Finally, pacemen can have the ball of their lifetime

If you happen to spot a batsman smiling in the early English summer, just whisper into a pace bowler's ears. He would curse the batsman a...

If you happen to spot a batsman smiling in the early English summer, just whisper into a pace bowler’s ears. He would curse the batsman and ready himself for the battle. And, if you happen to be a punter, put all your money on the paceman, then sit back and relax. Backed up by the seaming conditions, the bowler would be gunning for the batsman’s throat all the time. A good batsman may survive but what about the others?
As the World Cup returns to the land of Ole Blighty after a gap of 16 years, so do the smiles on bowlers’ (read pacemen) faces. Playing second fiddle in the batsmen-friendly limited-overs cricket for long, the pacemen finally have a chance to take their revenge.

In fact, the pacers never had it so good. Most of the teams are equipped with quality pace bowlers this time. If the South Africans have Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener, the Australians have Glenn McGrath, Paul Reiffel and Damien Fleming. The Pakistanis have an embarrassment of riches, having the option tochoose between Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis to support Wasim Akram and Azhar Mehmood. The Indians too have a potentially dangerous trio in the form of Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Ajit Agarkar. If the hosts, England, boast of ideal seamers like Allan Mullaly, Darren Gough and Angus Fraser, the West Indies pace attack will be spearheaded by the never-tiring duo of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.

Pollock has already been tipped as the man to watch out for in this cup. His rear-guard batting prowess apart, the South African could be the most potent pacer with his ability to hit the seam. Though swing bowlers do well in England, those relying on seam movement (like Pollock) can be more lethal. Pollock has both, a good in-cutter and leg-cutter, and with his accuracy, a batsman cannot afford to relax even for a while. Don’t forget, he would be supported by Allan Donald and backed up by the wall-like South African fielding.

Glenn McGrath simply hates the very sight of a batsman. A typicallyaggressive Aussie, he can go to any extent even swear at him — to get the batsman. He is as versatile as any of his tribe and his greatest asset is the high-arm action and accuracy, tailor-made for the English wickets. His former skipper Mark Taylor knew how to get the best out of him, studying the weaknesses of batsmen and plotting their dismissals. Remember how he dominated the English opener Michael Atherton in the Ashes series earlier this year. Even Brian Lara confessed having failed to fathom McGrath’s skills in the recent West Indies-Australia series.

Now, the overplay in aggression could be McGrath’s nemesis. Taylor had asked him to “cool a bit” and current skipper Steve Waugh has to ensure that McGrath does not lose his temper and control.

The very sight of bowlers in their mid-30s can make the batsmen go complacent. Not with Ambrose and Walsh though. They may not have the same fire they nursed in their bellies some six-seven years ago, but do not mistake them for class. As the recent WestIndies-Australia series showed, the two are already charged up in what could be their last hurrah.

That could be the same case with Akram. Caught in so many controversies (match-fixing probe, Miandad resignation…), Akram would like to end his career on a high note.

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His English county cricket experience would be an added factor. Akram may have cut down on his pace but he still continues to be the most complete fast bowler in contemporary cricket. He can pick up wickets with the new ball alright, but his ability to bowl in the slog overs makes him very difficult to get away. Having at his command a battery of fast bowlers, he would surely like to lead by example. Akram could be the decisive factor in Pakistan’s bid to regain the cup.

That leaves us with the Indians. Ajit Agarkar has the wicket-taking ability and Javagal Srinath is one of the most feared fast bowlers now, but Venkatesh Prasad is expected to be India’s trump card. The way he bowled in his debut-making ’96 series in England, Prasad wouldbe pressing for the kill. His confidence is already soaring and if Prasad gets it right, the Indian flag is bound to fly high.

Of course, the pacers will be hoping that the snicks and edges are not put down by fielders behind the wicket!