Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
An amazing T20 International XI that never existed | Players from the past who would have been incredible T20 International cricketers
It’s the world of T20 cricket and we are living in it. There has been a phenomenal increase in the demand as well as popularity of this particular format of the game with each passing year.
But, there were some cricketers who showcased their skills perfectly suited for this format, before the beginning of the T20 era. In this article, I am going to create a team of those players from the 80s and 90s who would have excelled in T20 Internationals, had they played for their respective nations.
Also read: All-time T20 XI: Who makes the cut?
1. Saeed Anwar
Glorious. As pleasing as a hot cup of tea in the monsoon. Elegant. A pleasure to watch.
Saeed Anwar was a man who could make the opponents his fans by his gorgeous strokeplay. One of the best ODI openers of all time, he makes a strong case to be included in this XI because of his wide range of shots and strong determination to bat long. He can provide solidity as well as explosion at the top.
2. Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk)
The swashbuckling Sri Lankan revolutionised the batting in ODIs to a large extent when he was promoted up the order to open alongside Sanath Jayasuriya. His fearless approach payed rich dividends to the team and also he did his best as an opener in his ODI career. His aggressive strokeplay would allow Anwar to play his natural game. Also, the left-right combo of Anwar-Kaluwitharana would form a formidable opening pair.
3. Martin Crowe (c)
Martin Crowe was certainly one of the best technical batsmen the world has ever seen. The man behind the renaissance of the Kiwis in the late 80s, Crowe was one of the best tacticians on the field, too. Promoting Mark Greatbatch to open and opening the bowling with an offspinner Deepak Patel in the 1992 World Cup were examples of his street smart captaincy. So, he fulfills our quest for an able no. 3 and an innovative skipper in this XI.
4. Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Viv was the man who actually started playing with a T20 mindset long before the format was invented. Regarded as the best ever ODI batsman by many, Sir Viv batted at no 4 in most of the ODIs he played, where he had an average of almost 49 and an unbelievable SR of almost 95 in that era. These insane numbers make him the perfect no 4 in this team.
5. Michael Bevan
Michael Bevan was not really renowned for his hard hitting abilities. But, the Australian southpaw had a terrific insight of the game situation and played his part to rescue Australia on so many occasions. The best ever finisher in the late 90s, Bevan could be that stabilising thread in the line up and the go-to man during a batting collapse.
6. Lance Klusener
The Australian players had their hearts on their mouths when Klusener hit two consecutive fours off Damien Fleming in that famous 1999 World Cup Semi FInal. An extraordinary hitter by nature, Klusener would be an obvious pick in any possible T20 XI. His effortless striking combined with useful medium fast bowling makes him a complete package for T20 cricket.
7. Kapil Dev
The man behind the India’s first World Cup triumph, Kapil Dev could single-handedly win games on his day. A powerful hitter down the order, Dev struck 95 in ODIs in an era much prior to T20 cricket. Aslo, the “Haryana hurricane” was the first man to reach 200 scalps in the history of ODI cricket. That’s why he fits into the team as a perfect bowling allrounder.
8. Wasim Akram
Although he is nicknamed as the “sultan of swing”, Akram had all the lethal weapons including a sharp bouncer and a deadly yorker in his armory. He is one of the most complete bowlers the world has ever seen. He was also a useful hitter in the lower order. Therefore, he is an automatic pick in this XI.
9. Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble was not a huge turner of the ball. His strengths were his accuracy and variations in pace. He was a really intelligent bowler and used to read the mind of the batsman perfectly. His exploits in T20 format are reflected in his IPL stats, where he has a stunning economy of 6.58 and arguably the best bowling performance in playoffs history. Thus, it is well evident that he would have done really well in T20 Internationals.
10. Saqlain Mushtaq
Long before Murali popularised it, a man from Pakistan had invented the “doosra”. Saqlain was sometimes regarded even better than Muralitharan by the experts. He was a genuine wicket taker, who ruled for quite a few years in the international circuit. After all, his off spin bowling would compliment Kumble’s leg spin really well and would bring variety into the spin attack.
11: Venkatesh Prasad
In a T20 team, we always need a smart pacer, who has a decent number of variations in his bowling. Prasad was not an express bowler, but had a deceptive slower ball and used his cutters with distinction to get wickets. His tactis as a bowler were innovative considering the era in which he played. His variations make him a perfect candidate for the third seamer in this team.
So, there is a terrific T20 International XI that never existed. Is there a player you would add?
Thanks for reading!
Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.
Also read: All-time T20 XI: Who makes the cut?
