The FlySlip

has been moved to new address

http://www.theflyslip.net

Sorry for inconvenience...

Fly Slip-Looking for lost balls...: The world needs a (leg spinning) hero

Sunday, October 26, 2008

The world needs a (leg spinning) hero

With Anil Kumbles career nose diving further than the stock market these days, it brings to an end a great era in modern day cricket.

For most of the mid 90's Kumble, Mushy and Warne mesmerised, tricked and spun their way to countless number of wickets.

Each had varying styles which made it an incredible spectacle for the watcher.So with Kumble's career ending it closes the chapter on the great leg spinners of the modern game.

Cricket needs spinners. Because they are rare.

Good ones are even more rare.

And Great leg spinners are those once in a life time types. So the cricket community have been incredibly lucky that we have had 3 of the greatest in the span of a decade.

As UncleJ rambles on, leg spinners are cool. They make cricket make more interesting. They tend to capture the imagination of the people watching it. They get you fixed to the tele to see what will come out of their hand next.

And don't deny it. Everyone loves to see a batsmen looking like their shat their pants when they don't read the googly and gets castled (Ricky Ponting v Chawla).

Or when they get bowled around the legs in the last over the day (Basit Ali v Warne).

The worrying factor now is though that since 1992, when Warne made his debut, we are yet to find a leggie of the same class. Many have come and gone but none have shown the class of the big 3.

The closest to the mantle was another Aussie in StuartMcgill. But he put an end to his chances when he consumed too many Bigmacs and drank too much wine when he got side lined by Warnes greatness.

Since there there have been many young upstarts. We've heard about Nice Bryce Mcgain, many times (too many times if you count Jrods antics!), but yet to see him at the highest level.

Sri Lanka themselves have tried to blood in a leggie and failed miserably. Malinga Bandara, Kaushal Lokuarrachhi lack the class.

The best bet right now is Amit Mishra and Piyush Chawla. Both have great potential and Mishra showed he has the class to keep the Aussies and young Chawla at bay while holding his own.

Personally I'm backing Mishra, he's cool. Seems like hes ready to get down and dirty.
Has potential to get the crazy-eyes if the time comes and did I mention he bowls well.

So there is some hope.

The world needs a leg spinning hero.

Someone we can always count on to make the batsmen look like utter fools

Someone who make batsmen wet their beds at night dreaming about picking them the next day.

Someone our kids can tell their grand kids about.

Labels: , , , , , ,

8 Comments:

Blogger Q said...

I think my wait is over:

http://www.wellpitched.com/2008/10/i-have-been-waiting-for-you-mishra.html

October 26, 2008 at 6:18 PM  
Blogger Gaurav Sethi said...

Good one!

sure Q. but the weight's still not off mishra.

I'd like you guys to read this (was in the Hindustan Times a few days back)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=Cricket&id=f0718b96-5b82-4bb1-8f09-db92bf3e5d1e&&IsCricket=true&Headline=Too+fat+for+Delhi%2c+too+good+for+Aussies

And this too

http://nakedcricket.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-am-not-my-twin.html

was at naked cricket before that.

Boy, a lotta links here.

October 27, 2008 at 3:00 AM  
Blogger Gaurav Sethi said...

Damith, gotta tell you man, that's one helluva cool drawing you have up there.

October 27, 2008 at 3:03 AM  
Blogger Q said...

Thats interesting NC. I didn't know Delhi had rejected him.

So how did he end up with the Daredevils in the IPL - Sehwag?

October 27, 2008 at 1:36 PM  
Blogger Gaurav Sethi said...

q - he was an easy buy.
Didn't play the first few games for 3D(dan vet was there then). Once in the XI, he helped win games. Still 3D excluded him in one of the later games. For some reason he wasn't always Sehwag's go-to-guy. At times, he was underbowled.

October 27, 2008 at 2:03 PM  
Blogger Sach said...

Well, a hero can wait, at least a decent leggie would do for me...

Splendid is something special, but a conventional leggie is still a treat to watch.

Has the last of the leg spinners stepped down?
Hope not...

October 28, 2008 at 9:50 AM  
Blogger Damith S. said...

g> Ya I read that. Mishra is my man too ! Lets see what he can do in this test

naked>Cheers for the links ! And yea the banner is quite smashing. A friend of my helped me with it. If you want I can put you through to him to get your own made :)

sach> lets see how mishra,chawla develops. im sure we can find at least one decent one in the next couple of years!

October 31, 2008 at 8:31 AM  
Blogger Q said...

Damith, its Q / q, not g :-)

October 31, 2008 at 5:48 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home