Five pacers likely to push batsmen on the backfoot at the World Cup

New Delhi: With the advent of two new balls in ODI cricket, the game has titled heavily in favour of the batsmen. Fast bowlers have not been able to successfully generate reverse swing -- a big weapon in the arsenal of pacers in the 90s and early 2000s.

Coming to the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales, the dry pitches and hot weather will make it even more tough for the bowlers, especially pacers, to contain the batsmen.

IANS looks at the top five bowlers who can pose a threat to batsmen in England:

Jasprit Bumrah (India): Rated by many as the best bowler in the world at present, Bumrah will hold the key to India’s chances of winning the World Cup for the third time. The number one-ranked ODI bowler is a death-overs specialist and his unorthodox action, along with his ability to generate pace and bounce, can prove tricky for batsman to handle.

Kagiso Rabada (South Africa): The 23-year-old has taken centre stage ever since he made his international debut in November 2015. Rabada’s raw pace and his ability to generate bounce and swing on any given track provides skipper Faf du Plessis with an opportunity to pick wickets at any given stage of the game.

Mitchell Starc (Australia): The left-arm pacer is arguably one of those players who will be closely followed by cricket fans during the World Cup. Starc will have to play a big role in leading the Australian bowling attack in their bid to defend the title they won in 2015 at home.

Trent Boult (New Zealand): The New Zealand left-armer has been leading the bowling attack since many years for his team. He, alongside Starc, was the leading wicket-taker in the 2015 World Cup.

One of the key aspects which separates Boult with other pacers is his control and accuracy. He can swing the ball day in day out on any pitch across the world.

Hasan Ali (Pakistan): The 24-year-old Hasan Ali rose from a talented bowler to a match-winner by delivering some dazzling performances during the 2017 Champions Trophy. Ali, who was adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the Champions Trophy, played a pivotal role in Pakistan clinching their maiden title by picking up 13 wickets.

Indo-Asian News Service