The Gloves Are Off: Wicketkeepers Drop Gauntlets

By Flamy
July 3 2008

In the beginning, it was considered a bonus when your wicketkeeper could get you some runs, i.e. batting was an optional extra, not the essential minimum. Then, as cricket evolved and especially limited-overs version of the game raised its ugly head, the wicketkeeper was expected to carry the tag of a "recognized-bat" and invariably the runs that were expected of him were quick runs.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was someone who could play those valuable "cameos" for you in the one-day match and in test matches play the role of a sacrificial lamb, in that, he could be sent as an opener to make the job easier for the "specialists" or he could be looked upon to grind it out to save the match when the regular bats couldn't do it or maybe even get some quick runs coming lower down the order. Basically, the wicketkeeper was the handyman. Kind of appropriate for one who whose hands were among the most important assets of his trade.

This redefinition of the role made players concentrate more on batting and relegate wicketkeeping to a secondary detail. How tough could it be? Catch a ball that is coming directly at you with gloves and whip the bails off when necessary. Ya, that’s easily doable. Let's spend the nets on something worthwhile. And out came, a new breed of cricketer.

There could only be one name that can be mentioned as the paragon of the modern wicketkeeper. Adam Gilchrist aka Gilly. He simply changed the game. Though before Gilly, Alec Stewart, Jeff Dujon, Alan Knott, Rod Marsh and Farokh Engineer, all paved the way.

Wicketkeepers all over the world were now expected to be like Gilly, which was just silly. If batting skills were preferred optional extra before they were now a required minimum from a wicketkeeper. Romesh Kaluwitharana, of Sri Lanka embraced his role as an explosive opener for their one-day campaign with aplomb, and Mark Boucher, Moin Khan and Nayan Mongia were looked upon to deliver in times of crisis in a one-day match.

The dawn of the new millennium has seen the quality of wicketkeeper-batsmen touch a new high. Kumara Sangakkara brought new meaning to the term. In fact, his batting is considered in such high regard, and it must be said that he IS the best bat in the present SL team, that he has all but given up his original role of wicketkeeping to walk in to the side as a specialist bat. One amazing stat is that when he does not don the big gloves he becomes Don (Bradman) like, with a Test batting average in the mid 88.52. Sri Lanka would be foolish to let him still keep wickets, with batting talent like that.

Brendon McCullum blasted his name into the collective consciousness of cricket fans who watched with awe his mind-blowing 150 plus in a Twenty20 match in the much hyped IPL. And he has duly been rewarded with becoming a specialist batsman in the Kiwis’ one-day side.

And one of the finest batsmen in world cricket, and the best that Zimbabwe ever produced was a wicketkeeper - Andy Flower. When Zimbabwe found a replacement behind the sticks Flower played as a batsman. In fact, his replacement, Tatenda Taibu, himself also played as a specialist bat in the quickly depleting Zimbabwe team.

It is not that the wicketkeeping of this new breed of wicketkeeper-batsman is of a lower standard. It is just that their batting is of a much higher value to their respective teams.

And thus, the wicketkeeper-batsmen are replacing their wicket-keeping gauntlets with batsmen’s gloves. Everything else stays the same. With Dinesh Karthik playing in Tests for India as a specialist opening bat, Brad Haddin coming as a lower order hitter for Australia even in the presence of Gilly, one begins to wonder if this the start of a new trend? Has the wheel turned full circle and are wicketkeepers now becoming full fledged batsmen?

Posted by: Indian Cricket Fever (IP Logged)

Date: 03/07/2008 14:22

The Gloves Are Off: Wicketkeepers Drop Gauntlets

Re: The Gloves Are Off: Wicketkeepers Drop Gauntlets

Posted by: Birbal (IP Logged)

Date: 03/07/2008 16:52

Nice one there flamy... smiling smiley