6 star cricketers who were limited-overs specialists
Each of the three formats of cricket requires a player to possess some special skills in order to excel in it. While some players are easily able to adapt their game to suit the needs of the three diverse versions of the sport, there are others who end up specialising in either Tests or limited-overs cricket.
Earlier on, limited-overs cricket was restricted to just one-day internationals but the last decade or so has seen the introduction and rapid growth of the 20-over format. The skills needed for these two formats are pretty much the same with perhaps the only major difference being the high-paced nature of T20 cricket.
Over the years, some players have left an indelible mark on limited-overs cricket and established themselves as specialists, even though they were unable to garner the same amount of success in Test cricket.
Here are 6 such star cricketers from the past couple of decades:
#6 Lance Klusener
Former South African all-rounder Lance Klusener made his international debut back in 1996. However, it was only during the 1999 ICC World Cup that he made the cricketing world stand up and notice as he nearly took his team to the final using his match-winning abilities.
Klusener was easily the hardest hitters of the cricket ball that one would ever come across and also contributed as an effective medium-pace bowler. Although the Proteas cricketer played 49 Tests in his 8-year long career, he was always a limited-overs specialist.
This is proved by the fact that his 3576 ODI runs came at an average of 41.10, which is much higher than his Test batting average of under 33. Even as a bowler, he was much more potent in 50-over cricket, and took 192 wickets at 29.95 compared to 80 wickets at an average in the higher 30s.
Lance Klusener had all the necessary skills to prosper in T20I cricket as well. Unfortunately for him, the first ever 20-over international match was played only a few months after his retirement.