HERE THEY COME

There is no doubt that the ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest tournament in cricket. It is almost every player’s dream to play and win the biggest prize in cricket. The dream does not start when a player is picked into the team but right from the time he was a little boy supporting his team in the World Cup. I can imagine the feeling of the World Cup first timers. Playing the biggest tournament for their country first time, they would have more expectations of themselves than anybody else. A nervous feeling would accompany the hunger for success.

The best part about the World Cup is that it helps teams discover some players. Many times a World Cup helps to define a player’s career. This is most applicable for the first timers. The biggest stage is the biggest test for them. It is a test of their talent, technique and temperament. They have to handle something new as the ads for the world cup by ESPN say “The biggest disappointments and the greatest moments for a team happen on the biggest stage.”

The World Cup brings the best out of the first timers who shine in them. These players generally go on to become the biggest assets to their teams in the aftermath of the tournament. Today, I have picked up a list of World Cup first timers who I believe can become stars at the grand event starting ten days from today. There are a few players who are playing their first world cup but have already had a great impact so I haven’t included them.

1. Steve Smith (Australia): All but 21 years old and he has established himself in the Australia ODI team which is a thing in itself. He can bat according to the situation and bowls leg breaks that can be really useful in the subcontinent. Initially picked for his bowling, he has developed into a more than a useful batsman. His success in the ODI format led him to be picked for three ashes test matches as a replacement for Marcus North.

2. Virat Kohli(India): Most of my readers would know about Virat Kohli. His performances in South Africa have shown that he is capable of playing in any conditions. The thing that strikes me the most about him is his maturity. He has matured to become calm and collected and that will hold him in good stead going into the World Cup.

3. Thissara Perera(Sri Lanka): This man is the find for Sri Lanka in the last year. He is a brutal hitter and a very accurate bowler. His accuracy helps him pick up wickets in heaps at times. As a hitter he can give you extra runs when you are setting a target and can finish games for you if you are chasing.

4. Colin Ingram(South Africa): A left handed batsman in the classy mould already boasts of two ODI centuries. Had a good series in the UAE versus Pakistan and that shows he can be very successful here as the wickets in the Middle East are similar to those in the subcontinent.

5. Francois Du Plessis(South Africa): A few years ago he would have never thought that he would play international cricket and here he is going to represent his country in the biggest of them all. He is a useful leg spinner but he is in the squad mainly for his batting. His fifty in Cape Town showed what he is capable of and I think he along with Duminy have the responsibility of providing solidity in the middle overs and some crazy hitting at the death.

6. Luke Wright(England): A Shane Watson look alike can develop into a very useful all rounder like his doppelganger. He has the ability to hit boundaries at will and usually bats with a strike rate of over a hundred. Bowls with brisk pace which I think is under used.

7. Michael Yardy(England): A very successful player at the first class level is finally making his opportunities count at the international level He is a good left arm spin bowler and a very dependable batsman. He can provide breakthroughs in the middle overs while bowling and some stability with the bat.

8. Ahmed Shehzad(Pakistan): He burst on to the scene as a sixteen year old and was a part of the Pakistan squad that won the 2009 World T20. He wasn’t picked since then but was a revelation in the series against New Zealand. With his style of play I expect him to provide Pakistan with some solid and brisk starts in the World Cup.

9. Kane Williamson(New Zealand): The 20 year old has had a mixed career so far but when you see him in full flow you know what he is capable of. He is very technically sound and that will help him do very well in the conditions here.

10. Junaid Siddique(Bangladesh): A very attacking left handed batsman, he can really take apart a bowling attack in the company of Tamim Iqbal. If you want to beat Bangladesh, get him out early.

11. Adrian Barath(West Indies): When you are earmarked by Brian Lara at the age of eleven you are destined for success. Adrian Barath has shown that he is a very good batsman in any conditions. He got a hundred on test debut at Brisbane and has also got an ODI hundred at Colombo. The hundred at Colombo will really boost his confidence going into the World Cup.

12. Darren Bravo(West Indies): If Barath was picked by Brian Lara, this man resembles Brian Lara in almost everything he does. Firstly he looks a little like Lara and secondly his batting style is somewhat similar. He had a good series in Sri Lanka and will look to continue that form.