Australian Mitchell Johnson tops list
Kingston (Jamaica): Former West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh has revealed his list of fast bowlers who he thinks will shine in the World Cup starting Feb 14.
However, the list does not feature any Indian.
The 52-year-old said the reason behind not picking anyone from India or Pakistan is because he has not quite followed Pakistan cricket of late and feels Indian seamers do not have outstanding talent with the ball.
“You will notice that I have no Pakistan or India players on this list, the reason being that I have not seen much of Pakistan of late, which is unfortunate, and no India seamer stands out, in my view,” Walsh wrote in a column for the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.
Australian spearhead Mitchell Johnson tops Walsh’s list followed by South African Dale Steyn.
“With him (Johnson) playing at home, he can be a handful on most surfaces. His confidence will be very high and a lot will be expected of him from his team and captain. He has good pace and can push you on the backfoot early with the new ball,” Walsh wrote.
“Steyn will also be used similarly to Mitch. He has been one of the most consistent fast bowlers in the last few years, has plenty pace but what I like about him is his controlled aggression and the control and change of pace that he has.”
Also featuring in the list are his countrymen Kemar Roach (No.3), who he expects will lead the Windies attack, Jerome Taylor (No.5) and all-rounder Jason Holder (11).
South Africans Pat Cummins (No.4), Morne Morkel (No.8) and Vernon Philander (No.10), England’s James Anderson (No.6) and Steve Finn (No.9), and Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga (No.7) are also part of the list. (PTI)
