India has the balance, England dark horse: Morrison
Chennai, Jan. 29: Kiwi speedster Danny Morrison joined a host of former players in picking India as favourites for the World Cup. Having said that, he also termed England as the dark horse. Pace guru Dennis Lillee took his usual stance in “I have not seen much cricket to say anything.”
Morrison believed that S. Sreesanth was unlucky to miss out on the World Cup. “I am sure the selectors went for Praveen Kumar as he moves the ball both ways and shows better control. He is also handy with the bat lower down. With their part-timers also doing well, India has good balance,” added the Kiwi. New Zealand have been the eternal bridesmaids at the World Cup and lack of a bigger goal has hurt their cause, according to Morrison. “We have always done well but I think a semifinal spot has been the aspiration. There is enough talent to do more. John Wright’s appointment as coach will have a huge influence as he knows the conditions well and he has the ability to instill self-belief.”
New Zealand did not enjoy the best of starts to their season, losing badly in Bangladesh and India. “They are missing a dynamic bowler like Shane Bond. Jacob Oram has struggled with injuries and Daniel Vettori has too much on his plate. Ross Taylor has the experience and his form will be crucial during the World Cup,” said Morrison.
New Zealand had a well-structured preparation ahead of the World Cup with tours to all three host countries but they managed only a solitary win in 13 ODIs.
Most sides have preferred a seam-oriented attack despite surfaces in the sub-continent expected to support spin. “A fast bowler who can apply the brakes on scoring and grab a couple of wickets would be an asset in these conditions. They also need to operate tight in the end overs ands usually that makes a huge difference,” said Lillee.
Lavishing praise on pacers Brett Lee, Zaheer Khan and Dale Steyn, Lille said: “Lee has come back superbly. He is still quick, but knows that he can’t consistently bowl at that pace, so he is mixing it well. Zaheer has also shown excellent control. Maturity comes with experience and as far the World Cup is concerned it would be crucial on how the premier fast bowler performs. I am sure Steyn will cut on speed. He’s smart to adjust to the conditions,” explained Lillee.
On Australia’s dominance coming to an end, the legendary bowler said: “They had a long time on the top, so it is natural that their dominance has come to end. Now, they have to assess which direction they are heading to and how quickly they can recover,” said Lillee.
Post new comment