5 players who revolutionized modern-day cricket

Cricket is an ever-evolving sport, and has seen many changes in the way it is played over the years. Modern-day cricket has seen the introduction and incorporation of many new tactics and styles. We look at five players and their playing styles which have revolutionized modern-day cricket.

#1 Martin Crowe

In modern-day cricket, captains have taken on a more proactive role in deciding team tactics and strategies, with many open to trying out new ideas. In the 1992 World Cup, while leading his team in a run to the semifinals, New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe successfully used two new tactics which were soon adopted by other teams and are now commonly used in limited overs cricket.

In order to take advantage of the fielding restrictions early in the innings, Crowe instructed Mark Greatbatch to bat aggressively – something which proved very effective. Greatbatch can be considered as one of the first “pinch-hitters”, and the tactic was adopted by Sri Lanka who used Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana (both middle order batsmen) as openers as the duo led the charge of the Lankans to winning the trophy. Use of attacking batsmen to maximize the scoring during the fielding restrictions is now a common practice.

Another radical idea which Crowe implemented was the use of a spinner – Dipak Patel –  with the new ball in an attempt to stop the opposition batsmen from hitting the ball over the in-field in the first 15 overs. The tactic proved to be a masterstroke as well, and teams were unable to score much off the bowler, and use of spinners with the new ball and in fielding restrictions period is now commonly used by captains.