The future of one-day cricket?

In a recent press conference, Ricky Ponting described Australia's batting line-up as a glimpse into the future of one-day cricket. What he meant was that since the inclusion of Cameron White, virtually all of Australia's batsmen were strong six-hitters.

Australians in particular seem to be convinced that this is the future of one-day cricket, ever since their startling defeat at the hands of South Africa when they'd set them 435 to win.

We disagree. In a one-day match today, England were bowled out for 155, Australia's big-hitters floundered and it was left to Mike Hussey to see them home for the loss of six wickets. There'll always be matches like this. Every side has to have room for a player who recognises when singles are a valuable commodity.

A Shahid Afridi six

We've just been watching some Shahid Afridi videos because of a future update. There are lots of sixes, as you'd expect. We're expecting to be six numb later.

Hitting sixes is what Shahid Afridi does, but this one's just ludicrous:

Ricky Ponting's 'future of one-day cricket' increasingly sounds like balls

A week or so ago, Ricky Ponting pronounced that a batting line-up of six-hitters was 'the future of one-day cricket'. Two days ago, we revealed that as being complete testicles.

Today we underline how right we are and how wrong Ricky Ponting is. Australia beat New Zealand. The top-scorers were Michael Clarke and entirely predictably, Mike Hussey - Australia's two least six-happy batsmen. Okay, Hussey managed one six, but still.

Don't think for a minute that you've heard the last of this. We'll still be boring the arse of you with it when Robo-Ponting 9000 lifts the six-hitting World Cup in 2050.

Herschelle Gibbs hits six sixes in an over

We've just seen it with our own eyes. Six sixes from the bat of Herschelle Gibbs.

D L S Van Bunge of Holland was the unlucky bowler. At this stage, he's the only Dutch bowler to have gone for more than 36 runs. The first six went out of the stadium then there were four more and the sixth earned one million dollars for Habitat for Humanity.

Bad luck, people at Johnnie Walker. There'll be no Christmas bonuses for you this year.

Million dollars for six sixes in an over during the World Cup

If anyone hits six sixes in an over during this World Cup, Johnnie Walker - the whisky folk - are going to give a million dollars to Habitat For Humanity - a charity who build homes for deprived communities.

We see this as being an open and unrefusable challenge to the likes of Ricky 'sixes are the future' Ponting and the rest of the hulking beefcakes. If sixes are so easy, go for it. There's a million dollars at stake here that would benefit the needy.

Gary Sobers managed it. Are you saying that you're not as good as Gary Sobers? Are you saying that you're in some way inferior to the greatest cricketer who ever lived?

Ian Bell, England - World Cup player to watch

We're sick to death of seeing Kevin Pietersen's face everywhere. We're with him when he starts batting, but there's no need to highlight him before the World Cup. It's pretty obvious that he's England's most destructive one-day batsman. Here at King Cricket we're more subtle. Oh, okay - more obstinate.

Similarly, we think Monty Panesar could have a big World Cup, but again, he's somehow too glamourous. James Anderson's already made an impact at past World Cups, so he's out. Paul Nixon's worth listening to, but not watching. Andrew Flintoff's another who's too obvious.

So, Ian Bell then...

Well bear with us. England's number three has a reputation for clogging up the top-order with his 'staunch' batting style, but we know for a fact that Ian Bell has all of the shots - ALL OF THEM! At least he's got all of the shots from the old textbooks. The books before innovation became so painfully desirable.

Everyone's focussing on all the big-hitters and we'll admit, we're also guilty of that - picking Justin Kemp as one of our players to watch, for example. We've just got a sneaking suspicion that maybe international cricket's reaching saturation point with the rope-clearers.

There comes a point where skill is being sacrificed in favour of power and at some point that will start to tell. Not that these six-an-over behemoths are without skill. It's just that little extra strength and that little less finesse projected over the entire cricketing world.

At some point, there'll be a tricky wicket and low scores. Talent will out. Maybe Ian Bell won't win some crucial match for England, but we're picking him as an emblem of a certain brand of cricket.

Other players to watch during the World Cup