 180 to supplement VVS Laxman's classic effort of 281 against Australia. But from then on, Dravid became India's most valuable player, saving them Tests at Port Elizabeth, Georgetown and Trent Bridge, winning them Tests at Headlingley, Adelaide, Kandy and Rawalpindi. At one point during this run, he carved up four centuries in successive innings, and hit four double-centuries in the space of 15 Tests, including in historic away-wins at Adelaide and Rawalpindi. As India finished off the 2004 Pakistan tour on a winning note, on the back of Dravid's epic 270, his average crept past Sachin Tendulkar's - and it seemed no aberration.

Dravid's amazing run was no triumph of substance over style, though, for he has plenty of both. A classical strokeplayer who plays every shot in the book, he often outscores team-mates like Tendulkar and Laxman in the course of partnerships with them, and while his pulling and cover-driving is especially breathtaking, he has every other shot in the book as well. He is both an artist and a craftsman, repeatedly constructing innings that stand out not merely for the beauty of their execution, but for the context in which they come. By the time he entered his 30s, Dravid was already in the pantheon of great Indian batsmen, alongside Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar.

In October 2005, he was appointed captain the one-day side, began with a thumping 6-1 hammering of Sri Lanka in a home series, and was soon given responsibility of the Test side as well, taking over from the controversy-shrouded Sourav Ganguly. While his captaincy stint started encouragingly with ODI victories against Pakistan and England, it soon nosedived with an embarrassing defeat against Bangladesh which led to an early exit from the 2007 World Cup. As a Test team, though, India had plenty to celebrate under Dravid, winning their first Test in South Africa and achieving two historic away series wins in the West Indies and England. Dravid stepped down from the captaincy after the 2007 England tour. A poor run in a one-day series at home against Australia saw Dravid dropped from the subsequent series against Pakistan. As he waited for the Tests to begin, Dravid notched up two centuries, one a double, in consecutive Ranji Trophy games for his state side, Karnataka.

The Zulu Lance Klusener

Full name Lance Klusener
Born September 4, 1971, Durban, Natal
Current age 37 years 1 days
Major teams South Africa, Dolphins, Kolkata Tigers, KwaZulu-Natal, Middlesex, Natal, Natal Country Districts, Nottinghamshire
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Test debut India v South Africa at Kolkata, Nov 27-Dec 1, 1996
Last Test Sri Lanka v South Africa at Galle, Aug 4-8, 2004
ODI debut South Africa v England at East London, Jan 19, 1996
Last ODI South Africa v West Indies at The Oval, Sep 18-19, 2004

Profile

Few would figure Lance Klusener to be a No. 11, but that's where he batted after breaking into first-class cricket as a fast bowler. A childhood spent among Zulu children on a sugar-cane farm and three years in the army contributed to a straightforward approach to bowling: hit the batsman's head if you can't hit his stumps. He spent a couple of years bowling just two lengths before a serious ankle injury in 1998 forced him to drop his pace and develop further skills.

He was a revelation in his debut Test, ending with match-winning figures of 8 for 64 against India in Calcutta. He showed glimpses of his big-hitting in the years leading to the 1999 World Cup. His baseball-style backlift and thunderous hitting symbolised the tournament and his heroics nearly took South Africa to the final.
Around 2000 he began fulfilling the role of second spinner, bowling medium-pace cutters off just six paces that many batsmen find impossible to score from. Few would pencil Klusener in at the top of the order either, especially after his dismal form in West Indies (2000-01) and Australia (2001-02). But as his run of poor form became prolonged he lost his place in the side, and a recall for the 2003 World Cup failed to kick-start his career. His subsequent omission for the 2003 tour of England put his international career in doubt, and led to a bout of legal wrangling. However, after both parties settled their differences, he was recalled for the one-day series against West Indies in 2003-04, kept his place for the following series in New Zealand, and earned a Test recall to the tour of Sri Lanka in 2004. However, it was a short-lived comeback and he left international cricket for good to join the African influx at Northants under Kepler Wessels.
Contrary to his reputation as an unrefined slogger, set in stone at the 1999 World Cup, Klusener is one of the most skillful players in the game - which makes him one of the most adaptable. While his heavy bat sends the ball arcing to all fields, he is introspective by nature and happiest holding a fishing rod. Not talking to the media is another hobby of his, although when he breaks his silence he does so with quiet intelligence and impressive clarity of thought.
Klusener was one of the high-profile signings in the unofficial Indian Cricket League in 2007, and enjoyed reasonable success with the Kolkata Tigers.

The Very Very Special Laxman

Full name Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman
Born November 1, 1974, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Current age 33 years 307 days
Major teams India, Deccan Chargers, Hyderabad (India)
Nickname Very Very Special
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Education Little Flower High School, St. John's School
Test debut India v South Africa at Ahmedabad, Nov 20-23, 1996
Last Test Sri Lanka v India at Colombo (PSS), Aug 8-11, 2008
ODI debut India v Zimbabwe at Cuttack, Apr 9, 1998
Last ODI South Africa v India at Centurion, Dec 3, 2006


Profile

At his sublime best, VVS Laxman is a sight for the gods. Wristy, willowy and sinuous, he can match - sometimes even better - Tendulkar for strokeplay. His on-side game is comparable to his idol Azharuddin's, and yet he is decidedly more assured on the off side, and has the rare gift of being able to hit the same ball to either side.

The Australians, who have suffered more than most, paid the highest compliment after India's 2003-04 tour Down Under by admitting they did not know where to bowl to him. Laxman, a one-time medical student, finally showed signs of coming to terms with his considerable gifts in March 2001, as he tormented Steve Waugh's thought-to-be-invincible Australians with a majestic 281 to stand the Kolkata Test on its head. But even though he had another wonderful series against the Australians in 2003-04 with two centuries, one of them involving back-from-the-dead, match-winning, 300-plus partnership with Kolkata ally Rahul Dravid at Adelaide, he hasn't quite managed the consistency that could have turned him into a batting great. Between dazzling and sometimes workmanlike hundreds, he has suffered frustrations of numerous twenties and thirties, and has struggled to hold his place in the one-day side. He has never made a secret of his acute disappointment at missing out on the World Cup in 2003, but has now reconciled to his confinement to the five-day arena, where he is no longer an automatic choice when India decide to play five batsmen. A match-saving century at St Kitts, his tenth, should help though.

The One Of The Great All Rounders In The Cricket World Abdur Razzaq

Full name Abdul Razzaq
Born December 2, 1979, Lahore, Punjab
Current age 28 years 274 days
Major teams Pakistan, Asia XI, Hyderabad Heroes, ICL Pakistan XI, Khan Research Labs, Lahore, Middlesex, Pakistan International Airlines, Surrey, Worcestershire
Also known as Abdur Razzaq
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Test debut Australia v Pakistan at Brisbane, Nov 5-9, 1999
Last Test Pakistan v West Indies at Karachi, Nov 27-Dec 1, 2006
ODI debut Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Lahore, Nov 1, 1996
Last ODI Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi, May 20, 2007

Profile

Abdul Razzaq was once rapid enough to open the bowling and remains composed enough to bat anywhere, though he is discovering that the lower-order suits him nicely. His bowling - the reason he was first noticed - is characterised by a galloping approach, accuracy, and reverse-swing. But it is his batting that is more likely to win matches. He boasts a prodigious array of strokes and is particularly strong driving through cover and mid-off off both front and back foot. He has two gears: block or blast. Cut off the big shots and Razzaq gets bogged down, although patience is his virtue as he demonstrated in a match-saving fifty against India in Mohali in 2005. Just prior to that he had also played a bewilderingly slow innings in Australia, scoring four runs in over two hours. When the occasion demands it though, as ODIs often do, he can still slog with the best of them: England were pillaged for a 22-ball 51 at the end of 2005. and then again for nearly 60 runs in the last three overs of an ODI in September the following year.

It has hardly been smooth sailing though through his career. He suffered a slump, particularly in his bowling, between 2002 and 2004 when, though his place in the team wasn't under threat, there was uncertainty over how best to use him. But there have been signs recently that he is rediscovering some of his old guile if not his pace and nip. And if the pitch is in anyway helpful to seam - as it was in his first and only Test five-wicket haul at Karachi in 2004 or against India at the same venue in January 2006 - he can be a proper danger. Though Kamran Akmal's hundred overshadowed all in the Karachi win over India, Razzaq's performance was easily his most emphatic as an allrounder: he scored 45 and 90 as well as taking seven wickets in the match. Since then, a combination of injuries and poor form have called his Test place into question. He missed the Test series against South Africa with an injury and looked terribly rusty in the ODI thumping thereafter. A knee injury days before the 2007 World Cup meant Pakistan missed his presence in a disastrous campaign. Early in his career he promised to be Pakistan's most complete allrounder since Imran Khan, and though for a variety of reasons he hasn't translated that into achievement, his country wouldn't mind having just a very solid allrounder.
A lackluster comeback to international cricket against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi and mediocre performance in the practice matches saw Razzaq being omitted from the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship and consequently announce his retirement from international cricket. He then went on to sign for Worcestershire towards the end of the county season as well as signing up with the Indian Cricket League.

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.