AUSTRALIA:
Cameron White: Riding on his first successful ODI series against England, White’s explosive batting could well fill in the void created by Andrew Symonds and lend some balance to the Australian middle order.
Mitchell Johnson: He might have had an ordinary outing in England, but his antics with the new ball remain a force to reckon with. Also a handy bat lower down the order, Johnson may play an all-rounder’s role as well.
ENGLAND:
Ravi Bopara: He has a huge gap to fill, created by Flintoff’s injury, but has no dearth of talent. A hard hitter up the order and a useful slow-medium bowler, Bopara has what it takes to play at the highest level.
Stuart Broad: Labeled as the future all-rounder for England, Stuart Broad should stick to concentrating on his bowling at the moment. Given he does that, he can prove more than a handful for the opposition.
INDIA:
Sachin Tendulkar: Whatever may be the venue, format or opponent, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar will always remain India’s trump card. His relentless hunger for runs makes him one to bank upon as long as he plays the game.
Yuvraj Singh: His hard-hitting and match-winning prowess needs no mention. In the absence of Sehwag, he has to show the way to set and chase big targets coming India’s way. Lately though, he has shown promise as a useful left-armer as well, with lots of trust from his skipper.
Amit Mishra: Though it’s difficult to see two spinners playing, especially with Yuvraj and Raina playing extra spinner’s role well, Amit Mishra is one underrated performer who has proved himself whenever given a chance. The fact that he is still an unknown commodity for many teams, he might find a place in Dhoni’s gameplan.
NEW ZEALAND:
Brendon McCullum: He is the mainstay of New Zealand’s batting. When he cuts loose, New Zealand look a different team altogether. A lot will depend on him how New Zealand batting holds up against quality bowling attacks.
Daniel Vettori: No doubt he spearheads New Zealand bowling attack, his more than useful batting has to be taken into account as well. Besides being the captain, he provides the much-required balance to his team.
PAKISTAN:
Kamran Akmal: Pakistan needs firepower at the top and nobody but he fits the bill to provide those explosive starts. All he needs is a partner who can plug one end up and rotate the strike.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: He is on a comeback trail of sorts after his controversial ICL stint. He has always provided Pakistan breakthroughs when most needed and that makes him one of Younis’s favorites.
SOUTH AFRICA:
AB de Villiers: In a team full of strokemakers, AB stands out as the leader of them all. The way he places his innings and shifts gears makes him the most dangerous South African bastman to be wary of.
Jacques Kallis: He is a Talisman of South African cricket. Equally potent with both bat and ball, Kallis is one player who can enter a team as a batsman or as a bowler alone.
SRI LANKA:
Tilakratne Dilshan: The ‘scooper’ from the island nation has created a niche for himself as Jayasuriya’s partner. His aggression, at times, makes Jayasuriya vacate the driver’s seat. He is also a partnership-breaker of sorts with his offbreaks.
Angelo Mathews: His graph has hit ascendancy ever since he arrived on the international scene. A steady medium-pacer and a more than useful batsman, Mathews may be the answer to Sri Lanka’s search for a quality all-rounder.
WEST INDIES:
Darren Sammy: The vice captain of this second-string West Indies team has been a regular in the Chris Gayle-led West Indies as well. Amidst an unresolved row between the missing first-choice players and WICB, Sammy has to take the responsibility of taking wickets up front.
Devon Smith: Not long ago, he was considered ideal to partner Chris Gayle at the top. A dip in form and lack of consistency made him lose his place in the team. He has to grab this opportunity which will open the gates for him to enter the mainstream West Indies team.
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