T20 Dream XI: Players who have never played the shorter format

Sir Viv Richards

When Sir Donald Bradman walked off the pitch for the last time in his white shirt, he could have not seen the colorful jerseys and the One-day internationals making their way into cricket, let alone Twenty20. A batsman with exquisite timing and copybook batting technique, he set the standards for the legends who succeeded him. He is said to have hit only 6 sixes over his entire career spanning 52 matches, as he was of the belief that batsmen are less prone to lose their wicket if they stick to just hitting down the ground. Well, cricket was a much simpler game in those days.

Then came the colored jerseys, 3rd umpires, T20s, a whole lot of new technologies, and a breed of fearless players with the intention to hit the ball out of the park. Sixes were measured not by just numbers, but distances; batsmen were not just credited for their batting styles, but for their strike rates too, and the world of cricket embraced the shorter forms just as they worshipped and revered the longer format.

Some of the greatest players of the yesteryears never got a chance to show their complete range of shots; a Bradscoop or a Viv Richards helicopter shot would have all been possible if they were to play today.

1.Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)

An automatic selection for the opener spot, Sir Vivian Richards is believed to be the most devastating batsmen of all times. Besides being electric in the field, he was also a decent off-spinner. He was arguably one of the best batsmen against fast bowlers and spinners, alike. In 2006, Cricinfo chose him as the greatest ODI batsmen ever, and the ICC came out with a list featuring Richards as the No.1 batsman in ODIs, ahead of Zaheer Abbas and Greg Chappell.

According to Richie Richardson, a former West Indian skipper, Richards was more feared than Chris Gayle, which stands a true testimony to his destructive batting skills. He last played an ODI for the Windies in 1991, and it was only 16 years later did the T20 world cup came about, and a year later, in 2008, IPL took the format to a bigger level. Richards could very well have been one among the costliest players at the IPL auctions.

2.Gordon Greenidge (West Indies)

On a given day, Greenidge had the ability to leave the opposition short of ideas. An excellent player of spin, he was not worried about playing on the spinning tracks and, ironically, made his Test debut in India against a quality spin attack. He ended his ODI career in May 1991. Greenidge is an another easy choice for the opening role, and he along with Richards form a formidable pair at the top. Greenidge had recently thrown his weight behind the T20 concept, arguing that it breeded critical thinking and encouraged a variety of stroke-play that never existed before.

3.Sir Donald Bradman (AUS)

Even though he has hit only 6 sixes in his entire career, it would be nonsensical to think that he would have sruggled to cope up with the demands of the shorter format. Nothing more needs to be said about his batting prowess than a look at his records can suggest. Strong on both sides of the wicket, Bradman was known to have little or no weaknesses in his batting technique. A staggering average of 99.94 places him at a pedestal high enough that there may never be a batsman of his stature again. This legend from New South Wales walks in at no.3.

4.Brian Charles Lara (WI)

Little needs to be said about this great West Indian who is widely believed to be the finest southpaw to have ever embraced the game. It was sad to watch him go unsold during the 2011 IPL auctions; but in his playing days, he was a treat to the eye. A player who could fit easily into the IPL mix of things, Lara holds the record for the most number of runs in a single over in a Test Match (28 runs off Robin Petersen). The Trinidadian would be an ideal fit at no.4.

5.Andy Flower (Zimbabwe)

Andy Flower, without doubt, is the greatest cricketer to play for Zimbabwe. With an average of over 50 from 63 Tests, Flower has been phenomenally consistent while playing for Zimbabwe. The left-hander had an affinity towards the spinners, and considering the fact that IPL is played in the sub-continent, he is a player you would like to have in the team. In the little T20 cricket he has played for Essex, Flower averages 33 with a healthy strike-rate of 123. Since his contemporaries like Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher have been a part of the IPL, Andy Flower would be the go to wicket-keeper.