Dinakar S: On Current Upcoming Lefthanders - FULL (20Nov93)

The first Test of the '93 series between Pakistan and West Indies at Port of Spain in on the boil. It's lunch session on the second day and already the West Indies second innings is on. Very little separates the teams in the first knock and it's all to play for in the second. And there is a great duel going on under the sun. Waqar Younis, that tearaway is going for the jugular. Facing him is a little warrior with a glint in his eyes and fire in his veins. Brian Lara settles in his stance. Waqar, after that long straight run-up of his, fires one on a length. But Lara is airborne in a flash, picks it of his hips and bisects the field between square leg and midwicket. Younis hands on his hips cannot believe it, Lara smiles in that shy, yet proud manner of his. Yes, it's another battle won for him and...the southpaws. And why not. After all, they have been having a great run of late. Well, this piece is about the SOUTHPAWS. About those who have just made a mark in the international scene, or the ones who have hit the big-time only in the last couple of years after being around for a while. And... there's a joker in the pack, too. Now, what's the reason for so many lefthanders coming good in such a short span. Is it because the present day bowlers with a surfeit of one-dayers are finding it that much difficult to work with them. After all, in a sport dominated by the right-handers, the southpaws do have a few advantages. Let's take the faster bowlers. The outswing bowlers tend to pitch on their legs and inswing specialists often find it difficult to get their line straight. So the lefthanders, do start with some advantages. But then, as a player as gifted as Brian Lara can get runs against any opposition. Indeed appearances can be so deceptive. Lara looks so frail, timid, that it would appear that he would be blown away by a gust of wind sweeping across the field. Who would expect the little Trinidadian, to take on the quicks with such nonchalance. Yet, the youngster is clearly the leader of the pack. The lad's skill with the willow is mindboggling. Never mind the high backlift, that so annoyed the purists early on. What stands out in Lara is his ability to pick the length, a fraction of a second earlier than the others, his eyesight and anticipation being such. There is a certain ease about his batting, that elusive fluidity that comes only to the truly gifted. But even Lara didn't have it too easy in the beginning. Forced to return home from the tour of England in 1991, due to a nasty injury, he had to wait till the World Cup '92 to really break into the top league. His 87 in the lung-opener against Pakistan, where he ticked off Wasim Akram with panache, truly set him on course. Then in the game against India, it was his ruthless dismissal of Kapil Dev and Prabhakar in the early overs, that really buried India's chances. But ironically Lara best knock came in what turned out to a nightmarish match for West Indies. It was the last game of the league phase. The Australians already out of the reckoning for a place in the semifinals, had nothing to play for except their pride. The West Indies HAD to win this match to qualify. Chasing Australia's modest 216, the Caribbeans were soon in early trouble. But then Lara took command. Even as wickets were falling at the other end, he batted alone, pulling off some remarkable shots square of the wicket off, a charged up Whitney. Indeed the scene was a touch romantic - of a little boy battling alone amid the ruins. Well, that was a tragic day for West Indies, and it wasn't too surprising that Lara too was tragically run-out for a passion-filled 70. But the little Trinidadian's innings was a sign of things to come, ominous indeed for the Australians. The wickets and the ambience Down Under must have suited his free spirit. For a man who likes to hit 'em on the up, there is no better place than Australia. Lara again came to Australia for the 1992-3 series and he conquered. Well, with his unbelievable 277 in the third Test at Sydney, Lara proved that he was one of the brightest stars in the firmament. McDermott, Hughes and Matthews were savaged by a Lara on the rampage. The way he batted few would have believed that West Indies were chasing Australia's mammoth 500 plus. Windies were 31 for two at one stage. Never could there have been a better example of attack being the best form of defence. That day Lara transcended the barrier that separates the great from the good. That day he earned the right to be called the PRINCE. The Trinidadian is wild at heart, with the instincts of a gambler. In fact, over confidence is his greatest bane. In the series against Pakistan, Lara often got on to useful scores before throwing it all away with a careless shot. Still like all great champions who produce an act of pure magic even during a relatively lean spell, Lara pulled off a brilliant 96 in the Port of Spain Test. That was a knock which was in tune with the rhythm of the calypso. Lara did waltz that day. He was in a similar mood in the final of the recent three-nation tournament in Sharjah, where his astonishing innings in the final made all the difference. Keith Arthurton from the tiny island of Nevis is cast in a different mould. For one who made his debut in the 1989 series against India, Arthurton has taken quite a while to mature. In fact he too hit the big time only during the World Cup 1992. Like most West Indians, he is a powerful player square of the wicket. Arthurton's 223 runs in the World Cup, with a matchwinning knock of 58 not out against India meant at last he could find a regular place in the team. Not the most graceful of players, Arthurton nevertheless has a sound temperament. Early on his initial shuffle from outside the off stump used to land him in trouble, but he seems to have sorted out that problem now. Arthurton's in-the-trenches, resolve saw him make that fighting 157 at the 'Gabba' in the first Test of 1992-3 series. McDermott, Hughes and Reid were firing on all cylinders, but that was Arthurton's day. It was his first Test hundred and how valuable it was. Coming in at No. 5 or 6 depending mostly on the moody Hooper's form Arthurton provides that much-needed stability to the West Indies middle order. In the series against Pakistan with Jimmy Adams breathing down his neck, Arthurton managed to retain his place...but only just. He clearly has his work cut out in the future. But if his form in Sharjah is any indication, he seems to be thriving on challenge. Jimmy Adams definitely has a future. Indeed it was baptism by fire for him. The South Africans were in sight for victory in the Bridgetown Test, their first after their country's return to Test cricket. Donald, Pringle, and Snell with their tails up had the West Indian batsmen on the run. The West Indians were just ahead by over 100 runs in the third innings, and already the last man Patrick Patterson was in. But also battling hard was a tall, bearded man with that never-say-die attitude. Yes, Jimmy Adams was Windies' man of destiny that day. The last wicket pair added 66 runs and Adams on his debut remained unconquered on 77. Runs which proved decisive in the final analysis as Ambrose and Walsh ripped through the South African line up. With a nice relaxed stance, Adams is well equipped technically. With not too high a backlift, he is a strong driver off the backfoot. Intense and hard working, he seems to have what it takes to succeed at the highest level. But how far he will go only time can tell. Lara, Arthurton and Adams were quite the 'Three Musketeers' during the Australian tour of 1992-3. Lara topped the averages with 58.28, Arthurton was next with 52.14 and Adams followed with 49.38. The left-handed triumvirate really clicked for West Indies on that tour. Indeed, fortunes have swung dramatically for India's Vinod Kam- bli. Just picture this scene. The World Cup match between India and Sri Lanka in the little Australian town of MacKay has been held up by rain. But still the holiday crowd has to be entertained and a group of showgirls dance to the tune of the music. Also joining them is a curly haired little Indian, who is too ebullient to be sitting inside the dressing room. The cameras click, and back home the traditionalists are not pleased. Too casual an attitute they say. Kambli has a fight on his hands. Around a year later... The crowd at the Wankhede Stadium rises to salute its new hero. Yes, the same Vinod Kambli has knocked off a remarkable double century against England. You can see the determination on his face. A steely resolve borne out of failures. Now the same critics marvel at his temperament. That's life, that's cricket. All this was not easily achieved. But then life has been one big battle for Kambli. A boy who grew up in a Bombay chawl. Kambli has that instinct for survival. After a disastrous World Cup, where all he had to show for himself was a knock of 20-odd against Pakistan, he was written off. But this setback only strengthened his resolve. When he finally got his place in the Indian squad after the disastrous tour of South Africa, Kambli grabbed it with both hands. With Manjrekar getting into a rut, India needed a bit of dash up the order and Kambli was the man to provide it. A splendid century in the Jaipur one-day international against England, where he shared a long-partnership with his school-mate Sachin Tendulkar showed Kambli was in the right mood to take on the English bowling. But would he do well in the Tests to follow? Well at Calcutta he did precious little, and just hung to his place at Madras with a scrappy 40-odd. There comes a time in every player's career when a single innings can decide his fate. Kambli's career too was at crossroads now. Till now he was walking on thin ice, he had to do something special at Bombay. Came the Bombay Test, and Kambli's double hundred is history now. The feature of his knock was a murderous post-lunch assault on the third day. Philip DeFreitas tried to test him outside the offstump, and Kambli on each occasion picked the gap between cover and point. This was exhilarating stuff, full of rhythm, in short Kambli at his best. Kambli's second successive double hundred, which came against Zimbabwe, put him in elite company with Bradman and Hammond. But more than plain statistics what stood out once again was his ability to get on to big scores. Okay, the attack lacked bite, but he was the one to milk it the maximum. In Sri Lanka too, Kambli was in an unrelenting mood scoring strokeful hundreds in the second and third Tests. He attacked the Sri Lankan spinners on their home grounds and came up trumps. He was greedy, greedy for runs. When he was ruled out, caught behind off Warnaweera, a doubtful decision, in the second innings of the second Test, he stood his ground and left almost in tears. In a way, it was a show of dissent, but his commitment to do well also shone through. On the Lankan tour, Kambli reserved his best for the Test matches. His performances in the other first class games were listless. Again a sign that he is a big match player. Right now the Bombay lad is on a real high, but the future is strewn with risks. Kambli for all his runs, still has a problem or two against short-pitched bowling with a tendency to take his eys off the ball. Also his exaggerated back-lift often lands him into difficulties. In the second one-dayer at Colombo, Wickremasinghe beat Kambli on the shuffle with a quicker one to catch him in front. This is a problem Kambli will have to iron out. Also his tendency to nibble at anything outside the offstump has come in for quite a bit of criticism. But to be fair to Kambli, he gets a lot of runs too from shots square on the offside. His real test will come when he takes on the quicks on the faster wickets abroad. But the dasher from Bombay has that 'burning desire' to succeed, that will to defy the odds. He seems to be a man in a hurry, eager to make up for the lost time. Fate has not been too kind to Kambli's team-mate W. V. Raman. Tall, languid, Raman has so far been the unfortunate son of Indian cricket. Any player who gets a 80-odd in his first Test against the likes of Patterson and Walsh has to be talented. This was at Madras 1987. But since then, Raman has been in and out of the Indian side. Now thrust into opening the innings, Raman has not really done too badly. Take this case for instance. In the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Harare, he made a polished 40-odd but still found himself out for the first Test against South Africa. For a confidence player like Raman, this ind of treatment would not have done any good at all. Still, when got back his chance, he produced a match-winning knock of 113 in the third one-dayer at Pretoria. The way he handled, Allan Donald that day bore a stamp of class. But again the Tamil Nadu batsman found himself out of the Test and the one-day international against England at home. Finally when he played in the final one-dayer against Zimbabwe, he came up with a neat 66. And on the Lankan tour, he hardly got a chance. What's striking about Raman is the time he has to play his strokes. He does have elusive commodity called class. A fluent back-foot player, he is not easily ruffled by pace. On the flip side, his weakness is in the area outside the off-stump. Also, at times, he does not move his feet while going for a drive outside the offstump, tending to drag the ball on to the wicket. Raman, of course, needs to work on his drawbacks. This looks like a make or break season for Raman. Now on, to the player who is the "Little Magician" in limited overs cricket. And yet Neil Harvey Fairbrother of England and Lancashire does not do anything extraordinary. Here's a case in point... It's the league match of the 1992 World Cup between England and South Africa at Melbourne. England needing to make 226 in 41 overs, thanks to the bizarre "rain rule" is being superbly piloted towards the target by Fairbrother. As England closes in, Wessels brings in the field, to save the singles. Now clearing the field would be risky, while the singles are going to be hard to get. What does Fairbrother do? Well, he just presents a dead bat to the ball and streaks through for a single. That's the essential Fairbrother for you... the ultimate percentage player in over-limit cricket. A nudge here, a push there and a firm drive thrown in between, that's how the Lancashire captain operates. But then Fairbrother is an enigma. How else could a man so adept in one form of cricket perform so inconsistently in the other. Fairbrother has only one good knock to speak for him at the Test level-his 80-odd on a turning track at Madras. It is in the one-dayers, that he has a fair name. His blistering hundred in the third one-dayer at Lord's against Vivian Richards' West Indians in 1991 really launched him into this form of cricket. In the World Cup, the little southpw was at his best. His 285 runs came at a stunning average of 57.08. On the bouncy Australian wickets, his ability to pick the gaps square on the off-side stood out. His match winning 75 against South Africa was a tremendous innings under pressure. In the final against Pakistan too, Fairbrother strove manfully, with the wickets falling all around him, till the equation proved too much even for him. In the tour of India, it was Fairbrother, who was right there at the "death" as England pulled off thrilling wins at Jaipur and Jamshedpur. Fairbrother's critics are quick to point out that he plays too much across the line to succeed at Test level. Also, his tendency to flirt outside the offstump, a habit picked from one-day cricket of course, has been held against him. Right now he is out of favor with the English selectors, having been ignored for the Ashes series. But Fairbrother, for all his apparent flaws, is an intelligent cricketer. Somewhere along the line, he might come good at Test level. Graham Thorpe came like a breath of fresh air to an England team shorn of youthful talent. And he batted well with a tigerish resolve on his Test debut. Well, England was battling for survival in the third Test at Trent Bridge, when this gritty southpaw from Surrey kept a fiery Merv Hughes at bay to come up with a fighting hundred. England at last had found a hero, a rarity these days. Thorpe is no Gower. Fullstop. But he does have the qualities that can help him stay in the England team for a long time. He has the strokes but lacks the flourish. Thorpe has a shortbacklift, a compact defence, and above all a sound temperament. At times he tends to get bogged down. Paul Reiffel bothered him at Headingley, where his tendency to play half-forward got him into trouble against the moving ball. But he is still young, seems willing to take on responsibility and is the best thing to have happened to English cricket for quite some time. Aamir Sohail of Pakistan is already one up on the likes of Fairbrother. He too is an excellent player in over-limit cricket, but also has a Test double hundred to his name. In any walk of life, those who grab their chances are the successful ones. Sohail too got a chance. It came in the form of an SOS from a beleaguered, injury hit Pakistani squad in Sharjah, 1991. The next match, a crucial one against India, was only a couple of days away and he was opening the innings. Well, in the cauldron of an India-Pakistan contest, Sohail, helping Pakistan weather an early storm, came good with a solid 91. Pakistan won that match and went on to win the three-nation tournament. Aamir Sohail too was well on his way. The left-hander's next stop was in Australia for the World Cup. For a man who likes to attack the wickets, Down Under came like a boon. But in the New Zealand leg of the World Cup, Sohail could not do much on the slower wickets. The fact so obvious here is that Sohail likes the ball to come on to the bat and loves taking the fight to the bowlers. He is an instinctive stroke-maker. Sohail finished the World Cup with 326 runs at 32.60 with a 114 v Zimbabwe as his highest. He had not yet played a Test, and already he was a star. Strange times this! But anyway, Sohail made the summer of '92, one to remember in the Old Blighty! In the second Test at Lord's, he blazed his way to 73, on a seaming wicket. In the second knock, his 39 was worth its weight in gold as Pakistan, just squeezed home by two wickets. But Sohail's best was yet to come. The thing with players like Sohail is that when they come good they do so in a big way. Sohail took apart the English attack with a scorching 205 on the first day of the third Test at Old Trafford. That day he really fired, with full blooded drives, daring pulls, and sizzling cuts. Sohail would find hard to beat. The Pakistani finished the tour with 413 runs. For ever 'high' there is a low, and on the 1992-3 tour of Australia and New Zealand, the opener was woefully out of touch. But after a couple of good knocks, coming in as a late replacement in the triangular series in South Africa, Sohail again was in rollicking form in the one-dayers in West Indies. His run of scores in the five one-dayers was 87, 47, 42, 29 and 33. Well, one can hardly be more consistent than that in one-day internationals. His best knock was in the third match at Trinidad. Chasing West Indies' 259 in 45 overs Pakistan, had to get off to a good start. And Sohail helped his team just do just that, counter-attacking brilliantly. Ambrose, Bishop and Walsh were pulled, flicked and driven with contempt. Pakistan, won and once again Sohail had played his part. Sohail could not display the same form in the Test matches, his 55 in the first Test at Trinidad being his lone notable effort. And here we see Sohail's biggest weakness...his concentration. On his day, he can amass a big score or demoralise the bowling early on to make it easier for the later batsmen. But when the going is not so good, he tends to give in a bit too easily. He has all the shots, but is impetuous. Asif Mujtaba has no such problems. Cool as a cucumber, he puts a price on his wicket, not surprising really for he has come up the hard way. An outstanding junior, Mujtaba could not find a permanent place in the Pakistan team until recently. In fact he came into his own during the tour of England 1992. Occupying the vital number three spot, his batting was a blend of caution and aggression. Mujtaba's 59 in the dicey wicket at Lord's proved vital for Pakistan. He took on Lewis, Malcolm and DeFreitas, with a firm resolve. Then in the Test at Manchester, his 57 was full of beautifully placed drives. A neat player with a short backlift, Mujtaba does not really hit the ball hard. In fact he cleverly uses the pace of the ball with his nudges and pushes. And he runs like a hare between the wickets. All these qualities were evident in the third one-dayer against the West Indies at Port of Spain. Over a hundred runs were still needed in around 15 overs when Mujtaba joined a restless Inzamam. And he changed it all. The singles were taken with ease, as Mujtaba started to place his shots. The fielders and the bowlers started getting increasingly frustrated and Inzamam too got back his confidence. Pakistan won and Mujtaba's 45 had done the trick. And there is an aggressive side to Mujtaba as well. In the league match of the 1993 WSC series against Australia at Hobart, Mujtaba exploded at the 'death.' He hit Steve Waugh for an incredible six off the last ball of the game to tie the match. That's what is called versatility. Mujtaba does not flinch against the quicks. In the second Test at Barbados, when Pakistan was staring at an innings defeat, he fought bravely, taking blows on his body before a shocking leg before decision did him in. In the third Test at Antigua too his gutsy 59 after the first two wickets had fallen for virtually nothing, he took Pakistan to a position of relative safety. Mujtaba has some way to go, but has the right qualities. And he seems to be continuing the good work with a century against the Lankans and a defiant knock against the West Indian quicks at Sharjah. And to top it all he was opening the innings in the absence of an injured Sohail. Pakistan's Saeed Anwar who never quite seemed like living up to his early promise is also back with a bang, with three successive hundreds in Sharjah. When the Indians went to Pakistan in 1989, he promised much but failed to deliver. He looked an impulsive strokeplayer, who trusted his eye more than technique. Now obviously, Saeed, has mellowed, which can only do him good, for he always had the strokes. Zimbabwe's Andy Flower has plenty of strokes. But his selection is excellent. The tall, well built Zimbabwean is an easy rider. He is relaxed, cool. Flower is really adept at handling both pace and spin. When the ball is pitched up, he drives with confidence. He can work the ball beautifully off his legs, and deals firmly with short stuff. And without him the Zimbabwean batting will look very fragile indeed. Flower actually bloomed during the World Cup 1992. Starting off with an attractive century against Lanka, Flower gave India the jitters in the rain shortened match at Hamilton, with a threatening innings, before further showers doused Zimbabwe's hopes. And in Zimbabwe's first ever Test at Harare, Flower's cultured 59 was the most attractive knock, though Grant Flower and Houghton made more. Yes, class is not in numbers. In fact Flower seems to have taken a liking for the Indian bowlers. Adapting quickly to the Indian conditions, he stroked his way to a polished hundred in the first innings of the Delhi Test. Where the Englishman fumbled against the guile of Kumble, Flower using his feet, seemed totally at ease, as he repeatedly found the gaps, the mark of a true champion. Flower's first mistake cost him his wicket. It was a rush of blood, stepping out to Maninder Singh and getting stumped. With his dismissal, Zimbabwe's chances of avoiding the follow-on also went up in smoke. But Flower had learnt his lesson. In the second knock, he put his head down batted exceptionally well on a dicey track. This innings showed another side of Flower - one who is willing to learn from his mistakes. Though Zimbabwe lost, Flower came out with his reputation enhanced. In his very first Test, Australia's Justin Langer must have known all about winning and losing. The Adelaide Test of '93 against the West Indies is now history. Australia suffered the narrowest defeat in Test cricket - by one run. Langer who made his Test debut in this Test, took the fight to the West Indians with a back-to-the wall second innings knock of 54. Ambrose, Walsh and Bishop were snaring the Aussies into committing mistakes. The bowling was hostile, but Langer was equal to it. Where established names like Taylor, Steve and Mark Waugh, and Border failed, Langer succeeded. It was his gallant stand with Tim May which first raised visions of an Australian win when everything had seemed lost. Well, the Aussies eventually lost and that day, Langer must have seen how painful a close defeat can be. But such an experience early on, can only toughen one mentally. Langer brought up on the fast WACA wicket at Perth is a superb player of quick bowling. Naturally he is strong off the back foot with a lot of dependence on hooks and cuts. Langer did pretty well on the New Zealand tour, with a good 70-odd in the first Test at Auckland, but then was surprisingly omitted for the tour of England. Maybe, the selectors thought his back foot play may not pay off in England, where the need is to come forward and counter the seaming ball. Langer still young has all the time in the world to get back to the Australian squad. Time is on Sri Lanka's Hashan Tillekeratne's side too. Before the one-off Test against England this winter, he was told that he would no longer be wanted as the 'keeper'. Now that in the normal circumstances would be bad news. But not in the case of Tillekeratne. In fact the selectors only showed they wanted him to concentrate on batting alone. And how does Tillekeratne respond to the challenge? Well, displaying nerves of steel, he in the company of tailenders takes the Sri Lankans past the English total with a pugnacious 93. And then in the second knock his 36 not out, when Lanka chasing just over hundred for a historic win is in some trouble, ensures victory. Tillekeratne is a survivor. The kind who will play and miss a countless number of times but will still be there at the end, someone like Larry Gomes. Well, all this was evident in the third Test at Colombo when his 51 and 85 saved Sri Lanka from what would have been an embarrassing defeat. Anil Kumble must have wondered what else he could have to do to scalp Tillekeratne, so often did he beat him. But the Lankans hung on. At times, it does look that he deliberately plays inside the line, to avoid nicking, another ploy of the modern batsmen. We will have to wait as to how far he goes. Sanath Jayasuriya, who batted so bravely against Wasim and Waqar in the 1991-2 tour of Pakistan before slipping a bit is once again firing, if one goes by his batting in the Sharjah tournament. A good hooker and a puller he has it in him to go far, provided he concentrates more on his batting. His bowling, at best is just accurate. It is as an attacking batsman that he has a future. Now let's come to the joker in the pack. But before that why not take a look at this. It's once again the World Cup '92. A rejuvenated New Zealand is taking on the West Indies at Eden Park, Auckland. The dangerous beanpole Curtly Ambrose is a worried man. How is he going to bowl to a big, bulky batsman who is taking a swipe at everything, but quite incredibly connecting. The guy had just hit an amazing six over third-man. Ambrose's next delivery is on a length and the beefy man carrying his weight lightly is already yards down and heaves it for yet another breathtaking six. And then it's eyeball to eyeball. Ambrose glares, the swashbuckler glares back. Mark Greatbatch is not the one to be intimidated easily. Greatbatch made his debut in the mid 80's. Then what's he doing in this list. Well, the Greatbatch, one saw in the World Cup was a totally different player. It was as if the real Greatbatch had emerged tearing apart the mask he had been forced to wear due to the pressures of international cricket. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the Greatbatch of the previous years, one who as time went by, player fewer and fewer shots, got into a rut and found himself dropped from the team. The selectors by asking him to open in the World Cup were taking a gamble and it paid off. This was a new Greatbatch, totally unrecognisable from the one we had seen earlier. For this reason alone he has to be there in this list. His methods were simple. He followed 'have a bat, will hit, policy.' Using his bat like a club, he hammered the bowlers all around the ball-park in the first 15 overs, when the field was still in. The power came from his strong shoulders and forearms. Often he would just step out to the quicks and give the ball a real bash. If the balls were to be pitched short, he would just pull it over square-leg and midwicket. All his chancy shots came off. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who once batted for 11 hours against the Australians, at Perth, the fastest wicket in the world, to save a Test for the Kiwis. Then again this was a different Greatbatch. Well, for the records, the Kiwi aggregated 313 runs in the competition. And his brilliant 73 at Hamilton, where he treated Kapil and Prabhakar with disdain snuffed out India's chances. After the World Cup, Greatbatch has not been exactly idle. In fact, now his name has become synonymous with all-out aggression. In one-off Test against Pakistan, Greatbatch's brilliant counter-attacking 133 in the first innings showed that he was still in good nick. So far Greatbatch has been pretty lucky with his newfound methods. But will his luck hold out for long? Meanwhile, the old hands in the business like Arjuna Ranatunga, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Kepler Wessels, and Asanka Gurusinha are carrying on gamely. Border has scaled the highest peak, but David Gower finds himself out of the England team. And the gallant John Wright has decided to call it a day. Also some new faces like Matthew Hayden can be seen on the horizon, but they have not yet made a mark at the international level. Well, the Laras, the Kamblis, and the Sohails have conquered their own little peaks. But still a lot of battles remain to be won, a lot of runs remain to be scored. One can only wish these young men best of luck. After all, they cared to be different.