Clan For Gamers

New Zealand All Time ODI XI

Sidharth Basu

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December 14, 2022

The country of New Zealand has a population of a little over 5.2 million, but they always manage to punch above their weight consistently in ICC tournaments.

They had a rough start to their international cricket Journey, with their first victory coming nearly 40 years after their first international match, however, their start to One-Day internationals was much more pleasant full.

They made it to the Semis of the initial two Cricket World Cups (then known as the Prudential Cup) on the back of their first Cricketing Superstar, Glenn Turner. However, the 80s were rough with Richard Hadlee often bailing the island nation out of trouble. The 90s were an all-time low for the Kiwi’s white-ball side, enduring a W/L ratio of 0.695.

The 2000s were an upgrade with Kiwis producing world-class players such as Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, and Chris Cairns. It was during this period that New Zealand would win their only ICC white ball trophy, the 2000 Champions trophy. The 2010s would be the best period for New Zealand Cricket, with New Zealand making it to 2 finals and 1 semi Final in three consecutive ODI world cups, and currently, the team is growing from strength to strength, possessing one of the best bowling attacks in the World.

Well so as to honor the various ODI stalwarts from this island nation, Clan For Gamers presents to you the New Zealand All Time ODI XI.

Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill is an easy choice for the first opener spot. A phenomenal fielder, Martin Guptill has been one of the most consistent white ball performers of this generation, being the 6th highest run-getter in ODIs since 01 Jan 2010.

Innings: 174
Runs: 7346
Average: 41.74
Strike Rate: 87.3

A hard-hitting batsman, Guptill has the ability to play long innings, evidenced by his Daddy Hundreds such as 180* against South Africa, 189* against England, and 237* in the World Cup quarter-finals against the Windies.

His partnership with Brendon Mccullum at the top is one of the most iconic opening pairs of all time, yielding 1904 runs at an average of 42.31 with a run rate of 6.59

Brendon McCullum (WK) (C)

The 5’7″ pocket dynamite is one of the most influential figures in New Zealand Cricket history.

McCullum made his ODI debut as an opener but would be moved down the order after just 4 matches. He didn’t make a return to the position until 4 years later, and he would make the position his own, with his approach being to make the most out of the batting powerplay.

Innings: 107 (As Opener)
Runs: 3,363
Batting Average: 32.97
Strike Rate: 102.75

Brendon’s strike rate of 102.75 as an opener is the 4th highest (min. 2000 runs). Moreover, he was a great keeper too, as proved by his records across formats, and thus in this eleven, he dons the gloves too.

Matches: 260
Catches/Stumpings: 227/15
Dismissals Per Match Ratio: 0.93

He was a revolutionary leader, boasting a win percentage of 57.38, the best among all the terrific leaders New Zealand has had over the years. Thus he would lead his Nation once again over here.

Potential Picks For Opening Slot: Glenn Turner, Nathan Astle.

New Zealand had a few great cricketers in the past such as Bert Sutcliffe and Jack Cowie, but the winning culture was cultivated by Turner. A whole separate article can be written for this underrated legend of the game, but we would keep the discussion limited to ODIs.

Glenn Turner’s numbers adjusted in Rohit Sharma’s Era are as follows:

Batting Average: 57.587
Strike Rate: 93.09

In Case You don’t know, how these Adjusted Numbers are calculated, You can read our article on Greatest ODI Openers of All Time, where we use/explained this metric.

These are Kohliesque numbers but his sample space as an opener is way too small, comprising just 29 innings, which included a 140 against Sri Lanka and a 171* against East Africa.

Nathan Astle was a good potential pick, having over 6,000 runs as an opener, but the gigantic difference between the strike rate of his and McCullum, along with McCullum’s keeping and captaincy traits, meant Astle couldn’t make the cut.

Kane Williamson

If McCullum was the fire that New Zealand Cricket required to compete with the best in the world, Kane is the Ice that has kept the New Zealand ship steady ever since his departure. Traditionally the Kiwi batsmen have found the transition between home and away games much tougher compared to the rest of the world, but Kane is one anomaly here, with his average boosting up from 44.09 to 49.88 in home vs away matches, respectively.

Innings: 148
Runs: 6,296
Batting Average: 46.99
Strike Rate: 80.86

Kane is also the odd sheep out when it comes to Kiwi batsmen at ICC tournaments.
Across the World Cup and the Champions/Knockout trophy, Kane averages 59.80 with a strike rate of 81.55.

Martin Crowe

A strong-willed determined visionary, these qualities were reflected in Crowe’s batting too.

One of the few players who was able to counter the art of reverse swing in that era, Crowe was always in the outlook for fresh ideas to elevate both his own game and New Zealand’s cricketing status. There is a reason why Wasim Akram rated him as the hardest batsman he bowled to.

Innings: 140
Runs: 4,704
Average: 38.56
Strike Rate: 72.63

An astute cricketer, Crowe was the only batsman in the NZ line-up of that era, who could compete with the best in the world.

His influence on his team’s performance can be obtained from his record in Wins vs Losses:

In wins: Matches: 61 Runs: 2694 Average: 59.86 Strike Rate: 79.02

In losses: Matches: 78 Runs: 1938 Average: 25.84 Strike Rate: 64.49

Crowe was also phenomenal when it came to performing on the big stage. He has scored 880 runs @55 by striking at 83.49

Ross Taylor

The man with the most ODI runs for New Zealand, Ross Taylor had been one of the most consistent performers of this generation. His numbers in the 2010s are only behind Virat Kohli and Ab de Villiers.

Taylor averaged over 40 in 11 out of the 15 years of his career (min. 3 matches).

To complement his consistency, Taylor could accelerate at a brisk rate, proof of this being his innings against Pakistan at the 2011 World Cup or his 4 ODI Hundreds at a strike rate greater than 120!

Innings: 220
Runs: 8,607
Average: 47.55
Strike Rate: 83.22

Taylor’s favorite position was the number 4, However, we also had to accommodate Martin Crowe in this team, and thus Taylor finds himself at 5, a position whose required skill set had been available in Taylor’s game.

Potential Picks for Middle Order Batsman: Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris

Stephen Fleming is the second-highest run-getter for New Zealand in ODIs and also the second most-capped kiwi player, but his batting pedigree is just not enough to dislodge any of the above-mentioned 3 individuals.

Scott Styris makes a good case for the number 5 position in the team. He has played 46 innings at this position, possesses a phenomenal World Cup record, and also has 137 wickets to his name.

However Taylor and Crowe were just too good with the bat for Scottie to replace them solely on the basis of that discipline, and we have enough bowling in this team so as to not miss Styris’ handy medium pacers.

Chris Cairns

Son of former cricketer Lance Cairns, Chris sure did leave his old man behind when it came to building cricketing legacies.

He would often open the bowling for New Zealand, troubling the opposition with his inswingers, and would later come back into the action, this time with the bat, hitting the ball long and hard. It’s tough to categorize Cairns as a bowling or a batting all-rounder, as he was equally good in both disciplines.

Matches: 215
Runs: 4,950
Batting Average: 29.46
Batting Strike Rate: 84.37
Wickets: 201
Bowling Average: 32.81
Bowling Strike Rate: 40.64
Economy: 4.84

Cairns is the 4th highest wicket-taker and the 7th highest run-getter for New Zealand in ODIs. Even though things went sour for him by the end of his career, all Kiwi fans still hold fond memories of his century in the 2000 Knockout Trophy Finals.

Jacob Oram

Jacob Oram is arguably the most undervalued player on this team. A player who was well equiped in both disciplines, Oram possesses Man of the Match awards for sole performances in both departments

Matches: 116
Runs: 2,434
Batting Average: 24.10
Batting Strike Rate: 86.62
Wickets: 173
Bowling Average: 29.17
Bowling Strike Rate: 39.95
Economy: 4.38

Oram didn’t have the best of starts; he floated around the batting order and did not get enough time with the ball. However, he would eventually grow into this role, playing an important role in New Zealand’s success in ICC tournaments.

Oram specifically stepped up with the ball in pressure situations. He picked up 51 wickets @20.35 with a strike rate of 29 and economy of 4.20 in ICC tournaments.

Potential picks for Lower Order Batsman/All-Rounders: Chris Harris, Lance Cairns

Chris Harris had a long career for New Zealand, currently the 4th most capped player for New Zealand and their 3rd highest wicket-taker. However, a strike rate of 66.52 meant Harris was not able to make it into the lower order.

Lance Cairns is one of the few players, whose cricketing career has been overshadowed by his offspring, but Lance was no less dangerous with the bat. A Strike rate of 104.89 in that era(1974-85) translates to 134.5 in the 2010s, however, a bowling average of 30.53 translates to 34.63 in the same period.
Thus his below-average bowling and a career spanning only 78 matches meant Lance couldn’t find a spot alongside Chris in this team.

Richard Hadlee

Hadlee’s test career overshadows his ODI exploits, but Hadlee was one of his generation’s best white ball bowlers.

According to Z-Factor, Hadlee’s numbers in the 2010s would have been:

Average: 23.399
Economy: 4.15
Strike Rate: 33.80

To get an idea about the method of adjusted numbers, you can take the help of our article on the Z Factor/Era Ajudusted Numbers.

Thus an argument that Hadlee bowled in an easier era, doesn’t really work. Like Martin Crowe, Hadlee was immensely influential in his team’s performances, his bowling average jumping from 16.32 to 28.52 in wins vs losses, respectively.

Matches: 115
Wickets: 158
Bowling Average: 21.56
Bowling Strike Rate: 3.31
Economy: 39.13
Runs: 1,751
Batting Average: 21.62
Batting Strike Rate: 75.51

Conditions weren’t a factor when it came to Hadlee’s performances, with him averaging 21.96 with the ball away from home.

Hadlee was one of the biggest match-winner cricket has seen as he won a man of the match award per 11.5 ODI matches played. This is a phenomenal record, considering Man of the Match became a norm in the 80s, 7 years into Hadlee’s career.

Moreover, Hadlee had been much more than a handy batsman, winning 2 man of the match awards, solely for his batting.

Daniel Vettori

The highest-capped kiwi with the most wickets for New Zealand had to make the team. Though his bowling numbers aren’t really flattering, Vettori is by far the greatest spinner New Zealand has produced.

Standing at 6’3″, Vettori’s strength was his ability to flight the ball and extract bounce from the surface. He wasn’t a big spinner of the ball and this perhaps explains his rather dull record in India and Pakistan.

Innings: 277
Wickets: 305
Average: 31.72
Strike Rate: 46.10
Economy: 4.13

Vettori’s numbers take a hit due to his pathetic performance against the two best teams of his career, South Africa and Australia. He averaged 50.24 and 40.71 against them, respectively, and played 33.5% of his career matches against them.
Removing these games, his bowling average boosts up to 27.57.
Moreover, he has over 2,000 career runs at an average of 17.33. Therefore, Vettori will also have an important role in the lower order along with Hadlee.

Trent Boult

New Zealand has been the 2nd best bowling side for the last 10 years, and one of the primary reasons is Boult.

Since his debut in July 2012, Boult has been the second highest-wicket taker with the 5th best bowling average(min. 100 wickets).

Innings: 99
Wickets: 187
Average: 23.98
Strike Rate: 29.16
Economy: 4.93

This shows how important Boult has been in New Zealand’s success in recent times.
He doesn’t let this performance drop in ICC tournaments, where he has picked up 42 wickets at an average of 23.38 at a strike rate of 29.7.

His share in the team’s total wickets is a staggering 24.13%, 7th highest for bowlers with 30 innings or more.

Shane Bond

Despite playing only 82 matches, Shane Bond is considered to be the greatest Kiwi ODI bowler of all time. Well, we certainly can’t dispute that statement.

During Bond’s career, only Glenn McGrath had more wickets at a better average.
Much like his predecessor Hadlee, Bond was a big influence in New Zealand’s victories, possessing the 8th-best average in Wins(16.67).
Batters such as Sangakkara, Ponting, and Tendulkar averaged 31,10, and 4 against Bond.

Innings: 80
Wickets: 147
Average: 20.88
Strike Rate: 29.22
Economy: 4.29

His extreme pace coupled with his Toe-crushing yorkers made him highly effective across conditions.
Bond was also lethal in ICC tournaments, picking up 32% of his total wickets at an average of 21.06.

Potential Picks for Fast Bowlers: Chris Pringle, Matt Henry, Kyle Mills

Matt Henry and Chris Pringle were both ranked among the top 5 in the ICC rankings during their prime, however, both of them have under 65 ODI matches under their belt, thus keeping them out of this side.

Boult vs Mills was the most difficult choice we had to make while assembling this team.
On the surface, Boult’s career average of 23.98 seems to settle the debate when compared to Mills’ 27.02. However Mills outscores Boult when it comes to performance away from home, 24.66 vs 28.06, respectively.

Mills also outshines Boult when it comes to ICC tournaments, well for that matter, Mills outshines most other bowlers when it comes to this filter.
Only Mitchell Starc has picked up more wickets in ICC tournaments at a better average than Mills(34 at 17.32)

However, Boult does have a better well-rounded record, besides that Kyle also needs to thank Bangladesh for the better away record, picking up 14.37% of his away wickets, against the Bangla lions.

Mills would have surely made this team ahead of Vettori, but a lack of quality spinner meant, we had to pick Vettori so as to have a balanced bowling attack.

So New Zealand All Time ODI XI is

Martin Guptill
Brendon McCullum (wk) (c)
Kane Williamson
Martin Crowe
Ross Taylor
Chris Cairns
Jacob Oram
Richard Hadlee
Daniel Vettori
Trent Boult
Shane Bond

12th man: Kyle Mills

Extras: Stephen Fleming, Glenn Turner, Scott Styris

NZ vs IND: Match Preview, Probable XI and Dream11 Team for 3rd ODI of IND tour of NZ 2022

Lakshya Agrawal

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November 29, 2022

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NZ vs IND: Match Preview, Probable XI and Dream11 Team for 3rd ODI of IND tour of NZ 2022

Rain has been an uninvited guest throughout this bilateral series between India and New Zealand. The three-match T20 series ended up with India winning 1-0 as the other two matches were affected by rain, one being no result and the other being a tie (DLS method).

The ODI series also got hampered due to rain, and it currently stands at 1-0 in favour of New Zealand after the 2nd match got washed out. As we move into the final encounter of the series, New Zealand would look to pull out a whitewash whilst India would be eyeing a win to level the series.

India

This ODI series marked the beginning of India’s preparation for the upcoming World cup. Though many players have not performed up to the mark, a few have left no stone unturned to make an impact in the mind of the selectors.

The likes of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have put on a great display with the bat. The last ODI is another chance for them to show why they deserve a place in India’s squad in the format.

To win the final ODI and level the series, India’s bowling unit also needs to step up.
The batsmen have been impressive and a similar performance is expected from them.

New Zealand

New Zealand wouldn’t mind a washout in the final encounter as well since they’re currently leading the series one-nil. However, the Kiwis have all the potential to win the final ODI and perform a whitewash over the Indian side.

The second ODI got washed out after just 12 overs being bowled, which saw Matt Henry bowling a lethal spell. The Kiwis have their fast bowling lineup in tune even in the absence of veteran Trent Boult, as Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, and Matt Henry have stood up as and when required.

There is little to worry about for New Zealand as their XI looks solid with all the spots filled with talent and potential. Another great batting display is expected from the skipper and his men, as they eye a win in the final game.

Pitch Report

Christchurch Oval is another batting-friendly ground with an even bounce on the pitch and a racing outfield.

The fast bowlers, however, might get some assistance in the initial overs, with the breeze flowing in from all directions.

A total of 15 ODI matches have been played at the venue, out of which 8 have been won by the team batting first. The average first-inning score stands at a decent 258.

Probable Playing XI

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda/ Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry.

Must-Have Fantasy Picks

Shubman Gill: Gill scored steady 50 runs in 65 balls in the first ODI, and was stranded at 45* in the second as the rain interrupted. A big knock awaits the young man. This is a big opportunity for Shubman to make a mark and solidify his position as India’s third opener in the format.

Tom Latham: The gloveman played an extraordinary inning in the first game and took his team over the line. Even after shifting to the middle order, Latham has been the architect of his team’s victory on many occasions. New Zealand’s hopes of winning the series rely a lot on the middle-order batsman.

Umran Malik: Young, passionate and furious Umran is probably among the fastest bowlers in the world at the moment. After an impressive debut, it’s time for him to continue his form and showcase his talent yet again on the big stage.

Tim Southee: Southee has been the backbone of the side for many years now, and his role has increased massively after his counterpart Trent Boult has been left out of the national contract. He successfully acclaimed the milestone of 200 ODI wickets in the first match.

The right-arm pacer shall play an important role if New Zealand goes on to win this match and the series.

Dream11 Team for NZ vs IND 3rd ODI Match

We will not able to update our final team after the toss here, You can Join our Telegram Channel Clan For Gamers to see our final team

Match Prediction

We expect New Zealand to put on another great display and seal the series with a win. A close encounter is on the cards as we believe the Indian team shall also put up a fight.

NZ vs IND: Match Preview and Fantasy Team for 2nd ODI of IND tour of NZ 2022

Lakshya Agrawal

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November 26, 2022

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NZ vs IND: Match Preview and Fantasy Team for 2nd ODI of IND tour of NZ 2022

The first ODI of the series saw Newzealand securing a convincing victory against India, owing to a gritty knock from Captain Kane and the heroics of Tom Latham. India took quite a few positives from the game though, one of them being an impressive debut for the speedster Umran Malik.

The two teams played quality cricket in the first match and the same is being expected from the upcoming encounter.

As we March into the second ODI of the series, New Zealand would like to seal the series with a win whilst India would be eying a comeback.

India

India couldn’t capitalise on their impressive performance with the bat as the Kiwis comfortably chased down a target of 308 in the first ODI. The team needs to address the issues in its bowling department.

Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer put on a good display with the bat while Washington Sundar played an expeditious cameo. Umran Malik had a debut to remember as he ended up picking two wickets ( Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell ).

The other six players failed to impress, and it’s time for them to step up and clinch a victory for the team in a must-win game.

New Zealand

New Zealand made a comeback in the first ODI after losing the T20 series. The Kiwis would look to carry on the momentum as we move forward to the second ODI of the series.

After being 3 down for 88 in 20 overs, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham took charge and completely outplayed the Indian bowling unit. Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson also had a successful outing as they bagged 3 wickets each.

A similar performance is expected from them in the upcoming face-off as they anticipate a series win by emerging victorious in the second ODI.

Pitch Report

The Hamilton cricket ground is known for its bounce. The batters can capitalise on the bounce as the square boundaries are shorter and the outfield is very fast.

The average first innings score here is 248. Chasing is usually preferred in Hamilton and both the captains would look to bowl first after winning the toss.

Out of 35 One day internationals that have been played at the venue, the chasing team has won 22 times at a whooping win rate of 62.38%.

Probable Playing XI

India: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar, Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry.

Players to watch out for

Shubman Gill: Gill played a steady knock of 50 runs in 65 balls in the first ODI, and a big knock awaits from the young man. Shubman has secured his place as the opener of the Indian side in the absence of skipper Rohit Sharma.

Tom Latham: The wicketkeeper-batsman has captured all the limelight after a spectacular 145* in the first ODI. Even after shifting to the middle order, Tom has been the architect of his team’s victory on many occasions. He will be a player to look out for in the upcoming match.

Rishabh Pant: The last few months have been painful for the young lad as he has faced severe backlash owing to his failures in the limited overs format. Though his overall record in One-Day Internationals is impressive, there is a need for him to step up and justify his place in the side.

Tim Southee: Tim has left no stone unturned in making New Zealand a top-ranked side in all formats of the game. He successfully acclaimed the milestone of 200 ODI wickets in the first match. The right-arm pacer shall play an important role if New Zealand goes on to win this match and the series.

Interesting Matchups

Kane Williamson vs Yuzvendra Chahal: 103 runs in 130 balls, 4 dismissals.

Shikhar Dhawan vs Matt Henry: 15 runs in 36 balls, 1 dismissal

Shubman Gill vs Matt Henry: 30 runs in 38 balls, 1 dismissal

Rishabh Pant vs Lockie Ferguson: 10 runs in 22 balls, 1 dismissal

Shreyas Iyer vs Tim Southee: 59 runs in 44 balls, 2 dismissals

Tom Latham vs Shardul Thakur: 58 runs in 32 balls, 0 dismissal

Fantasy Team for NZ vs IND 2nd ODI

For Our Final Dream11 Team (after toss), Join our Telegram Channel Clan For Gamers

Match Prediction

We expect the Indian team to make a comeback in the 2nd ODI and defeat the Kiwis to level the series 1-1.

NZ vs IND: Match Preview and Dream11 Team for 1st ODI of IND tour of NZ 2022

Lakshya Agrawal

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November 23, 2022

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NZ vs IND: Match Preview and Dream11 Team for 1st ODI of IND tour of NZ 2022

The T20 World Cup has ended and it’s time for a shift from this format. With the World cup approaching, the centre of attraction for the next few months is the One-Day International format of Cricket.

India and New Zealand are set to face each other in a three-match series, starting from the 25th of November in Auckland.

Both the teams would keep an eye on their preparations for the CWC and try to figure out the squad for the same.

Talking about the Head to Head results, India has won 55 of the 110 encounters between the nations, while the hosts have won 49, and the other 6 ended with a Tie/No Result.

India

The last two World Cup semi-finals have been heart-wrenching for the Indian team and fans. Being the host of the upcoming tournament, the onus is on the team to bring the cup home after 12 years. The preparations for the same shall begin right from this series.

The form is with the Indian team, having won the T20 Series one-nil against the Kiwis. The team would aspire to return home with a similar result in the ODI Series as well.

The senior players of the team have been rested, and the onus is on the youngsters to prove their worth and make an impact in the head of the selectors as well.

New Zealand

The blackcaps have been remarkably consistent in the limited-overs format of the game over the last 7 years. However, they have failed to lift the glorious trophy even after reaching the finals in two consecutive ODI World cups and a T20 World Cup.

The Kiwis would like to start afresh after their world cup exit followed by a one-zero defeat in the T20 Series. The relevance of One-Day Internationals has increased significantly now, and New Zealand would definitely want to start their preparations for the World Cup with a Win over a dominant Indian side.

With Trent boult opting out of the national contract and uncertainties regarding his future in international cricket, New Zealand has the task of finding a replacement for the left-arm pacer.

Pitch Report

Out of the 74 ODI games that have been played in this venue, 42 have been won by the chasing team. The average score in the first innings stands at 220, quite suggestive of the fact that the Auckland pitch generally tends to be friendly to the bowlers.

The green covering can be expected, which makes it quite obvious that the fast bowlers are going to thrive.

Probable Playing XI

India: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shubhman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Deepak Hooda, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry

Players to Watch Out For

Shreyas Iyer: The right arm batsman has been in quite some form in the particular format. He has completely put an end to India’s No.4 woes. Iyer loves batting against the Kiwis particularly, as he has scored 217 runs in 3 innings against them, including a century.

Suryakumar Yadav: The World has been in awe of the gameplay of the Mumbai lad.
‘SKY’ has proved himself as a T20 batsman time and again. However, it’s time for him to make an impact in a slightly longer format of the game. All eyes would be on the man, expecting him to make us all go insane once again with his out of the world batting style.

Devon Conway: Conway has proved himself as a three format player with his incredible consistency in all the formats. The big man knows how to build the innings and accelerate just at the right time. New Zealand would depend a lot on Conway and expect him to do something extraordinary yet again for defeating a pumped up Indian side.

Tim Southee: Tim has been the main man for the Kiwis for years , and with the exclusion of Boult from the side, there is an increased responsibility on him as a senior member of the squad and the leader of the bowling unit.

Southee also has the opportunity of becoming the 4th Kiwi pacer and only the 2nd active pacer to pick up 200 ODI wickets, as he currently stands at a tally of 199.

Interesting Matchups

Kane Williamson vs Yuzvendra Chahal: 76 runs in 105 balls, 4 dismissals.

Devon Conway vs Kuldeep Yadav: 37 runs in 11 balls (In the IPL).

Shikhar Dhawan vs Matt Henry: 13 runs in 21 balls, 1 dismissal

Shubman Gill vs Matt Henry: 13 runs in 17 balls, 1 dismissal

Dream11 Team for NZ vs IND 1st ODI

Note: For our Final Team, Join our Telegram Channel Clan For Gamers

Match Prediction

We expect New Zealand to make a comeback and defeat India in the first encounter of the series.

India’s All Time ODI XI

Lakshya Agrawal

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November 18, 2022

8

It was more than 48 Years ago when India played its first ever One-Day International game. To date, India has played the most no. of ODI matches for any team ( 1014 ) and has also lifted the most glorious trophy in Cricket twice.

India has been one of the most dominating teams in ODI cricket lately. In the last decade, the team won 149 games in the format at a win rate of 66.11%, which happens to be the highest among full member nations.

From Sunil Gavaskar to Jasprit Bumrah, India has seen numerous cricketing legends. Let’s have a look at the 11 names which, in our opinion, shall be a part of India’s All Time ODI XI.

So let us begin with the XI.

Sachin Tendulkar

Every person who has lived in India in the last few decades must have heard the name “Sachin Tendulkar”. Such has been the legacy of the great man.

When most of us were bothered to complete our Social science assignment, a 16-year-old Sachin was bothered about facing a ruthless Wasim Akram and a fiery Waqar Younis in front of thousands of people in Karachi.

Although Sachin made his ODI debut in 1989, his first century in the format came much later, in 1994, against Australia. And Oh God, no one would have believed that this century would be followed by 48 more in the particular format only.

In ODI cricket, Sachin Tendulkar piled over 18000 Runs, a number far from reaching even 10 years after his retirement. His tally of 62 MOM awards is also second to none.

Matches-463
Runs-18426
Average-44.83
Strike Rate-86.24
100s/50s-49/96
Wickets-154

These numbers are absolutely incredible. But his contribution to the Indian cricket team has been astronomical, even if you leave out the numbers. He has inspired a generation of Indian cricketers, from MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

From winning the Man of the Tournament in a world cup to becoming the first double centurion in the format, his records are innumerable. Even his inclusion into the All Time ODI XI is beyond doubt.

Career Highlight: Winning the Cricket World cup as India’s leading run-scorer.

Rohit Sharma

No Indian opener ever probably was as good as Rohit Sharma in the period he has played.

Popularly known by apt nicknames such as ‘Mumbai cha raja’ and ‘Hitman’, the 35-year-old, owing to his ability and habit of scoring daddy hundreds and seldomly double ‘hundreds’, is arguably the biggest run-away match winner of the ICT and this format has ever seen.

As an opener, the stalwart has won 18 MOTM awards in just 147 innings, hailing him with one of the best MOTM Ratios in the history of ODI cricket. Let alone being the second-best ODI opener in Indian History, Rohit Sharma is also among the best ODI Openers of All Time.

Innings-226
Runs-9376
Average-48.6
Strike Rate-89.2
50s/100s/200s-45/27/3

Highlight(s) of his career: 264* and 208 vs SL, 209* vs AUS and 5 centuries in a single WC edition – all unprecedented feats

Virat Kohli

A total of 247 cricketers have represented India in One-day Internationals, but Cap no. 175 is a particularly special one. Virat Kohli is one in a billion. An absolute maniac with a never-ending hunger to be the best ever.

To chase off 321 in an ODI game with 13.4 overs to spare sounds quite unrealistic. But not for the 23-year-old passionate Delhi boy. This was the time when everyone knew that he was the next big name in world cricket. But, Oh Lord, we never knew that he’d go on to become the greatest batsman to have played ODI cricket ever.

When we say that he is the greatest ODI batsman of all time, we have sufficient backing with Statistics. Let’s have a look.

Innings – 253
Runs – 12344
Average – 57.68
Strike Rate – 92.84
100s/50s – 43/64

Needless to say, Virat Kohli makes his way into any ODI Side in the world as the No.3 batsman.

Career Highlight: 183 vs Pakistan in Asia Cup (2012)

Mohammad Azharuddin

At no 4 comes the big man from Hyderabad. One of the finest middle-order batsmen ever produced. Probably had the best wrists ever in the history of the sport. He was one of the most stylish, flamboyant batsmen, renowned for his magical wrists with whom he used to play those flicks that were 2nd to none.

Azhar broke Desmond Haynes’ record to become the highest run scorer in ODIs and became the 1st cricketer to cross 9000 runs; he remained the leading run scorer until Sachin broke it the same year Azhar played his last ODI match.

He was the main man for India in the 80s and early 90s until a superhuman named Sachin arrived on the scene.

Innings-308
Runs-9378
Average-36.9
Strike Rate-74.0
100s/50s-7/58

Azhar had some of the great knocks, one of which reads as 108 of 65 vs New Zealand chasing 279, coming at 50/3. A 100 of 62 balls was the fastest by any Indian until Sehwag bettered it after 20 years of this brutal massacre.

Whenever there are arguments about all-time Indian greats in the format, Mohammad Azharuddin’s name is almost certain to be discussed. But Azhar failed as a cricketer when, in 2000, he was found to be involved in a match-fixing scandal, which shattered millions of Indians, for whom Cricket was much more than a sport that could be sold for substance.

Keeping aside morality, Azhar finds a place in our all-time ODI XI due to his invaluable contributions to Indian Cricket during his time.

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh is the hero India most needed. A magnificent batter, a handy bowler and an incredible fielder. This guy was an outright match-winner.

His dedication to Indian Cricket is unparalleled. We are all familiar with what happened during the 2011 World Cup.

An All-rounder like Yuvraj has a huge impact on the game. He has won 27 Man of the Match awards in 304 games, a clear indication of his match-winning abilities.

Matches-304
Runs-8701
Batting Average-36.56
Batting Strike Rate-87.68
100s/50s-14/52
Wickets-111

The aforementioned numbers themselves are good enough for him to find a place in the All-Time ODI Xi of India. However, His contributions in the 2011 World Cup Win for India adds a lot of weight to these statistics.

Career Highlight: Match winning 57* vs Australia in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup.

MS Dhoni (WK) (Captain)

A flamboyant boy from a small town took the world by storm with a 148 in his fifth ODI Inning. Little did we know that the young lad would go down as one of the greatest players in the history of ODI Cricket.

We are all familiar with the incredible wicketkeeping skills of Dhoni- the wicketkeeper and match-winning tactics of Dhoni the Captain. But Dhoni, the batsman in ODI, has been just as good, if not better.

Ms Dhoni is one of the only two batsmen in One-Day internationals to have scored 10000 runs at an average of above 50. Not only that, the RPI (Runs per Inning) for the middle order batsman stands at an amusing 36.27.

Matches-350
Innings-297
Runs-10773
Average-50.58
Strike Rate-87.56
100s/50s-10/73
Catches/Stumpings-321/123

These numbers are good enough to be ranked as a Top 10 all-time ODI batter.

A multidimensional cricketer like Mahendra Singh Dhoni adds tremendous value to any side of the world.

To pick him as the wicketkeeper & captain of India’s All Time ODI XI is a no-brainer.

Career Highlight: 91* against Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup Final

Kapil Dev

A 19-year-old tall and confident lad with curly hair walked into the Indian side in 1978. His charm was undeniable. He possessed every trait ever required to lead a side with utmost dignity and pride.

Kapil was announced as the Indian Captain just before the unforgettable 1983 World Cup. We have all heard stories about that unbelievable campaign.

He was arguably the greatest all-rounder that the nation has ever produced. A proper match-winner in all the 3 aspects of the game. Striked at 95.07, which is humongous considering those days when batsmen struggled, having 60-70 as their strike rate.

His lethal swing bowling will be an asset to the team as his 253-wicket tally remains as one of the highest in the list even after 25 years of retirement, which tells his greatness. In addition to his swing bowling and assaulting batting, Kapil was likewise a splendid fielder. With him at number seven in this team, the batting looks more than solid.

Matches-225
Runs-3783
Batting Average-23.80
Strike Rate-95.07
100s/50s1/14
Wickets-253
Bowling Average-27.45
Economy-3.71

Kapil ended his career with just one hundred, but that one hundred is probably one of the biggest reasons that every Indian child has once dreamt of becoming a cricketer. Coming in at 17-5 in a must-win game against Zimbabwe, Kapil Dev unleashed something inhuman, something which was too good to be captured in frames. Those 175 runs were a display of resilience, grit, determination and a hunger to do something for the nation.

His place in India’s All-Time ODI XI can not be questioned.

Career highlight: 1983 World Cup performances with both bat and ball

Anil Kumble

As of now, the tall off-spinner from Karnataka stands as the highest wicket-taker for India in this format. His test feats often overshadow his ODI feats even when he still has 337 wickets in this format shows the volume of success he has achieved throughout his career.
The go-to man for any of the captains whenever they searched for wickets. Kumble remains the only Indian bowler to this date to pick up more than 60 wickets in ODI in a calendar year.

Anil Kumble hardly turned the ball. His strength was his accuracy and the subtle variations which he developed over the years as an international cricketer. At times, he was even jokingly dubbed the quickest Indian bowler after Javagal Srinath. A true maestro of variations not as gifted as someone like Shane Warne, he worked on his strength instead of focusing on the skill he was not the best in.

Innings-265
Wickets-337
Average-30.89
Strike Rate-43
Economy-4.31

The numbers are great, but his impact is greater not just as a bowler but as a senior leader. The spinner inspired the generations in our nation. One of the greatest figures in Indian cricket history and among the most clever bowlers of all time.

Career highlight: Those early years from 1993-96 when he was at his peak powers it was all high in his career with many great spells. One of them reads as 6/12 vs Windies in 1993

Jagaval Srinath

Pure pace. Those proper inswingers, ahh! One of the finest fast bowlers to represent India at the international level, Srinath could have achieved much more if not for his injuries during his prime days. One of the very few threatening pacers India ever produced.

Srinath had an unparalleled ability among his peers to generate extreme pace and bounce from any surface. He had the humongous task of filling the voids in the Indian pace attack after the great Kapil Dev retired, and he did that task in a commendable way.

Having announced his retirement in 2002, he was still persuaded by the captain Sourav Ganguly to continue in ODI at least till the Wc. He repaid it all until the World Cup final, including the 18 wickets series vs New Zealand, which remains the record no. of wickets in a bilateral series by a pacer.

What happened in the World Cup was sad, really sad. He lost his nerves and ended up conceding 87 in 10 overs courtesy of the masterclass of the genius Ricky Ponting. Not a great end, but still remains the highest wicket-taker among pacers for India. One of the underrated servants of Indian Cricket.

Innings-227
Wickets-315
Average-28.08
Strike Rate-37.8
Economy-4.45

Those were great numbers, but what made them even better were his numbers against the best in the world. Srinath revelled when playing against the best in the world: he averaged 23.68 against England, 20.41 against New Zealand and 27.74 against the West Indies. Mighty incredible, if you take most of it, came in dust bowls.

Mohammed Shami

A Right Arm Fast bowler pacing with an incredible consistency in line and length, capable of getting a breakthrough for his team whenever required. India knew they had found an extraordinary fast bowler when Shami took five consecutive three-wicket hauls in 2013-14 against South Africa and New Zealand.

Shami’s playing just 82 One-Day international games might leave many people wondering how he finds a place in India’s All Time ODI XI. Let us dig into his statistics to find out.

Innings-81
Wickets-152
Average-25.72
Strike Rate-27.55
Economy-5.6

His bowling average is the second-best for any Indian, while his bowling strike rate is not only the best for any Indian but also the third-best for any fast bowler across the world. (Criteria – Minimum 100 wickets)

In addition to the above:

Shami was India’s second-highest wicket-taker after Umesh Yadav in the 2015 World cup, bagging 17 wickets in just 7 games.
In the 2019 World cup, Shami played just 4 games and ended up picking 14 wickets at a mind-boggling strike rate of 15.00.

Though the speedster has quite some years of Cricket left in him, His records are good enough to find a place in India’s All Time ODI XI.

Career Highlight: Hattrick in The World cup 2019 against Afghanistan.

Zaheer Khan

Zaheer Khan is arguably the greatest fast bowler in ODI cricket that India has ever produced. The left-arm pacer became a household name in the 2000s with his exceptional performances with the ball.

The impact that Zaheer had on the Indian bowling unit is unmatched. Statistically, someone like Ajit Agarkar might seem slightly better but if we look at the bigger picture, It has always been Zaheer in need of the hour.

Innings-197
Wickets-282
Average-29.44
Strike Rate-35.8
Economy-4.93

Khan was India’s leading wicket-taker for India in all three editions of the World cup in which he featured, namely 2003,07,11. This itself is quite suggestive of his invaluable contributions to Indian Cricket.

Career Highlight: Winning the 2011 World cup and finishing as India’s leading wicket-taker.

12th Man: Virender Sehwag

If there is something that comes the closest to describing the word ‘fearless’, it is Virender Sehwag.

The bowler would put in all his efforts, pacing through to deliver the first ball of the innings and a Nonchalant and audacious Sehwag would cut it away for four without a second thought in his head.

His batting style and approach never failed to impress. The opener struck at a massive 104.34, in an era when a strike rate of 85 was considered impressive for openers.

Sehwag scored 8273 ODI runs at a decent average of 35.06, including 15 tons and a double century.

To not pick Sehwag in India’s All Time ODI XI was a tough call, but the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma made it easier, as there is no doubt about them being the openers of the squad.

Thus, the ‘Najafgarh ka Nawab’ finds a place in our squad as the 12th man.

A few other names which deserve a special mention in this squad are Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, and Shikhar Dhawan.

So India’s All Time ODI XI is

Sachin Tendulkar
Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli
Mohammad Azharuddin
Yuvraj Singh
MS Dhoni (WK) (C)
Kapil Dev
Anil Kumble
Javagal Srinath
Mohammed Shami
Zaheer Khan

12th Man: Virender Sehwag

Extras: Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar and Shikhar Dhawan

Ken Barrington: Greatest Ozymandias of World Cricket

Players Career

Sidharth Basu

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November 15, 2022

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Ken Barrington: Greatest Ozymandias of World Cricket

When it comes to debating about the best test batter of the 60s, Sobers is usually the unanimous winner. His free-flowing, traditional calypso style of aggressive batting made him a fan favourite, and he is rated as one of the greatest batsmen of all time (quite rightly so). Well, but who’s second?

For starters, there is Garry’s teammate Rohan Kanhai, a guileful wicketkeeper-batsman. Neil Harvey, the charismatic enigma who carried on the Aussie tradition of producing world-class batsmen. There was the Phenomenal Graeme Pollock from South Africa, the Aussie Opening duo of Simpson-Lawry, and a couple of Englishmen, in the form of John Edrich, Geoff Boycott etc. Yet, amidst this elite group of men, a man from Reading, England, often does not get the appreciation he deserves.

Ken Barrington was born on 24th November 1930 to Percy and Winifred Barrington. Born amidst the Great Depression, Kenneth had an austere childhood, and his family’s army background ensured that young Ken led a disciplined life. However, his father, Percy, was an astute cricket enthusiast, having played for the regimental cricket team and taught all his children about the game.

A 15-year-old Barrington would join the Reading Cricket Club as Assistant Groundsman. A superior of his would ironically remark that Ken would never make a living in cricket. It was during this period that ex-English and Surrey cricketer Andy Sandham would scout him for Surrey.

Ken started as a leg spinner, having picked up the art at the RCC; however, Sandham felt he lacked the “accuracy” for a leggie, and moreover, Surrey already boasted both the premier spinners of the country, Tony Lock and Jim Laker. Thus Ken was suggested to concentrate more on his batting.

Barrington would take years to solidify his place in the star-studded Surrey side, finally getting his debut in 1953. Even then, it was not smooth sailing, as Barrington’s inconsistent performances meant he could never make himself stand out amongst the Greatest Surrey side of all time.

It was in 1958 that, upon advice from Alec Bedser and Jim Laker that Barrington would forgo his natural off-side dominant, attacking gameplay for a more rigid, leg-side-based defensive style. As one of the sports columns at that time would put it:

He has set out to eliminate fun from his game and replace it with something very near impregnability

This change in attitude would do wonders for him, with his average shooting up from 28.93 in the 1958 season to 58.61 in 1959. Barrington made his debut in 1955 for England, replacing injured Colin Cowdery. However, Ken would be unable to impress in his debut, and after only 2 matches, he would be dropped.

Barrington would have to wait for 4 more years to have another go at international cricket, and this time he wouldn’t disappoint. In his comeback series, Barrington would top score with 357 runs from 6 innings at an average of 59.50. From here on, there was no looking back, with Ken playing 82 of the 95 matches that England played between 4th June 1959(Ken’s 3rd match) and 25th July 1968(Ken’s last game).

His career would end on a sad note. On 12th October 1968, Ken suffered a heart attack and was admitted to Prince Henry’s Hospital. Here he was advised to cut out on smoking and do away with the mental load that cricket bought along with it. So, after careful reflection, Barrington announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 16th January 1969.

Statistics may not be the perfect indicator for the future but are the best possible way to gauge a player of the past.

Barrington in First-Class Cricket

Barrington didn’t have First Class numbers which would put him in the bracket of all-time greats. 31,714 runs from 533 games at an average of 45.6 are outstanding numbers but fall short of fellow batting greats of that time, such as Peter May(51.0) and Bob Cowper(53.8).

Records for Ken in Surrey don’t match up with Ken, the English Batsman in England.
For Surrey, Barrington amassed 19,197 runs at an average of 41.28, whereas, In international games, his average in England shot up to 50.71.

The reason for this anomalous record of Ken is his rather dull start to his first-class career. In his first 6 years at the Club, Barrington scored 6,318 runs from 147 games at a measly average of 33.25. After his transformation in 1959, Barrington’s contribution to Surrey was 12,879 runs from 215 matches at an average of 46.83.

With all factors considered, Ken Barrington is an all-time great for Surrey. Barrington has the 10th most runs for the Lions and was a vital cog of the Greatest Surrey Side ever, winning 7 consecutive 1st division championships in the 1950s.

Ken Barrington in International Cricket

International Cricket has always been viewed as the ultimate test, and Barrington’s record for the English National Team is simply bodacious.

82 international games, 6,806 runs, 20 centuries, and the best score of 256, all at a staggering average of 58.67! Only Steve Smith and Bradman have more test runs at a better average.
3,459 runs, 14 hundreds from 36 games at an outrageous average of 69.18! No one has scored more runs away from home at a better average, and only Don has a better average away from home than Barrington (min. 1000 runs).
Ken has a difference of +18.47 between his away and home average, only behind Mark Butcher(+20.10) and Mohinder Amarnath(+21.42) (minimum 3000 runs). The lowest Barrington’s average went in a country was the West Indies, where he averaged a solid 44.25.
Barrington started as an opener but was moved down the middle order under his Surrey captain, Stuart Sturridge. However, Barrington showed versatility throughout his career in the context of his ability to move up and down the middle order. Barrington played nearly equal amounts of matches at positions 3,4 and 5 and performed well at all of them, with 1 down being his favourite position, averaging 77.24 over here.
He was equally effective against all opponents. Of the 7 national teams that he played against, only West Indies troubled him, with Ken averaging 34.73 against the likes of Wes Hall, Lance Gibbs and Garry Sobers.
Ken’s performance particularly influenced his team’s performance. Of his 20 hundreds, only 1 came in a losing cause. His average when England won was an astounding 64.42, which fell by a stupendous amount of 33.92 during the games England lost.
Barrington finds himself at number 20 on the list of the highest career percentage of team runs(16.49%).

Ken Barrington vs Garry Sobers

I started my article with a paragraph on Sir Garry Sobers and how highly he is revered as a batsman among cricket lovers(and rightly so). Well, let’s have a comparison between Barrington and Sobers:

Suppose these graphs are presented to someone without revealing the players’ names. In that case, one is likely to conclude Barrington to be superior, or at the very least, they will be interested in a further detailed comparison. However, 50 years after both these men graced the field, one is regarded as the greatest left-handed batsman ever, while the other finds it hard to get a spot in the all-time England Test XI.

What could be the reason for such a discrepancy? Well, to start off, there’s the fact that Sobers outperformed Barrington in County Cricket. Despite joining Nottinghamshire at the fag end of his career, Sobers was simply sensational, almost single-handedly restoring the old glory of the team. Thus English Fans are likely to have fonder memories of Sobers compared to Ken (ironic, right!).

But eventually, the primary factor which has caused such a big gap between the legacies of both batters is their approach to the game. Garry Sobers personified the aggressive brand of cricket that is associated with the West Indies. Though not a natural slogger, Sober’s innings’ have been described to be elegant displays of free strokeplay, with the ability to play for greater durations of time with a constant ferocious intensity.

Ken Barrington was pretty much the exact opposite. Stout-hearted, persistent and committed are some adjectives that best describe Barrington as a batsman. Barrington started in the early 1950s, a decade considered to be one of the most challenging for batsmen. Thus one of the popular strategies among teams of that time was of batsmen going hard at the bowlers and scoring at a brisk rate. Therefore as a consequence of the era, Ken started off as an elegant stroke-maker.

Transition in Barrington’s Career

All that glitters is not gold

The above phrase best describes Barrington’s initial years, as the young 23-year-old would get off to flashy starts but could not sustain them into longer and bigger knocks. For the first 6 years of his professional career, Barrington struggled to deliver consistently; as a result, Barrington played only 2 tests in this period.

However, all of this would change in the summer of 59. Upon advice from senior Surrey players, especially Jim Laker, Barrington would instil a 180° turn in his batting approach. Sweeps, Pulls, and Leg Glances were introduced into the batting armoury. Bland leaves now replaced flashy cover drives.

The backlift was made smaller, and an obstinate aim was ingrained, “score runs”—the player who once was always searching for runs now laid “dormant” in the crease. Barrington’s poor running ability only amplified this “negative” approach to the game. However, the outcome of this change proved to be negative only for the opponents. From 1959 to 1968(his retirement), Barrington would score 24,354 runs at an average of 51.16 across all first-class games.

Ken’s performances and jovial nature meant he became a fan favourite across the globe, especially in countries like India and Australia, but he did have his share of critics, no more than in England itself. After a scrupulous 7-hour-long 137-run knock against a relatively weak New Zealand side in 1965, Barrington was dropped for the next match at Lords, becoming one of the few batsmen in cricket history to be dropped after scoring a century. No batsman scored a century other than Barrington in the match, and he would return with a 163 in the 3rd match of the series.

Ken’s slow-paced approach should not be seen as his inability to play an attacking brand of cricket. Against his favourite opponent Australia, Barrington would score a 115-ball century in 1966, taking on the bowlers when England needed quick runs.

Of the many adjectives and names, “team player” best describes Barrington. It’s true that only 8 of Barrington’s 20 test centuries resulted in England wins, but 11 of them came in draws, mostly in situations where England found themselves in a spot of bother. This statement is backed by the fact that the 1960s was the decade where England enjoyed their best ever Win/Loss ratio(barring the 1910s), the decade where Barrington was an integral part of the squad.

Barrington’s Battle with Mental Fatigue

In recent times, the aspect of the mental health of cricketers has been a hot topic among the cricket fraternity, with global superstars such as Ben Stokes and Glenn Maxwell opting for some time away from the game to look after their mental well-being. Barrington tried to do a similar thing in the 60s. Barrington would publish “Playing it Straight” in 1966, chronicling his peak and the mental fatigue he experienced during this period. Unfortunately, Ken’s efforts would go underappreciated, and currently, the book is very much forgotten.

The incident which was a major driving force behind Ken’s condition was his run-in with Charlie Griffith in the 1966 tour of the West Indies in England. Griffith was already accused of chucking by the Australians previously, and Ken seemed to agree with them on this.

Ken never liked playing against the Windies, given his rather average record against them and felt he need not fight a battle against an opponent who fought unfairly. This caused a falling out between him and the West Indian team. The series was a horror for both England and Barrington, as West Indies won the series 3-1, with Barrington scoring just 59 runs in 2 matches and opting out of the series ahead of the 3rd match, citing health issues. However, for the fighter he was, Barrington would return in the next series and again be among the top scorers.

England would tour the Caribbean beaches in 1967. Barrington calling out Griffith was still fresh among the West Indian fans, and Ken would be showered with chants such as “Charlie’s waiting for you man. He’ll kill you” in the warm-up matches. Coupled with a poor run, Barrington was so upset that he told his wife he would never tour again. But Ken fought on and played all 5 matches of the tour. Though far from the series’ best player, Barrington contributed significantly to England’s success. Scoring 288 runs at an average of 41.14 and picked up 5 crucial wickets, including a 143-run knock in the first match.

Given the incidents prior to the match, the sight of a 37-year-old Barrington, a man beaten down by the cruel nature of cricket at the highest level, a man who had always struggled against the Windies, a man who had been on the receiving end of death threats, a man unbeknownst to the fact that this will be his penultimate series, dancing down the tracks to hit Lance Gibbs for a massive six to bring up his 20th test century, must be one of the most spectacular scenes in Test history. , once remarked that:

“Whenever I saw Ken coming to the wicket I thought a Union Jack was trailing behind him.”
Wally Grout, the Australian wicket-keeper

Ken Barrington was a professional through and through. He always fought for the team, never backed down from challenges, and was a batsman whose career rightfully calls out for the tag of an All-Time Great.
But his style ensures that words like selfish, dull, boring, etc., will be associated with him forever.

Tragic, isn’t it?

ENG vs PAK: Match Preview and Dream11 Team for Final of T20 WC 2022

Krishna Agarwal

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November 10, 2022

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ENG vs PAK: Match Preview and Dream11 Team for Final of T20 WC 2022

Now that we have come so far in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, it’s finally time that a competitive clash between Pakistan and England will decide T20 cricket’s new world champions

Pakistan and England have collided against each other 28 times in T20Is out of which England has won 18 times while Pakistan has managed to win 9 times and one match ended with no result.

Both the teams have faced each other twice in the T20 World cups and England has emerged victorious on both occasions.

Broadcasting Details: Star Sports network will broadcast live coverage of the match in India on television and digital platform Disney+ Hotstar (app, website)

Date and Time: 13th November, Sunday 1:30 pm IST / 8:00 am GMT / 7:00 pm Local

ENG vs PAK Team Previews

England

England was in group A in the Super 12 stage. Initially, their campaign didn’t go the way they would have wanted as they lost their second match to neighbours Ireland (upset). Their game against Australia which was probably a decider match for the semi-final spot ended as a washout.

But the Englishmen still went on beating the Kiwis and Lankans in two back-to-back clashes to qualify for the semis. And now they thrashed the tournament favourites India in the semis and that too in a one-sided victory.

Chasing 169, Hales (who scored 86 off 47) and Buttler (80 off 49) produced the greatest opening partnership in England’s T20 history. They never gave Indian bowlers a single chance to come back in the game and kept thrashing them throughout the inning.

Pakistan

From having the worst start in the tournament among all the top teams to qualifying for the finals of this year’s T20 World Cup, Pakistan has turned the tables and made a very astonishing comeback. Their journey to the final of this edition of the T20 World Cup is one scripted in heaven.

The Men in Green started their campaign with two last-ball edge-of-the-seat thrillers and both of them were snatched away by the opponents. Firstly a hope-shattering defeat against India in which victory was snatched away from their jaws. In the very next match, Zimbabwe defeated them by 1 run, again in a last-ball entertainer.

They were on the brink of elimination but never gave up and now destiny has brought them where nobody believed they could have reached. Pakistan also capitalised on this opportunity by playing their best game against the Kiwis in the semi-final and emerged victorious.

Pitch Report

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has hosted a total of 18 games so far in the T20I format.

7 out of these have been won by the team batting first and 10 times the chasing team emerged victorious while one match ended with no result.

MCG is considered to be one of the most competitive surfaces in the world. It offers a fine balance between bat and ball. While the bowlers get some assistance early on with mostly genuine bounce, as it gets old, the batsmen can play their strokes freely. However, generally, the spinners do not get much help at the MCG.

Moreover, three matches of the T20 World Cup held here ended as washouts and there are heavy chances of rain in the final as well both on the match and reserve days.

Probable Playing XIs

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Babar Azam (C), Shan Masood, Mohammed Haris, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

England: Jos Buttler (C)(WK), Alex Hales, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid

Players to Watch Out For/Must Have Dream11 Picks

Mohammad Rizwan

Rizwan had a very poor form in the initial stages of this world cup. He scored 4 and 14 in his first two games against India and Zimbabwe and kept struggling.

The wicketkeeper-batsman scored some runs against the Netherlands but again failed for two consecutive matches and had little to no role in Pakistan’s qualification for the playoffs.

But now when needed the most, Rizwan played his finest knock in the T20 World Cup scoring 57 off 43 balls against New Zealand and also emerged as the man of the match.

He has found his form back when it really matters and will play a crucial role in giving a good start to Pakistan in the finals.

Shadab Khan

The Pakistani all-rounder has been the MVP for his team in this edition of the T20 World Cup. He has contributed through all three departments and is actually what we call a ‘3D Player’.

Shadab has taken 10 wickets in 6 matches at a bowling average of 14.5 so far in this edition and has been extremely economical giving away runs at just 6.59 economy. He also scored 52 off 22 against South Africa and helped his team clinch the victory in a do-or-die match

Jos Buttler

The English captain did not have a desirable start to his campaign as he scored a run-a-ball 18 against Afghanistan in the very first match and then a duck against Ireland. But he found his way back in the third match where he scored 73 off 47 against the Kiwis and led his team to victory.

Buttler is one of the most destructive batsmen in this format. He has the ability to hit the ball all over the ground, from the very start and makes good use of powerplay.

In the semi-final game against India as well, he scored an unbeaten 80 off 49 balls and made the chase look like a cakewalk along with his fellow opening partner Alex Hales.

Alex Hales

Hales has been the most successful batter of the English side in this edition of the T20 World cup. He is the only third batsman to cross the 200 runs mark in the Super 12 stage of this edition.

Alex played a major role in victories against New Zealand and Sri Lanka and now against India where he and Buttler set up a 170-run opening stand and chased the target in just 16 overs. He has scored 211 runs in this tournament at an average of 52.8 and a strike rate of 148.6

Key Matchups for ENG vs PAK

Babar Azam vs Adil Rashid: 77 runs 61 balls 126.2 SR 3 outs
Mohammad Rizwan vs Chris Jordan: 70 runs 42 balls 166.66 SR 1 out
Mohammad Rizwan vs Adil Rashid: 87 runs 60 balls 145 SR 2 outs
Shan Masood vs Adil Rashid: 46 runs 29 balls 158.6 SR 1 out.
Shan Masood vs Chris Jordan: 10 runs 14 balls 71.4 SR 1 out
Jos Buttler vs Shadab Khan: 21 runs 21 balls 100 SR 2 outs
Alex Hales vs Haris Rauf: 26 runs 28 balls 92.85 SR 2 outs
Phil Salt vs Mohammad Nawaz: 73 runs 43 balls 169.8 SR 1 out
Phil Salt vs Haris Rauf: 18 runs 15 balls 120 SR 2 outs
Liam Livingstone vs Haris Rauf: 51 runs 19 balls 268.42 SR 0 outs
Liam Livingstone vs Shadab Khan: 90 runs 64 balls 140.6 SR 3 outs

ENG vs PAK Dream11 Team

Note: For Final Team (After Toss), You can Join our Telegram Channel Clan For Gamers

Match Prediction

Pakistan has very good momentum and their openers have also come back to form so we think now they have an upper hand over England and are the favourites to win the Final.

Shaheen Afridi might be the top performer in this encounter

IND vs ENG: Match Details, Pitch Report and Dream11 Team for Semifinal 2 of T20 WC 2022

Prabal Sharma

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November 8, 2022

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IND vs ENG: Match Details, Pitch Report and Dream11 Team for Semifinal 2 of T20 WC 2022

After the exciting finish of the Super 12 stage, we are here for knockouts of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. South Africa was upset by the Netherlands and was disqualified whereas Pakistan, who was termed as eliminated after a loss in the first 2 games qualified for Semifinals.

Semifinal 1: New Zealand vs Pakistan
Semifinal 2: India vs England

Winners of both the Semifinals would meet at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne on 13th November to decide the winners of this tournament.

Here we would cover Semifinal 2 in detail and a fantasy team would be provided at the end.

Date and Time: 10 November, Thursday, 1:30 PM IST/8:00 AM GMT/6:30 PM Local

Streaming Platforms: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar app and website.

Team Previews

India

Last ball win vs Pakistan (thanks to Virat’s masterclass), lost against South Africa and again a close win in a rain-affected match against Bangladesh with 2 easy wins against Netherlands and Zimbabwe. India started this tournament as tournament favourites and performed well but surely not the best.

Fast Bowling has been the exceptional strength of India, with the combined efforts of Virat and Surya in batting. KL Rahul has found his form in the last 2 matches and Hardik played a vital role in 1st match by building a partnership with Virat.

Captain Rohit Sharma has looked good in bowling rotations and overall captaincy department so far, but his batting is the primary concern for Team India. He has scored just 1 50+ score against the Netherlands (was struggling a bit in that match even). Rohit would look to perform well with the bat in Semifinal and help his team reach the finals of the T20 World Cup after a gap of long 8 years.

England

England started the tournament with a win against Afghanistan followed by an upset against Ireland and a washout with Australia. They regained their form by defeating New Zealand and needed to defeat Sri Lanka in the last match. Started well in the last match chase of 142, and found themselves in trouble in the middle overs but were capable enough to finish the match with 2 balls left.

England’s bowling in the death has been on the top in this World Cup. Sam Curran and Mark Wood are their best bowlers so far. In the batting department, only Hales and Captain Buttler have scored 100+ runs (125 and 119 respectively).

Ex-Champions(2010) reached the finals last in 2016 and would look to play the final at the MCG, so they can win this tournament after 12 long years.

Pitch Report/Venue Report

The match would be played at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide.

Total Matches Played-11
Matches Won Batting First-7
Matches Won Batting Second-4
Average First Innings Score-168

Before the World Cup, the average first Innings score on this ground was 182 (in 5 matches), it has dropped by a good margin which shows this is not the ideal batting ground anymore (benefits bowlers too). 170+ in the first innings would be a good score.

Probable Playing XI

India– Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

England– Jos Buttler (C)(WK), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Players To Watch Out For

Virat Kohli

“Main player performs when needed the most”. He was not in his top form before Asia Cup, but found touch in that tournament and also scored his 71st international century against Afghanistan.

Virat is the fastest and only second player to score 1000 runs in World Cup(highest run-getter too). India won four games in this world cup and he was the highest scorer in three of them (82*, 62*, 64*) also his ability to finish matches is second to none. Virat is also the highest run scorer in Super 12 matches.

In October month, he scored 295 runs at a whooping average of 147.50. In Adelaide, Virat has scored 154 runs in 2 innings and is yet to be dismissed.

Arshdeep Singh

“From not being even in Indian 11 for the first half of this year to bowling the final over against Bangladesh before the likes of Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep has come a long way”.

His World Cup journey started with taking the wicket of Babar Azam on the very first ball and Rizwan in the next over, which turned the match in India’s favour in 1st innings. 10 wickets in 5 matches and he is the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the Super 12 stage.

Sam Curran

Curran is in sublime form and the main bowler in the current England line-up. In all 4 matches in the World Cup, he was wicketless in none, took 2 wickets twice and a fifer in England’s opening match against Afghanistan.

In total, he is the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets. Mark Wood took 9 in the same matches and both would look to crumble the Indian batting line-up to strengthen their team’s chances of playing the final.

Top Performers For Both Teams(Since 01 October 2022)

Highest Run-scorer (India)

Virat Kohli: Matches-6 Runs-295 Average-147.50 Strike Rate-143.90
Suryakumar Yadav: Matches-7 Runs-294 Average-58.80 Strike Rate-204.16

Highest Wicket-taker (India)

Arshdeep Singh: Matches-6 Wickets-12 Average-16.91 Economy-9.22
Hardik Pandya: Matches-5 Wickets-8 Average-14.00 Economy-7.46

Highest Run-scorer(England)

Jos Buttler: Matches-7 Runs-269 Average-44.83 Strike Rate-152.84
Dawid Malan: Matches-8 Runs-241 Average-60.25 Strike Rate-130.27

Highest Wicket-taker(England)

Sam Curran: Matches-7 Wickets-16 Average-11.31 Economy-7.05
Mark Wood: Matches-6 Wickets-12 Average-11.83 Economy-7.88

IND vs ENG Dream11 Team

Note: For Final Team, Join our Telegram Channel: Clan For Gamers

Some Important Stats

Sam Curran against India has been mediocre. He has taken just 2 wickets in 7 matches.
Rohit(SR 143) and Surya(SR 195) are India’s best batsmen against England. Both have a century against them too.
Shami and Bhuvneshwar have maintained an economy of 6.11 and 5.40 in this World Cup.

Match Prediction

Toss would play an important factor in deciding the result.
Team Batting first would score 160+
Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler would score the most runs for their respective sides.

NZ vs PAK: Match Preview, Key Matchups and Dream11 Team for Semi-Final 1 of T20 WC 2022

Arjun

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November 7, 2022

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NZ vs PAK: Match Preview, Key Matchups and Dream11 Team for Semi-Final 1 of T20 WC 2022

New Zealand & Pakistan facing each other in 1st Semifinal is one of the few ways in which this T20 World cup resembles the ODI WC played in 1992. 30 years ago Pakistan outplayed Martin Crowe’s side in a very famous Semifinal.

Just like in 1992 this year too Pakistan has come out of nowhere to make its place in the Semifinals and will hope that the result remains the same as it did earlier.

Both teams are coming into Semifinals after a good win in their last league stage match but Pakistan carries more momentum as they’ve won their last 3 consecutive games but their captain’s form is a big issue for them.

Babar Azam has so far scored only 39 runs in 5 games with an SR of just 61!!. New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson too faced bad form at the start of this tournament but recovered well by scoring 61 off 35 against Ireland in the last league stage match.

When & Where: Match will start at 1.30 PM IST/ 7 PM local at Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia.

Broadcasting: The match can be viewed on Star Sports or Disney + Hotstar network in India & Fox cricket in Australia.

What to Expect

Sydney Cricket Ground proved to be a very high-scoring venue in the Super-12 stage. The average first Innings total at this venue was 179 & the team batting first won 5 out of 6 games. Spinners and new ball bowlers can play a huge role in this Semifinal & both teams will look to bat first after winning the toss.

Probable playing XIs

Pakistan:- Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Haris, Iftikar Ahmed, Shan Masood, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim jr, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.

New Zealand:- Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

Players to Watch Out For

Kane Williamson having the reputation of a big-match player will be key for New Zealand to win this game. He’s our player to watch out for in the Semifinal from the Kiwi Side.

Shadab Khan has picked up 10 wickets and also scored 78 runs in this edition of the WT20 till the end of group stages. Enough to conclude the fact that he is the best Pakistani player in this tournament so far & will look to continue this in Semifinal as well.

Key Matchups (In T20 internationals)

Babar Azam vs Trent Boult: 39 runs; 23 balls; 0 dismissalS

Babar Azam vs Tim Southee: 48 runs; 55 balls; 2 dismissals

Kane Williamson vs Shadab Khan: 67 runs; 65 balls; 2 dismissals

Devon Conway vs Haris Rauf: 29 runs; 27 balls; 4 dismissals

Mohammad Rizwan vs Trent Boult: 60 runs; 60 balls; 0 dismissals

Mohammad Rizwan vs Tim Southee: 45 runs; 45 balls; 2 dismissals.

Dream11 Team for NZ vs PAK/Semi-Final 1, T20 WC 2022

Note: To See our Final Team (after the toss), Join our Telegram Channel Clan For Gamers

Match Prediction

We Predict New Zealand to win this match and their captain (Kane Williamson) to play a crucial role in that victory.

SA vs NED: Team Previews, Pitch Report and Dream11 Team for Match 40 of T20 WC 2022

Arjun Gurudwan

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November 6, 2022

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SA vs NED: Team Previews, Pitch Report and Dream11 Team for Match 40 of T20 WC 2022

As we move towards the last day of the super 12, we will get to know about the final 2 semi-finalists ( NZ and ENG have qualified from Group 1) South Africa vs Netherlands, the must-win encounter for the proteas as they have lost their last match vs Pakistan, they will look to seal the contest comfortably. Proteas is too good for the contest tbh.

Match Time: 05:30 AM IST / 12:00 AM GMT / 10:30 AM LOCAL

Team Previews

South Africa

South Africa has been a force to reckon with in this WT20 as they have dominated every match they have played except the last Rain affected match. The Pace bowling of South Africa has been the key for them specially Lungi Ngidi and Nortje, Rabada has a Tournament to forget so far, and Maharaj/Parnell has a decent Tournament. They will look to seal the match easily as on paper south Africa looks comfortably ahead. But this WC maybe has been the most competitive T20 WC. Look for it.

Netherlands

Netherlands in their last match took zimbabwe by surprise by stopping them to 117 and chasing it down, probably we will call this an upset. The Dutch have played poor Cricket in this WC to be fair and just average at max tbh. Their bowling has been doing good but fielding and batting have disappointed them so far in the Tournament. They will look to Spoil the party of South Africans and proteas are also known for panicking in big pressure moments.

Pitch Report (Adelaide Oval)

Drop in pitch, fast track, initial movement for first 3 overs

Matches played – 9

Average score – 162

Matches won by batting 1st Team – 6

Matches won by batting 2nd Team – 3

Probable Playing XI

South Africa

Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller*, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

Note: (Miller was unfit in the last match)*

Netherlands

Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, Tom Cooper, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren, Brandon Glover

Key Players/Must-Have Dream11 Picks

Lungi Ngidi- He has been one the best performer for the proteas this WC. His variations have been good on these Aussie decks because of the fact that he is a “hit the deck bowler”, he gets good purchases from the surface. Ngidi has taken 7 wickets in this tournament so far.

Quinton de Cock- QDK has been good in this tournament but his last 2 outings have been mediocre as he has just managed to pull 1 run in his team’s last 2 contests against PAK and IND. He will look to assure the win of SA and perform in the KOs.

Max O’Dowd- Guy has been the 2nd highest run-getter of the Tournament with very fine knocks in the tournament. He will look to counter the extra pace and bounce of the SA pacers as he has some issues against the short stuff.

Paul van Meekeren- The best pacer of the Dutch, he has the rising ball as his main weapon, and he uses slower ones as well for deceiving the batters. He took 3 wickets in the last match to stop zimbabwe from reaching a good total. He will look to make his name as many will be watching the contest throughout the globe.

SA vs NED Dream11 Team

Note: For Final Team (after the toss), Join Our Telegram Channel Clan For Gamers

Match prediction

We Predict South Africa to win the contest and Lungi Ngidi to play the key role in that victory