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LONDON. — The World Cup may be over but that does not mean you will 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 wicketkeeper-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. World Cup 2015 Record — six matches, six innings, 433 runs, 72.16 average, strike-rate — 106.91
Did you know? Taylor attended Lilfordia School in Harare, which is run by the mother of former Zimbabwe Test player Alistair Campbell and has also produced two other international talents in Malcolm Waller and Trevor Madondo.
Brendon McCullum (N Zealand)
County: Warwickshire
McCullum came agonisingly close to leading his country to the biggest prize in cricket. Ultimately, New Zealand fell short against Australia but the Black Caps, and particularly McCullum, walked away with their heads held high. It wasn’t so much the number of runs McCullum scored in the tournament as the positive manner in which he scored them, setting the tone for everyone who followed. World Cup Record — Nine Matches, Nine Innings, 328 runs, Average — 36.44, Strike-rate 188.50
Did you know? In his youth, McCullum once kept legendary All Black Dan Carter out as fly-half in their South Islands secondary school rugby union side.
Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
County: Derbyshire
McCullum’s Black Caps opening partner was one of the surprise stars of the World Cup, not because his ability was unappreciated but because of the sheer excellence of his achievements. 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 at the Rose Bowl.
But Guptill beat his own Kiwi record with a brilliant World Cup record 237 not out from 163 balls against West Indies in the quarter-final in Wellington to help him end the tournament as leading run scorer with 547.
World Cup Record — Nine matches, Nine Innings, 554 runs, average — 68.37, strike-rate — 104
Did you know? At the age 13, Guptill was involved in a forklift accident and lost three toes from his left foot, earning him the nickname “Two Toes” within the Black Caps team
Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
County: Derbyshire
Aggression, timing, creativity; just three of the things Tillakaratne Dilshan will bring to the Derbyshire top order in 2015. Such qualities were not on display as often as some would have liked at the World Cup, particularly when it mattered, as Sri Lanka fell to a quarter-final defeat by South Africa. But a return of 395 runs at an average of 65.83, including two centuries, is still healthy and one that Derbyshire will be hoping the 38-year-old will continue when he joins them for two spells over the 2015 season. This will be Dilshan’s second successive summer in Division Two in England after his spell with Surrey last season, during which he played in the T20 Blast and three County Championship fixtures. World Cup Record — Seven matches, seven innings, 395 runs, average — 65.83, five wickets, average — 32.60, strike-rate — 96.57
Did you know? Dilshan has his own clothing range ‘Dil Scoop’, named after his famous shot. He posed for a serious of poster ads for the fashion line that included him abseiling shirtless.
Chris Gayle (West Indies)
County: Somerset
When Chris Gayle scored 215 in West Indies’ 73-run win over Zimbabwe in Canberra, most people assumed we had seen the biggest individual score of the 2015 World Cup. Guptill’s 237 ensured it wasn’t but that takes nothing away from the Jamaican’s magnificently brutal knock.
Brilliant and frustrating in equal measure, Gayle is always entertaining, all of which he showcased with his eight sixes in a score of 61 off 33 balls in the unsuccessful chase of New Zealand’s 393 in the quarter-final. Gayle holds the record for the highest T20 score of 175 and Somerset director of cricket Matthew Maynard believes the 35-year-old has the potential to break T20 Blast records this summer.
Did you know? Gayle hit 26 sixes in the 2015 World Cup — five more than any other batsman. He was the first man to hit a six off the first ball of a Test match — off Sohag Gazi against Bangladesh in 2012.
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
County: Surrey
Left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Sangakkara is currently top of the International Cricket Council Test batting rankings and second in the ODI standings.
That follows 12 calendar months that have seen him score two double hundreds and 319 in the longer format and become the first player to score four consecutive hundreds in the 50-over game at the World Cup.
Less burdened by the need to lead his country in all formats of the game following Sangakkara’s retirement from ODI cricket, Surrey should get a settled player with plenty of county experience, from spells with Warwickshire and Durham, and one at the peak of his powers. With the 37-year-old at one end and Kevin Pietersen at the other, opposition bowlers could be in for some long, painful afternoons at The Oval.
Did you know? At one stage, Sangakkara was not intending to play cricket for a living and was instead pursuing a career in law. 12,203 Test and 14,234 ODI runs suggest he made the right choice
Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
County — Yorkshire
Did you know? Maxwell’s confidence and tendency to play big, extravagant shots has earned him the nickname “The Big Show” amongst his Aussie team-mates.
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
County: Northamptonshire
Did you know? In 1996, Afridi hit the then-fastest ODI century of all time (37 balls v Sri Lanka) and he did it with a bat once belonging to Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, which was given to him by Waqar Younis.
Others
Grant Elliot (New Zealand)
County — Leicestershire
Corey Anderson (New Zealand)
County — Somerset. — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter