Indian Cricket Players: June 2011

Friday, 3 June 2011

Steven Finn

Steven Finn Biography
Like contemporaries such as Glen McGrath and Angus Fraser, Steven Finn is another lanky bowler with a high-arm action, having impeccable control over line and length. As a rising star for Middlesex since 2005, young Finn had progressed to feature for England in all U-21 levels. After a productive county season in 2009, the 6 feet 7 inch high speedster was flown to Bangladesh where he made his debut in a two-Test series as a replacement for another big man of a similar mould, Steve Harmison.
On Bangladesh’s return tour to England, Finn was again bought as a first-change seamer, taking two five-fors in as many games. He retained his spot for the arrival of Pakistan, clinching a few scalps in Pakistan’s demolition in the first two Tests.
The gangly speedster has already made a strong mark in his early career; the onus is now on him to make it stick.

Fast Facts

He is Middlesex’s youngest debutant his premier match in 2005 broke a 56 year-long record held by Fred Titmus since 1949.
Making his debut at 20, he was England’s 647th Test international.
In just his third Test match, Finn picked up his first five-wicket haul and his first ‘Man of the Match’ award.
He was named as the ‘Man of the Series’ at home against Bangladesh in just his second international series.
He was named as the ICC’s ‘Emerging Player of the Year’ in 2010.

Steven Finn

27 Nov: Steven Finn press conference

Ashes - Exclusive with Steven Finn after Adelaide win

Tim Bresnan

Tim Bresnan Biography
With the endorsement two Denis Compton awards, young Tim Bresnan was lined as England’s eventual replacement for Andrew Flintoff. First-class centuries in pressure-cooker situations coupled with consistent bowling figures and the right-handed all-rounder was set for a first taste of England-international action.
It came against the visiting Sri Lankans in a T20 match in 2006. An ODI debut arrived two days later versus the same opposition but neither of those defeats recorded a noteworthy performance from the Yorkshire lad.
Later exposure saw better displays. In the 7-match NatWest ODI series against Australia in 2009, he remained not out in 5 innings and reached his maiden half-century in the 7th. As a front line bowler, Bresnan often went for runs. Yet, he eventually formed an important part of England’s bowling attack in their T20 World Cup success in 2010, playing in all seven matches. By the same year, Bresnan was already an England regular in the shorter versions. His attempt to mark in white flannel is yet to kick off in a big way. Barring a 91 in just his second innings, ‘Brezy lad’ as he is fondly called, has yet to perform up to the standards of note in international cricket.

Fast Facts

His maiden first-class century was part of a record 9th wicket partnership with Australian ace Jason Gillespie for Yorkshire against Surrey. The pair piled a total of 246.
Playing his first match at 16 years, Bresnan was Yorkshire’s youngest debutant in 20 years.
He fell 9 runs short of a century in just his second innings in Test cricket against Bangladesh in 2010.

Tim Bresnan

28 Dec: Tim Bresnan press conference

Tim Bresnan

Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad Biography
When blond, lanky Stuart “Westlife” Broad dismantled a rock solid Australian top order in 2009 to help England retain the Ashes, everyone knew a talented rookie a coming off age. A lethal in-swinger that unsettles the very best, Broad’s wicket-to-wicket dictation made him one of England’s leading strike bowlers since his debut in 2007. An occasional opener for county Leicestershire also moulded Broad into a reliable left-handed tailender.
After his first rub of the green in 2007 at Sri Lanka, his inability to contain often saw him go for runs, in return for an odd wicket or two. His first fiver came against the Windies at Kingston in 2009, the year that saw him rise to prominence. Later that year, Broad’s two five-wicket hauls against Australia saw him on the brink of permanency in the England’s attack.
He continued to be England’s first change-of option in travels to South Africa and Bangladesh. Being one of the more experience T20 players (debut in 2006), he was an integral part of England’s World T20 success in West Indies. A handy batsman to boot, by 2009, he already scored as many as 5 test fifties and is often involved in various formidable, tailend partnerships.

Fast Facts

In 2007, Broad’s 99-run partnership with Ravi Bopara in the 4th Natwest ODI is England’s best for the 8th wicket.
His 61-run stance for the final wicket in tandem with Darren Pattinson against South Africa is the 3rd highest against the Proteas.
With 18 scalps, he was England’s leading wicket-taker in the 2009
Broad was voted England’s MVP by the Professional Cricketers' Association for the 2008-09 season.
Broad was the second-highest wicket taker in ODIs during their Lankan tour (Ryan Sidebottom being first), a series which England won 3-2 to record their maiden ODI series win in Sri Lanka

Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad press conference

Steve Davies

Steve Davies Biography
A talented opening batsman with a safe pair of hands behind the stumps, Steve Davies has made a name for himself in the shorter format with a few spirited performances. The Englishman first displayed his talent in his debut season in 2005 when he averaged higher than Graeme Hick for Worcestershire.
The man from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire earned a call-up to the England ‘A’ squad in the year 2006 and that did wonders to his confidence as he went on to score 1000 first-class runs and a highest of 192 in the same season. He made his debut for the national side in 2009 courtesy a string of good performances with the bat in the Pro40 League. Davies notched up scores of 100, 59, 92, and 119. He was included in the lone T20 game during England’s 2009 tour of the West Indies and impressed straight away by top-scoring with 27 off 21. The wicket-keeper batsman made his ODI debut in the same year against Australia in the 2009 Champions Trophy. His first strong performance in the ODI format came against Pakistan where he scored 87 and earned a ‘Man of the Match’ Award.
Davies has evolved into a fine cricketer equipped for the rigours of international circuit. The selectors feel he is now ready for more and his inclusion in the 2010 Ashes squad justifies his development as a cricketer.
Fast Facts

Steven Davies was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award for four successive years from 2004-2008.
As of 2010 he totalled over 5000 first-class runs at an average that was consistently around 40.
Davies Started his career as a specialist opening batsman but eventually took over the wicket-keeping role from James

Steve Davies

Ravi Bopara

Ravi Bopara Biography
Verdict is yet out whether right-handed batsman of Indian-origin Ravi Bopara takes an unusually long time to prove his mettle or whether he simply flatters to deceive. A decisive stroke player with a penchant for the pull, Bopara had an impressive First-class career representing England in the U-19 World Cup.
Playing for county Essex, Bopara, with future-England teammate Alastair Cook, impressed against the touring Aussies in a 2005 Ashes prep-match. An ODI call-up arrived in 2007 against the same, where Bopara played a bit-part role in a resounding English victory. Surprisingly, he was included in England’s World Cup squad in 2007 in West Indies, where, for large parts, as a lower-middle order batsman and a support-bowler, Bopara rarely stood-out. His most notable contribution was a near run-a-ball fifty to in a close-defeat against Sri Lanka.
It was against the Lankans in the same year that Bopara made his, Test debut. After a paltry 42 in his first two innings, his next six innings saw a hattrick of ducks followed by a hattrick of centuries. Over the years, Puppy Bopara made regular ODI appearances with the odd Test cameo. In 2010, he played 1 of England’s 7 T20 World Cup matches en route to lifting the trophy.
Fast Facts

After Monty Panesar, Bopara is the second Sikh to play for England
Bopara’s revival-knock of 52 in the World Cup against Sri Lanka saw him named man of the match despite ending in the losing side (England lost the match by 2 runs)
In that match, his 87-run stance in the 7th wicket with Paul Nixon is an England World Cup record for that wicket.
He’s only one of 5 England players to score a hattrick of hundreds.
Bopara’s 201 of 138 deliveries is the highest List A score. The innings included as many as 18 fours and 10 sixes.

Ravi Bopara

IPL 2009 Powerplay: Ravi Bopara

Graeme Swann Ravi Bopara interview outtakes