TWILIGHT ZONE

The replacements: Phil Jaques, Brad Hodge, Mark Cosgrove, Simon Tait, Michael Johnson, Brad Haddin and Dan Cullen.

The Australian selectors have been aware of this en masse retirement problem and their hunt for possible replacements is on. Two left-handed batsmen Phil Jaques and Brad Hodge have shown the potential to step in the shoes of Hayden and Langer. Jacques happens to have piled up huge scores in first class cricket. Thrice he has scored 1000 plus in a season — once for New South Wales and twice for Yorkshire. Others too have proved their worth to wear the Baggy Green. Hodge has a double hundred in Tests, Tait is seen as the next Jeff Thomson, Johnson the next Lillee.

Haddin showed in Malaysia earlier this year — he hit 4 sixes and 7 fours in his 70 against West Indies — that he can be a Gilchrist in the making. But the biggest question is: Is there anybody who can replace Warne? Young offie Dan Cullen is being groomed but he doesn’t seem to be in the Warne class.

India
Crisis on cards
Average Age: 30
Nearing retirement:
Rahul Dravid (33),
Sachin Tendulkar (33),
Sourav Ganguly (34),
VVS Laxman (32) and
Anil Kumble (36)

TO retire or not has been an age-old problem with the Indians. But a crisis looms on the horizon post the 2007 World Cup. The big four of Indian cricket — Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman — and of course, Anil Kumble are at the fag end of their careers. How long they continue next year onwards will only be a matter of their personal choice or their fitness.

It is impossible to find another Tendulkar, Dravid or a Kumble. But in the long run, India desperately need to find a solution in case these stalwarts are to hang up their boots.

Possible replacements: “There’s no talent of international class around,” said BCCI’s chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar.

There are quite a few names popping up now and could well be the next generation cricketers but there is time before they will be ready for the top job. Mumbai’s Rohit Sharma, Hyderabad’s S Teja, Delhi’s Virat Kohli, UP’s Tanmay Shrivastava, Saurashtra’s Cheteshwar Pujara — these are names that could well be the future stars of Indian batting. On the bowling front, somebody like Piyush Chawla definitely has the talent to be the GenNext spinner.

But these players are young and would not have matured if and when players like Tendulkar or Dravid retire. For India, the immediate future looks bleak.

South Africa
All-rounder problem, not problem all around
Average age: 27-28
Nearing retirement:
Shaun Pollock (34)
Jacques Kallis (31)

While it will be tough for Pollock to stay on for long, Kallis too might find it difficult to play the untiring pacer/main batsman all-rounder’s role. Other than that, South Africa doesn’t have a retirement problem. In case their 24-year-old captain Graeme Smith gets over his bad batting form, Safs don’t have a long-term leadership issue.

The replacements: Dale Steyn, Jacques Rudolph, Justin Kemp, Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Morne Morkel

The problem for South Africa is that they will have to take in specialists to replace the world class all-rounders. Steyn, the new face of the South African pace attack, is seen as the next Allan Donald while Morkel too has potential. Rudolph, Kemp and van Jaarsveld have proved their worth on the international arena, so a sudden drop in standards after the high-profile departures isn’t expected. But, considering their selection policies, everything in the rainbow nation isn’t black and white.

West Indies
After Lara, who?
Average age: 27
Nearing retirement:
Brian Lara (37) and
Shivnarine Chanderpaul(32)

On the face of it, the West Indies seem to have the same kind of age problems as New Zealand. But when the name Brian Lara crops up, the problem turns into a crisis. Lara happens to be the one man who can hold the cricketers from various islands together. Lara the batsman is impossible to replace and the same is true for Lara the captain. Chanderpaul, at 32, has a few years of international cricket left in him but whenever he takes a bow, the West Indies cricket crisis will deepen.

Possible replacements: Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Gayle can aspire to match Lara the batsman but his leadership skills are suspect. Sarwan, despite his experience of leading West Indies before, isn’t seen as a leader by experts. Marlon Samuels is a dark horse, looked on as a replacement for Chanderpaul.

Sri Lanka
World champs on the brink
Average Age: 29
Nearing retirement:
Sanath Jayasuriya (37),
Muttiah Muralitharan (34)
Chaminda Vaas (32)

The trio of Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas form the last of the legacy that Arjuna Ranatunga’s World Cup winning team left behind. The collective loss of form of the three against India last year and the team’s drubbing gave a glimpse of things to come in the next couple of years. It remains to be seen if some prodigy is unearthed at the Emerald Isle to replace the stalwarts of world cricket. It will be a miracle in case it happens since it’s not everyday that one gets a batsman who is capable of scoring 18,000 international runs, a world record breaking freak spinner and a pacer who is dangerous even on the flattest of wickets.

The replacements: Malinda Warnapura, Malinga Bandara, Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Gayan Wijekoon.

Lanka have options, considering their small but competitive domestic pool. The threat they posed in the Duleep Trophy in India this year is substantial proof of how a player like Warnapura is fast improving as a batsman. On the bowling front, Malinga Bandara and Kaushal Lokuarachchi — both leggies — are already fighting each other for a place in the squad while Gayan Wijekoon, the left-arm medium-pacer is already being considered as the appropriate replacement for Vaas in the future.

New Zealand
Who’ll head the Black Caps?
Average age: 29
Nearing retirement:
Stephen Fleming (33) and
Nathan Astle (35)

New Zealand might find batsmen who can fill the shoes of Fleming and Astle but it will be tough to find heads to fill their thinking caps. For quite some time there has been a consensus in world cricket that Fleming has the sharpest cricketing brain. Fleming is known for his innovative instincts that have shaped the New Zealand side from a motley bunch of average cricketers to a team that can upset any team in the world. Astle’s Man Friday-like presence next to Fleming in slips, his knack of breaking partnerships and those blinding knocks have given the Black Caps a special status in world cricket.

The replacements: Daniel Vettori (skipper), Neil Broom and Geoffery Barnett.

Fleming has said several times that Vettori would make a great captain. In the few games that the world’s best left-arm spinner has led the side, he certainly has shown glimpses of his leadership skills. But will he be the next Fleming? Any Kiwi fan would be delighted in case it happens. The two possible replacements for Astle and Fleming the batsmen could be Neil Broom and Geoffery Barnett.

Pakistan
Average age: 27
Nearing retirement:
Inzamam-ul Haq (36)

Traditionally a squad with a generous sprinkling of talented teen-saplings, the current Pakistan Test unit bears an uncharacteristically mid-20’s look. With only two over 30 in the team which beat West Indies 2-0 at home recently, and no one younger than 24, Pakistan look well-placed in their attempts to rebuild under Bob Woolmer after the mass-sacking following the 2003 WC disaster. Inzamam, 36, battling injuries is fast-approaching his natural end.

Possible replacements: Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan.

As a pure batsman Inzi’s absence wouldn’t be a big handicap. Yousuf, at 32, shows no signs of ageing after finishing with a record-breaking year for most Test runs in a calendar year and capping it with his nine Test-ton almanac. Younis Khan, the third of Pakistan’s Big-3 at 29 still has the best years ahead in his pet No 3 position.

England
Age a non-issue
Average age: 28
Nearing retirement:
Ashley Giles (33)

England find themselves in a tricky situation since recent happenings have shown that age isn’t a factor when it comes to retirement. At 30, Marcus Treschothick, like Graham Thorpe, has lost the motivation to turn up at the cricket ground. Steve Harmison, 28, has decided to skip ODIs. With an average age of 28, England seem to be the team best prepared to rule world cricket while the rest of the teams would be grappling with major replacements. But it can only happen in case there aren’t any sudden departures.

Ashley Giles at 33 is the oldest in the England squad, but they already have Monty Panesar.

(Average age is of the players that were part of the present Test squad of teams)