Clutch- ability to perform under pressure.
This is a collection of a World XI of clutch players. Players whom you come to depend upon when the going gets tough. Players who you know deliver without fear, when its needed most. As a kid in the 80’s, being a big Indian Cricket fan, I knew of only one clutch Indian player Kapil Dev. He’s not the best batsman or bowler in the world, but he had heart and he could deliver in the clutch. Often clutch players are blue collar guys, not the most dynamic or most talented, but they have ice in their veins to deliver when its needed.
I’ve been watching the baseball playoffs over the last few months. I was watching the Red Sox- Yankee games 4 &5 go down the wire. However the Red Sox’s David Ortiz comes up big in the extra innings in both games, first a home run to end the 4th game and then a single in the 5th game to win both games. That’s clutch.
With much ado, the World XI:
1.Steve Waugh
He had less than half the talent of his twin brother Mark Waugh. But Tugga has more than made up for it with grit, determination and leadership. He was a crafty bowler too, until back injuries forced him to quit bowling. But he has played so many innings of character, often to save or win Test Matches. Like the 200 against the West Indies in Jamaica. Like the innings to beat the South Africans in the 1999 world cup.
2.Malcolm Marshall
I’ve been fortunate to watch Marshall play live in Madras. This is a fast bowler people were scared of. He was genuinely fast, he could attack the batsman’s body and he was mean. All the qualities you would like to have on someone in your team and hate, if it were on an opponents. Srikkanth decided to take on Marshall. The first ball a fierce bouncer, was hooked to fine-leg for a six. Next ball a good length delivery outside off was sent crashing to the covers for four. Marshall, sneered, took his position at his run up and delivered a missile with only one target middle stump. Srikkanth was bamboozled and nodded his head walking back to the pavilion. Marshall was the intimidator. The man played with a broken hand to win a Test match.
3.Adam Gilchrist
My friend mentioned that Adam Gilchrist was the new keeper replacing Healy. The first time I saw him, it was strange. A gangly, tall, taciturn WK? Generally keepers are those boisterous, little stout guys. But all that did’nt matter once you saw him put bat to ball. He can send bowlers on a leather hunt any time. A natural stroke-maker, he like most Australians is strong off the backfoot. He is a clutch player, who can play equally well opening or in the middle order. He is a good wicketkeeper and has done well to keep to Warne and McGrath alike. His 103 against Pakistan chasing 315 stands out.
4.Saurav Ganguly
One of the most consistent Indian opening batsman in recent ODI history, he gave up his spot to accommodate Sachin and Sehwag. But he’s been successful, despite all the critics. With a lazy style, and poor running between the wickets, he has got a smooth drive and tremendous timing to hit the ball over the long on-off region. In the World Cup 1999 against SL, India needed to win. Saurav delivered, hitting 183 in an amazing innings of power, style and run gathering to demolish the Lankan attack. More importantly, he made some clutch leadership decision to lead the Indians to recent success abroad.
5.Kapil Dev
’’24 runs needed to avoid the follow-on. Kapil Dev is at the crease’’. Wow. England’s spinner Eddie Hemmings was bowling well that day. India was down to its last wicket. ’’Batting Champion’’ Hirwani was the non-striker. Kapil defends the first 2 balls, then goes ahead to hit 4 sixes off the next four balls to avoid follow-on !
Kapil’s achievements are historic, but he was never afraid of pressure and played with his heart. Paaji delivered a clutch blow in the World Cup 1983. Richards was tearing the Indian bowling apart chasing a meagre 183. When he mistimed a shot, Kapil ran backwards and completed a phenomenal catch to turn the tide towards India’s favor.
6. Wasim Akram
The stories of how Imran, picked up a skinny kid from the streets into the National team are legend. Wasim is probably the best left handed pace bowler in recent history. He had amazing control, ability to generate pace from a short run-up and devastating variety in wicket-taking balls. Someone said, Wasim is the only bowler who could bowl six different balls in an over and take wickets with them all. His bowling was one of the key reasons that Pakistan is in the top echelon of World Cricket in the last decade. In the slog overs, there is no better bowler you can hand the ball to, and ask to get wickets.
7. Arjuna Ranatunga
Arjuna is your atypical cricketer. A short stout guy, with a very laidback personality. But he was driven. Years of failure by Sri Lankans were changed by one man Arjuna. He was not the best batsman, that was Aravinda. He was not the best bowler, that was Murali. But he lead all of them together to win the World Cup and make SL a contender. He was lazy but his running between the wickets are an art. He was a pretty good fielder too, despite his bulk.
When the racist Australian media and umpires jumped on Murali’s suspect action, Arjuna defended him stoutly. He even said, ’’We have over a thousand years of rich heritage, and everyone knows where you Australians are from originally( prisoners deported from England)’’
8. Anil Kumble
Dumbo is a spinner. Well he’s a fast spinner minus the spin. He’s succeeded with less of talent and more of mental ability to play mind games and grind. In 2001 Pakistan won the first Test Match against India. So what does Dumbo do, goes ahead and gets 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan in Delhi! Even recently against the Australians he had taken 7 wickets in an innings. His fielding is awful to say the least, but Dumbo has delivered when they needed him. Too bad the idiotic Indian team did’nt play him in the last World Cup finals.
9. Jonty Rhodes
For those who missed the 1992 World Cup, the highlight was Jonty Rhodes running out Inzamam-ul-Haq. Not by throwing him out, by flying ball in hand, Superman style to hit the stumps. Jonty was an average batsman, super talented fielder and represented South Africa in field hockey. All this despite suffering from epilepsy.
10. Viv Richards
A supremely arrogant batsman if there was one. He refused to wear helmets for most of his career. With lightning quick reflexes and tremondous power, he was a scourge to all bowlers. He was one of those players for whom the word form had no meaning. He was strong on both sides, hence very difficult to bowl to.
11.Glenn McGrath
Here’s a quiet cricketer, a guy who chose to take on the best. In any tour of Australia, he’d focus on the opposition’s best batsman and made guys like Atherton and Lara, his personal rabbits. Not the quickest, but amazingly disciplined, he follows an action similar to Hadlee. Even a batsman like Sachin tries to get beyond his bowling as fast as possible. He can run through a line-up even in tough conditions.
Special Mentions
Javed Miandad
Lance Klusener
Ok I’ve not followed Cricket that well over the last 5 years, so I might be missing some new clutch players, so feel free to add onto the comments.