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Ricky Ponting
Time was when tubby captains could loll around at slips imperiously and expect the men to play fetch or stop the ball. No longer. Superfit Ponting sets the standard. The Aussie skipper can do all that Rhodes does and better—hit the stumps with impunity with his throws. And if his diving and catching and throwing don’t set the nerves tingling, his cutting and pulling and driving certainly will.

Lou Vincent

He’s opened, batted in the middle order and even kept wickets. But if memory’s short on all this, it’s because he’s setting the turf on fire in the inner circle with his razor-sharp fielding, sowing images of a certain Rhodes. Vincent is still getting there but in South Africa, he and other flying Kiwis like Chris Harris will provide further glimpses of the mean New Zealand fielding machine.

Mohammed Kaif
the worst-kept secret of the Indian team is that Kaif has the lowest fat content among all. And it shows. The Kid from Kydganj, Allahabad, sprints like he’s being pursued by western UP goons and hits the baize-green so often he could well be ducking bullets. The dead-eye certainty of the masters has still a while to go, but the World Cup could be a nice showcase for this un-Indian skill.

Jonty Rhodes
In 1992, Rhodes took the world stage while turning one of the most boring aspects of cricket into its most spectacular. Now in his fourth Cup, even with the wild sweeps and scamper for impossible singles, it’s his pick-up-and-throw that viewers look forward to. Along with Gibbs, a near-impregnable video-wall in the 15-yard circle.

Mathew Hayden
the big man has till now been about big scores. No real weaknesses and a beautiful, uncluttered technique which sends the ball screeching to all parts of the ground. His sheer weight (inter alia) had him struggling in the international arena initially...but since 2001 he’s been a revelation. An India tour netted him 549 Test runs in just six innings. With a tally of 1,391 runs a calendar year, he also went past the yet unsurpassed Bobby Simpson record for the most prolific scorer in a single calendar year.

Nathan Astle
The swashbuckling instinct, that’s his trademark. In 1999-2000, Astle was awarded the Walter Hadlee trophy for his batting in odis. In 16 matches he averaged 56.85 including an average of 80.00 in the five-match series against the West Indies. And it was the second year he had earned the trophy. The Canterbury batsman has also developed into a genuine bowling option in the one-day game, with a knack for breaking lingering partnerships (just like Tendlya). But his most fearsome feat last was in the Tests—an astonishing 222 off just 168 balls in March last year when he carted the England bowlers all over the ground. Needless to say, it’s now the fastest Test double century on record.

Marlon Samuels
That red handkerchief; anyone watching the India-Windies series last season will know. The Steve Waugh-handed hankie was the one he pulled out after smashing his maiden odi century off just 73 balls (including 21 off a Srinath over). The Jamaican-born cricketer is the one of the most exciting prospects to do the Calypso beat in a long time. Holding the wishes of an island that produced the Whispering Death, here’s hoping that the new willow on the block sweeps the opposition clear.

Herschelle Gibbs
he’s been haunted by the ‘dropped catch’ from the ’99 Cup and the fixing allegations. But Gibbs the opener—and his panther-like presence on the field—has made him invaluable to the team. Along with Kirsten, they probably form one of the most consistent of the opening pairs today. The textbook shots notwithstanding (the straight drive’s particularly impressive), he’s now quite an improviser too.

Michael Vaughan
For somebody who would have been an automatic selection to any one-day team, it was his record in the recently concluded Ashes series that found him a place in the final World Cup 15. The leading run scorer in the series, he saved the day for the Barmy Army. With his instincts, he could again be in the run for the top scorer record.

Virender Sehwag
The blaster’s been a handful for any opposition in India but they were still doubts. In the New Zealand odis, he came up with a century that put paid to rumours of flashing bats and cement feet. The "Najafgarh ka Tendulkar" now threatens to eclipse the original. What better setting than the World Cup?

Shoaib Akhtar
apparently, Shoaib was never interested in cricket. And he couldn’t run in fast since he was flat-footed by birth. But who cares? Fast and furious for rival batsmen’s toes, the Agriculture Bank officer’s raw pace has rightfully restored the bad name of pace bowling. And his off-field antics, aah…a tribute to Pak’s phillumy connections. Nice ice-breaker: "I have Raveena Tandon’s number." Unsafe to say: "Kya chakker hai?"

Shane Bond
Umm...those commentators are milking the cliche. But let’s hear it again: "The name is Bond. Shane Bond. And he likes his Martyns shaken and stirred." But anybody who can shake up Steve Waugh and make him sacrifice his wicket deserves the mantle. The Christchurch police officer, at plus-140 km per hour on any ordinary day, has given his side of dibbly-wobbly bowlers more than a feel of that "bleeding edge" it requires to figure on the world stage.

Zaheer Khan
Till he burst on the scene two years ago, the only yorkers the Indian team knew was the ones that got them out. But with 15 wickets in his first two major tourneys, Khan quickly showed he could play the part. Still better, he’s now come to be the main purveyor of the Indian pace attack. Quiet aggression, and a willingness to bend the back. We have hope.

Makhaya Ntini
There are only three speeds that the former cowherd knows—fast, faster and fastest. He runs in fast, bowls faster and then returns to the bowling mark, via mid-wicket with no signs of exhaustion. The man who was once charged, convicted of rape in 1999 did not fortunately expend his energies in suchlike pursuits. His return has seen him show greater control and wicket-taking ability and a relentless stamina. A Marshall-Mark II missile, he’s now emerged as one of the most unlikely poster boys for post-apartheid Africa.