With limited overs format becoming more dominant, bowlers who can wobble the ball or do unconventional things, will succeed. As a batsman, before you sort them out, you are gone- as strike rate dictates the intent.
The Chinese, never short of puzzles and mind games, are know for sneaking in fringe and awkward players in World Table Tennis Championships (in the early '80s the forehand and backhand rubbers could be the same color, which meant anti-spin and fuzzy surfaces looked the same as fast topspin surfaces). Such players would eventually be sorted out, but not before they knocked a few top Europeans in the early rounds. By the time you got to the quarter finals, the medals table looked Chinese- nothing puzzling about that.
Will the T20 era promote and launch players who are one season wonders? I am not suggesting that Praveen Kumar, Sohail Tanvir or Mendis do not have a future as regular bowlers- they are good since they did grow up during the 90s, watching and learning the basics from great bowlers. But the next generation may throw up those Chinese wonders who will puzzle batsmen, and be gone once the puzzle is solved, much like the Rubic cube. But with the dollars flowing in, one IPL or a few T20s is all they might need.
Watchout for the China-men, they need not be bowling left-hand googly.
Saumil
Mumbai
July 15, 2007
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