Cricket's New
World Order
Since you've gone to the trouble of parking your peepers on this here yarn, it can be quite safely assumed that you're quite the cricket enthusiast. If you're a supporter of the Australian, English or South African Test teams you'd be more than likely of the opinion that, in the past 12 months, no single cricketer has had more say on the outcome of individual matches than Mitchell Johnson. A simple way to break down his impact is to run the rule over his performances from a traditional football-style "best-on-ground" point of view. Looking at each game logically, whilst bearing in mind the contribution all 22 players have made to the contest, allows you to award 3 votes for the 'Man of the Match', 2 for the second best player and 1 for the third. Incredibly, from 9 starts it would be more than reasonable to award Johnson 12 votes or four best-on-ground efforts. In the past 12 months, he has been the match winner in almost half of the Tests he has played and with the performances considered winding up at the end of July, he may well secure his second Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year along with the 2014 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year. Investigating all Tests played since March 2013 using the 3-2-1 voting system, several facts become apparent. Firstly, there have been some stunning efforts throughout the Test cricket world and none more so than Brendon McCullum's knocks of 224 and 302 in back-to-back Tests during New Zealand's 1-0 series win at home over India in February. Secondly, the Test minnows are more than capable of holding their own, with Bangladesh a case in point. They're not being beaten up as you'd expect in recent times having lost just 3 times from their past 8 Tests, despite Sri Lankan freak Kumar Sangakkara thumping five tons, including a 319, and two fifties in four Tests against them. Bangladesh have drawn a series against the Black Caps, beaten Zimbabwe and unearthed 22 year old wunderkind (I've always wanted to write 'wunderkind') Mominul Haque who has peeled off three tons and as many fifties in his seven Tests, including a superb 181 at Chittagong against NZ. Thirdly, while individuals within a Test line-up may enjoy a 'Golden summer', 5-day cricket requires the load to be spread across a team, particularly over an extended period in order to sustain success.
As the number 1 ranked Test nation on the planet, I have awarded eight South Africans with votes across their seven matches played. Considering the Proteas had four of their players selected in the World Test XI - Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander – you could easily surmise that they have dropped away considerably in the past 12 months, particularly as only de Villiers and Amla have polled in multiple matches. Compare their record to a resurgent Australian side; a rebuilding India and a rising-fast New Zealand who have twelve, nine and eleven vote getters respectively and the reason those combinations are on the march becomes apparent. Granted the Aussies and Kiwis have played 16 and 12 Tests each. However their contributions have come from multiple players rather than relying on dominant individuals, as is the case with England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
From their 15 Tests, I have awarded twelve English players votes with Stuart Broad the standout collecting eight. Of these dozen chief contributors, only Alastair Cook, Broad, James Anderson, Ian Bell and Ben Stokes were a part of their last Test in Sydney which signals the crossroads the Old Enemy have found themselves at.
At the other end of the spectrum, Australia have narrowed their outlook post-Micky Arthur and picked a stable Test team with a combination of experience and youth rather than simply having a selection policy aimed squarely at the future.
Since the 4-zip drubbing in India, the Aussies have gone from a side reliant upon the batting feats of Michael Clarke and the long dry bowling spells of Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon to a combination bristling with contributors. I have awarded Johnson, Clarke, Smith, Harris, Lyon, Rogers, Haddin and Warner votes in multiple matches, which more than underlines their ‘champion team’ ethos as opposed to a ‘team of champions’.
Anyhoo, let’s get down to brass tax. As of today, my 2014 ICC World Test Cricketer of the Year voting is as follows with the top 20 listed. Of the six players nominated for the award in 2013, only Sangakkara holds his place in the top dozen. ‘Inhaaaaale!’
By Steve O'Loughlin