Famous Five: Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson can spell doom for batsmen at T20 World Cup

Wahab Riaz’s extraordinary over to Shane Watson at Adelaide Oval during 2015 ODI World Cup will forever remain etched in memory of those who were fortunate to witness raw aggression at its best.

famous punch line “Pace is Pace Yaar” was born after Wahab’s over and its loose English translation would mean real pace is real deal.

As we move towards main round of T20 World Cup at business end of Australian winter, pace will rule roost although on slightly slower tracks, fuller lengths will be equally important.

While spinners are expected to play a key role on Australian tracks despite soggy wear, those with scary pace will provide an x-factor as re would still be eugh bounce.

PTI looks at five bowlers, who have ability to make a difference for ir respective teams.

With Jasprit Bumrah in Indian line-up, ‘Men In Blue’ are missing a trick.

And despite Mohammed Shami’ brilliance in warm-up game against Australia on or day in Brisbane, bowling unit doesn’t inspire much confidence.

Hence in list, re are Indian bowlers although ir ability is unquestionable and on ir day, y could certainly get best out.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)

He is ‘Crown Prince’ of world cricket’s speed merchants. He is coming back from a serious knee injury but manner in which he got Afghanistan’s flashy opener Rahmanullah Gurbaaz leg before showed that he has picked up from where he left before his injury.

re was literally rustiness as yorker landed flush on left toe of Gurbaz, who couldn’t even bring his bat down.

Irfan Pathan would always tell anyone who would like to listen, if a left-arm seamer is getting back into right hander, it’s bad news for batter.

Shaheen had finished last World T20 contest against India in his very first spell. re will be pace and at that pace, he will get to swing ball. India have three right-handers in top three and all are world class players. But even n Shaheen will start contest as favourite to win battle.

Josh Hazlewood (Australia)

Josh Hazlewood is unsung hero of this Australian cricket team. While Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are bonafide stars in ir own rights but Hazlewood’s discipline gives Aaron Finch’s team cutting edge that separates m from pack. He may t be as fast as his contemporaries but deceptively quick eugh to create trouble.

Also hitting immaculate Test match length and probing batters on that off-stump channel with a touch extra bounce and just eugh lateral movement, Hazlewood is any batter’s nightmare.

An ecomy rate of 7.62 in 37 games in slam bang version is more than good eugh but more importantly 53 wickets with four four wicket hauls is phemenal.

Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand)

He is one bowler who is perhaps born to play T20 cricket. He has everything – copious amounts of sustained aggression, extreme pace and eugh variations to be effective on any surface. He has fast low, full-toss and one needs extreme explosive power to get under that ball and tonk it over.

Eight out of 10 times, batter won’t be able to get away as extra pace does trick. His yorker is mean and Ferguson bowls a pretty lethal bouncer too. In fact, he has variations in his short balls and if need be, he uses slow cutters to good effect. An ecomy rate of 6.84 in 21 T20Is is absolutely brilliant.

One of his strengths is adaptability and one saw that during Gujarat Titans’ IPL triumph in which he played a major role on flat decks across Indian centres.

Mark Wood (England) 

Just one little piece of information is eugh to send shivers down any batter’s spine. Less than a month ago, Mark Wood clocked 156 kmph (nearly 97 miles per hour) on a placid deck at National Stadium in Karachi.

When Mark Wood bowls, re would be batters, who would be happy to survive without a broken bone.

If any pace bowler in world cricket or than Bumrah, who can take pitch out of equation, it is Wood. His pace is frightening and ask Haider Ali, who fended awkwardly in that game trying to avoid a broken se when a sharp bouncer climbed up on him viciously.

If flip side to Wood’s pace is his high ecomy rate (above 8.37), positive side is his strike rate of getting wickets every 14 deliveries. While a ramp shot off his bowling can go for six but Wood will always keep third man in business.

For some or bowlers, it might fall short but in case of Wood re would always be a chance of a catch boundary ropes. For England skipper Jos Buttler, as long as Wood gets him two top-order wickets per game, he won’t mind him conceding 35 to 38 runs in his quota of overs.

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

By time Rashid Khan is done with his career, he will break all T20 bowling records, wher in franchise cricket in which he is one of ‘MVP’s or international cricket for Afghanistan. That he has played for 20 plus teams in shortest formats (T20 and T10) shows how desperately teams want him.

118 wickets that he has taken from 71 games, at an ecomy rate of less than 6.5, is mind boggling. While many teams are trying to play him as an off-spinner, letting his stock delivery to come in, crafty Afghan of late has varied his pace a lot.

He is consciously at times trying to be slower through air and let ball hang and n dip on occasions.

Rashid played for new franchise Gujarat Titans this season and despite batters trying to play his quota of overs out, he still mand 19 wickets.

At national level, at times, inexperience of his bowling unit does take a toll on Rashid but he is still Afghanistan’s ‘One Man Army’ destined for greatness.