Cricket: 10 Twenty20 stars to watch

Brendon McCullum is among New Zealand's most influential players. Photo / Sarah Ivey

With the ICC World Twenty20 cricket championship about to get under way in England, focus turns to the players who can turn a match with a single act of brilliance.

Test cricket calls for patience but the shortened game requires players who are ready to take risks. David Leggat looks at 10 players who could set the tournament alight


1 Ross Taylor, New Zealand
You can mount an argument that No4 is the key batting position in a Twenty20 team. If the openers have made a flying start, it's a role which demands no slackening of the pace; if they're back in the pavilion early, he's the person who needs to steady things and maintain a solid tempo. Taylor had a mixed Indian Premier League, but there were some exhilarating moments for the Royal Bangalore Challengers en route to the final. He can look a slogger at times, but he's got the ability to be New Zealand's matchwinner.


2 Chris Gayle West Indies
At the inaugural world Twenty20, cricket's Joe Cool has the only international century so far in this form, 117 off only 57 balls against South Africa two years ago. Ten blows sailed into the Johannesburg crowd. New Zealanders saw the punishing side of Gayle's batting last summer, but he needs the force to be with him. Too often he's a waste of space and his captaincy style is, well, different. He's not an urging, demanding type, and can look as if he'd rather be reclining on a beach. Which Gayle will show up over the next fortnight? If it's that bloke, the Windies are toast.

3 Kevin Pietersen, England
He's England's most popular cricketer ... okay, just joking, but Pietersen is the hosts' most gifted attacking batsman by a mile. But he's had a rough few months. Given England's captaincy, then being stripped of it after indulging in a squeeze play to get rid of coach Peter Moores and finding himself red-carded by the mandarins at Lord's for his cheek. Has a stratospheric opinion of his abilities, and if England are to prosper, they'll need a big hand from 'KP'.

4 Yuvraj Singh, India
The big allrounder fancies himself, all strut and swagger. But he's capable of high-calibre destruction, as he demonstrated at Christchurch in March, clubbing 87 off 60 balls. His biggest claim to fame in this type of cricket was becoming the first player to hit six sixes in an over, during the inaugural world championship, off England's Stuart Broad at Durban two years ago. Yuvraj hit 340 runs at 28.33 in the just-completed IPL and is a batsman who can quickly make up for a tardy start, and he's be a formidable finisher. Averages 32 in 10 Twenty20 internationals.

5 Shahid Afridi, Pakistan
His first ODI innings produced the world's quickest international century, off 37 balls. Okay, it was against Sri Lanka on a postage stamp at Nairobi, but the dashing allrounder can lay waste to the best. Afridi is a popular figure with the Pakistan fans. His rapid leg spin is erratic but he's the second highest international wicket taker, with 22, behind only compatriot Umar Gul, in this form. His batting has been average so far, but he has a keen eye and, as the Yanks would say of a renowned home run hitter, he can hit a long ball. He is dangerous and if he's on song Pakistan will threaten.

6 J-P Duminy, South Africa
A player whose star is firmly in the ascendancy. Had a terrific debut test series against Australia last summer, and he was his Mumbai franchise's best batsman in the IPL, finishing sixth on aggregate with 372 runs at 41.33. It's too cute to call Duminy the new face of the Rainbow Nation's cricket team. For a start he's 25. It's more appropriate to simply look at him as a terrific lefthander who seems unfazed by whatever form of the game he's playing. South Africa are another team who should not be taken lightly, and Duminy is a key reason for that.

7 Ricky Ponting, Australia
Australia are on a two-part mission, and this is very much the entree to the Ashes. Still, they like being on top of the world. They've had enough practice at it of late. Their skipper, however, won't have forgotten the ignominy of losing the urn four years ago. First there's this. The Aussies have several players capable of turning a contest. They've got handy new(ish) players coming through. But if they get within a sniff, look to an old dog. Ponting, who hit a (then) unthinkable 98 in the first ever Twenty20 international at Eden Park, is the man to get the job done.

8 Brendon McCullum, New Zealand
The IPL organisers should forever offer a vote of thanks to the New Zealand vice-captain. In the opening game of the first league, McCullum blazed 158 from only 73 balls for the Kolkata Knight Riders to launch the competition spectacularly. Captained Kolkata second time round and they finished last. Showed signs last season of tailoring his batting to go through an innings, taking slightly fewer risks but not losing his brio. Among New Zealand's most influential players. Needs to go big if they are to have a chance this time.

9 Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka
A fine success in the IPL for Mumbai with 18 wickets, third overall in this latest edition of the league. His unusual round arm action is distinctive and he works up decent pace, a combination which means there can be little time for adjustment. In a game where batsmen have a couple of balls to get their eye in, he's a handful. Indeed, if you fancy a bet at decent odds, you could do worse than Sri Lanka, who have classy batsmen who don't mess about, and three distinctly handy bowlers - spinners Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan - and Malinga.

10 Nathan Bracken, Australia
The foppish hair marks the Victorian left armer out from his mates for a start. He's also rated among the best ODI bowlers in the game. That doesn't necessarily translate into a formidable Twenty20 exponent, but if it's a game made for batsmen, the bowlers who can peg them back are worth a packet. Bracken is the third most successful Twenty20 bowler with 19 wickets at 6.75 per over. Twice he's bowled maiden overs and only eight have done that. Bracken is the chap Ricky Ponting will turn to when the heat is on.