Team tactics at different ICC Cricket World Cups

May 28 (CRICKETNMORE) - Over the 44 years since the first World Cup that has never been more obvious than in the tactical evolutions that have taken place in the white-ball game. Mike Brearley’s Art

BATTING KEEPERS

Bevan is far from the only Australian to have innovated on the way to World Cup success. In 2007, Adam Gilchrist took from another sport on his way to a third title.

In an attempt to loosen his grip on his bat, Gilchrist decided to put a squash ball in his glove, and it clearly worked as he hammered 149 on his way to the man-of-the-match award in the final against Sri Lanka.

It may not have taken off as a tactical innovation adopted by all, but that little squash ball seemed to make all the difference for the Aussie wicket-keeper.

Keepers have had their fair share of success at World Cups, particularly in more recent editions where Gilchrist led the charge as a batsmen.

It was no longer sufficient for a ‘keeper to be flawless behind the stumps, they also had to contribute with bat in hand.

So much so that India made the decision to use Rahul Dravid as a keeper, to great effect, while more recently MS Dhoni, Kumar Sangakkara and AB de Villiers have kept and piled up the runs.

There have been plenty of other examples of teams changing the way the game has been played, whether it was Wasim Akram and Imran Khan’s use of reverse-swing at the 1992 World Cup, or Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Dilscoop.

As the game continues to develop and teams constantly look for an edge, we could well see another innovation in 2019.

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ICC