Players to watch (10 May 1999)

10 May 1999

Players to watch

Keith Lane

Jonty Rhodes, whose fielding abilities at backward point have turned him into a specialist with a dual role in a side littered with star all-rounders.

Lance Klusener has the knack of making the most of his opportunities; a hard striker of the ball, a bowler who can get awkward bounce and a fielder of genuine quality.

Allan Donald's pace and ability to use English condition to his best advantage makes him the dangerous bowler he is as the first change in the South African attack.

Jacques Kallis, and all-rounder with amazing durability and the sort of laid-back attitude which makes him focused on his game; Shaun Pollock is the sort of new-ball bowlers who can strike hard and often in his opening overs and lower-order run-making abilities supported by his fielding expertise. In this respect Herschelle Gibbs is another batsman/fielder who cannot be overlooked.

A team of collective geniuses and as the quiet ones of the tournament they have the ability to upset the more fancied Group B big names.

Nathan Astle is no slouch when it comes to scoring fast runs, frustrating the bowlers and picking up the odd wicket or two; Chris Cairns is the one world-class all-rounder in the side whom most other countries would enjoy, a highly competitive player. Chris Harris, another all-rounder who almost helped the Kiwis win the trans-Tasman battle in the 1997 quarter-finals.

Craig McMillan is a far better player than his record indicates and is one of the Kiwis New Order.

Maurice Odumbe is a useful all-rounder with some panache about his game; Steve Tikolo is a crusty competitor as South Africans have seen; and perhaps Thomas Odyo cannot be overlooked for his individual flair, but little-known Anthony Suji, one of the modern generation of Kenya batsmen, cannot be overlooked either.

Source :: Keith Lane