adminThe World Cup may be over but county cricket followers will not be deprived of seeing some of the big-hitting stars of the tournament in action. A host of the top talent on display in Australia and New Zealand over February and March will be plying their trade in county cricket this summer.
This includes five players who made it into the International Cricket Council team of the tournament, New Zealand’s record-breaking opener, some of world cricket’s most explosive batsmen and an all-rounder nicknamed “Boom Boom”.
Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe)
“An excellent addition” was how Notts director of cricket Mick Newell described Kolpak signing Brendan Taylor on 11 March. That was made to look like something of an understatement when, three days later, he scored a superb 138 against holders India in Zimbabwe’s final Pool B game and the 29-year-old’s final ODI. He bowed out of international cricket as the tournament’s fourth highest run-scorer, earning him the 12th man spot in the ICC team of the tournament.
What the right-handed wicket-keeper-batsman lacks in power, he makes up for in guile and Notts will be grateful for his ability and experience, particularly at the start of the season when they will be without Michael Lumb and Jake Libby.
As an added bonus, Taylor is a Kolpak signing, allowing Notts to bring in Vernon Philander, Ben Hilfenhaus and Darren Sammy as overseas signings.
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)
McCullum came agonisingly close to leading his country to the biggest prize in cricket.
Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
Guptill demonstrated his explosive power at the top of the order in an ODI against England in May 2013 with an unbeaten 189 in an 86-run win.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
Aggression, timing, creativity; just three of the things Tillakaratne Dilshan will bring to the Derbyshire top order in 2015.
Chris Gayle (West Indies)
Brilliant and frustrating in equal measure, Gayle is always entertaining.
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
Left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Sangakkara is currently top of the International Cricket Council Test batting rankings and second in the ODI standings.
Grant Elliott (New Zealand)
Elliott’s forte is the shorter formats of the game, where his strong temperament, powerful middle-order hitting and efficient medium-pace swing bowling make him an extremely valuable commodity.
Corey Anderson (New Zealand)
A true finisher, Somerset will be hoping he can do just that when he joins them midway through the T20 Blast.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
He has raw power and unique ability to improvise against even the most well-placed of deliveries.
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
Northants are hoping “Boom Boom” can give them the explosive start they require to their short-form campaign. — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter