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| April 29, 2007 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1428 |
Ex-greats yawn over declining standard
BRIDGETOWN, April 28: Australia and Sri Lanka, two best teams at 2007 World Cup, are contesting the finals but poor standard of cricket worldwide is drawing a yawn from experts and former cricketers.
“It's not as it used to be, standard of world cricket is declining,” remarked Viv Richards ahead of summit clash here on Saturday.
The sight of New Zealand's one-drop batsman Ross Taylor unable to put his bat to ball against Lasith Malinga in first semi-final in Kingston on April 24 drew much mirth from crowd but former cricketers are feeling agonized by experience.
“This is a World Cup semi-final and you have a top order batsman unable to put his bat to any delivery from young bowler who is promising but by no stretch of imagination great yet. This is a pitch which is a batsman's beauty,” lamented former West Indian fast bowler Wayne Daniel.
Daniel believes batsmen worldwide lack courage which is essential to face fast bowling. “I mean, Taylor was backing away when Malinga was running in to bowl. At that stage you need to be motivated enough to face any challenge.”
Richards admires present-day Australians for way they approach cricket. “You can sense it in way Ricky Ponting walks up to crease. He is sending out a message to opponents and fast bowlers.
“The thing is you need to be mentally very tough out there. You need to show fast bowler you mean business. If you don't convey feeling, if you don't back yourself, they would be all over you.”
Colin Croft, the former West Indies fast bowler and now a commentator, rates final as interesting battle of contrasting strengths. “While Australians are playing very good cricket, I feel Sri Lanka has a better team.”
“Sri Lanka has covered most of their bases, in terms of power hitters (Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillekeratne Dilshan), stabilizers (Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene) and a bowling which is as brilliant as it is varied.”
“Australia on other hand are proving an insurmountable query for opponents. Their top order batting is virtually impregnable and bowlers failed to get to lower half of their batting throughout this competition,” he said.—Agencies
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