Wasim Jaffer, the celebrated former Indian cricketer, now a popular commentator, made his picks for the ultimate Left-handers’ XIs the day following International Left-Handers’ Day. Both his Test and ODI picks instantly sent waves of nostalgia and appreciation rumbling through the cricketing world as fans and experts alike were reminded of the golden careers of the greats mentioned in those lists.
That Jaffer’s sides read like a testament to the razor’s edge number of left-handers who have impacted top-level international play is realizing charismatic figure upon figure of world-standing impact in their primes. The test and ODI teams, combined, easily look like they would have been two of the most balanced and destructive teams ever assembled.
A day late but here’s my Test and ODI left handers XI. What’s yours? #LeftHandersDay pic.twitter.com/4BjGkNJ5Jh
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 14, 2024
There were a few obvious names that became the crux of the team composition in both formats, which only highlighted the similarity between the two sets of performers. Matthew Hayden, the powerhouse Australian player, was a recurrent name, though the circumstances were different: as an opener in the Test side and at number three in the ODI lineup. Similarly, the cricketing greats Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara formed a part of both the teams, with Sangakkara being the wicketkeeper of the team and customer as the captain of the ODI Team. The difference in their positions was much of a slight variation between the formats, with Sangakkara and Lara taking up the crucial number 3 and number 4 spot in the ODI team, respectively, while the roles of the Test XI were changed to suit the dynamics of the format of longer duration.
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In the Test side, Jaffer presented a nostalgic homage to Adam Gilchrist, the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman whose aggressive batting and remarkable glovework changed the perception of a guy who can keep wickets. Gilchrist, with his lightning strike rate of 81.95, was an automatic choice as player, as was Allan Border, the doughty Australian captain who led the world in Test runs with 11,174 before Brian Lara overtook him.
Indian cricket was well represented in Jaffer’s selections; it included the master of the knuckleball, Zaheer Khan, and the innovative wristspinner, Kuldeep Yadav. Then there is Yuvraj Singh, who, after all his World Cup 2011 heroics—a Player of the Tournament—enters the ODI pool with his legacy as one of the most dynamic left-handers the game has ever seen.
Indeed, cricketing royalty had graced the all-rounder positions in both teams. It was an easy choice for the Test team, for Sir Garfield Sobers remains arguably the best all-rounder in the game’s history, with his batting, bowling, and top-class fielding all admired. For the ODI team, Jaffer picked Michael Bevan, the finisher extraordinaire of Australia, and Lance Klusener from South Africa, who had made a name for himself with big hits and clutch handiness.
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The fast-bowling department has, of course, been represented by Wasim Akram, with reason, as the “Sultan of Swing.” There was definitely no introduction needed for the legacy of being one of the greatest fast bowlers who could rip through any opposition’s innings with the new and old ball alike. He is joined by Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka, Mitchell Johnson of Australia, and Trent Boult of New Zealand, each boasting a style of their own. In the ODI squad, it was Mitchell Starc with Vaas to reveal a modern-day evolution of left-arm pace bowling, with pure pace and precision calling the cards.
