Will the Aussies absence really matter?

With some star players going back to comply with their national duties, will it bring out new heroes to the forefront

Come May 1st 2008 and the face and fate of IPL could be different. Some of the IPL’s biggest entertainers or most anticipated ones would be leaving the magnificent affair for their national duties. The big names from Down Under will go back for a pre-series training camp. The West Indians will be playing a bi-lateral series against Australians. The Kiwis will be heading to English soil to play against the Poms.

But in retrospect it isn’t a panic situation for most of the teams. Almost all teams have a replacement to fill the spot of the departing members. Call it ironic or a co-incidence, of the 16 IPL matches played till 29th April, the foreign recruits have won the final honours in majority of the matches. Only two Indians have won the man of the match awards; namely Virender Sehwag and Yusuf Pathan.

The inaugural match was out and out McCullum affair for Knightriders. Match two was lit by Michael Hussey’s fireworks for Chennai. Match three showed the utility of having Sri Lankan Maharoof in the Daredevils side. David Hussey, the Australian T20 specialist and brother of Michael Hussey held it up for Kolkata Knightriders in the fourth match. Mark Boucher stamped his class in the fifth game for the Royal Challengers which was also the team’s first victory.

Shane Watson was at his brutal best during the sixth match and gave Rajasthan Royals a deserving victory. The first Indian to win the T20 man of the match award was Delhi Daredevils skipper Viru in the seventh match. Dominating as ever Matthew Hayden kept the eighth match and won it for his team the Superkings. Rajasthan Royals’ Yusuf Pathan with his multi-utility skills lapped up the ninth match honours where Symonds had already stamped an authoritative century. Sangakkara’s swashbuckling innings ensured Mohali a deserving and much awaited victory.

Hayden stamped his class once again in the eleventh match but it was his Superkings team mate Jacob Oram whose incisive bowling bagged him the honours. Shane Watson was once again the stand out performer in the twelfth match. Simon Katich, before leaving the league embossed his class in the thirteenth match with a more than handy innings for Mohali outfit. Adam Glichrist flayed the Mumbai Indians in match number fourteen and got the Deccan Chargers their first victory. The most expensive IPL player MS Dhoni led from the front and proved his worth in the fifteenth match giving his team a deserving victory.

The departing squad for Chennai Superkings includes Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and Jacob Oram. But then Makhaya Ntini and his hard-hitting compatriot Albie Morkel and in stock Stephen Fleming will give some options to Dhoni. But the fact of the matter is that batsmen of Hayden’s caliber and Hussey’s cricketing sense are rare commodities. But with Dhoni’s leading records, Coach Keppler Wessels will not be a worried man.

Firebrand stuff from McCullum and Ponting’s tactical astute will be dearly missed by Sourav’s Knightriders. The vacuum created by these two players will have to filled by Salman Butt and Tatenda Taibu, neither of whom have the records to match the absentees. But Umar Gul’s presence will only strengthen their bowling with Ishant already on fire. In any case a Ganguly knock is also pending. John Buchanan’s experience in man-management skill will be tested in the scenario.

The team least bothered by this will be the Shane Warne inspired Rajasthan Royals. In fact their side will be bolstered with the entry of English T20 specialist Dmitri Mascarehnas.

Recently drafted left armer Sohail Tanvir adds an interesting dimension to the bowling attack. Younis Khan at disposal to solidify the struggling middle order would be a great help to captain-coach Shane Warne. Within four hours of his arrival in the country Graeme Smith has already made his mark. Even the Delhi Daredevils will only miss the services of Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori. But the side will be bolstered by the entry of AB DeVilliers.

Kings 11 Punjab will miss the services of their last man of the match Simon Katich and bowling lynchpin Brett Lee. Kyle Mills will go back without playing a single match. It would be serious concern for skipper Yuvraj and Coach Tom Moody to fill in the gap left by Brett Lee. Katich’s job could be well covered up by Mahela Jayawardene or a James Hopes too. We might just get a chance to see the U/19 champ bowler Ajitesh Argal playing for Yuvi’s side.

For Deccan Chargers they will be losing their most expensive buy, Andrew Symonds. But with Shahid Afridi in and Herschelle Gibbs waiting for a chance and not to forget the multi-utility skills of Scott Styris, Laxman doesn’t have to worry much. Symmo is of course a step ahead of an Afridi and Styris in terms of all round skills, but then the fact is that he’s leaving. Robin Singh won’t think much before drafting Gibbs to add more fire-power in the side.

Royal Challengers will miss the services of Shivnaraine Chanderpaul at the top of the order. Kiwi Ross Taylor and Australian T20 specialist Ashley Noffke will also leave the squad, with Taylor’s services missed the most. But with the entry of rapid-fire bowler Dale Steyn and T20 hero Misbah-Ul-Haq, Dravid’s worries would be nullified. Tchhhh Tchhhh… let us not forget their eye-ball popping Washington Redskin cheering squad.

A depleted Mumbai Indians side will only miss Dwayne Bravo who has actually not contributed much to the side. With a missing Harbhajan and unfit Sachin, Mumbai outfit first needs to gather a core supporting the experienced Pollock and Jayasuriya. Nothing is working for them and for the time being they have nothing to lose too.

As anticipated by some that the league won’t be same again on the contrary it would be interesting to see new heroes emerging. But it is in your face that Australians are professional champs. Whether for their country or their club, they stand out for their performance.

s_gautam@dnaindia.net