No Indian, Pakistani bowlers in Walsh's top 11 paceman list

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ANI Johannesburg
Last Updated : Feb 07 2015 | 12:10 PM IST

Former West Indies great Courtney Walsh has listed 11 bowlers to watch out for at the Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but the list does not include any Indian or Pakistani bowler.

Walsh's list includes Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander from South Africa; Mitchell Johnson and Pat Cummins from Australia; Keymar Roach, Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder from West Indies; James Anderson and Steve Finn from England; and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga.

Walsh claimed that he did not choose any bowlers from Pakistan and India because he has not seen much of Pakistan of late and that no India seamer stands out, Sport24 reported.

Regarding Steyn's inclusion in his 11-strong list, Walsh said that the South African pace spearhead has been one of the most consistent fast bowlers in the last few years, and has a controlled aggression. He claimed that he likes the pacer's control and change of pace he has.

On Morkel, Walsh said that he has height, good pace, gets good bounce and asks good questions of batsmen, adding that with the pitches expected to help his style of bowling, he is certainly a bowler to watch.

Walsh claimed that Philander does not have express pace, but he makes up for that with consistency and swing, bowls a very good line and length would be putting the batsmen under pressure early and could be a wicket-taker.

Regarding Australian pace spearhead Johnson, Walsh insisted that with him playing at home, he can be a handful on most surfaces, adding that the paceman's confidence would be very high and a lot would be expected of him from his team and captain.

Walsh also said that having seen Cummins first hand in South Africa a few seasons ago, he was truly impressed with the bowler and his pace and control, adding that knowing the home conditions he would be expected to play a key role in leading the Australia attack.

Regarding Roach, Walsh said that he is expected to spearhead the West Indies pace attack, adding that though he is not as tall as some of his colleagues, he has pace and hits the right areas. While for Taylor, Walsh added that he has pace and swings the ball both ways, insisting that once he finds his rhythm he can be a problem bowler for any batsman.

For Holder, Walsh said that though the paceman might not have the experience of some of his seniors, but added that with his height he could be troublesome for batsmen. He added that Holder can be a match winner for his team, and would be learning new tricks all the time as well.

For Anderson, Walsh said that the paceman has been leading the attack for England for some time now and a lot would be expected from him, insisting that he swings and seams the ball around and with the expected conditions would ask some good questions with the new ball.

Over Finn, Walsh said that he is another one with good height and he is showing good form and aggression on the bouncier Australian wickets, adding that this World Cup could be where he shows his worth and make a name for himself.

Regarding Malinga, Walsh added that he would lead the Sri Lanka attack and he has pace along with a very good Yorker, claiming that it would be interesting to see how he uses it on these bouncier pitches.

Walsh represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the team in 22 Test matches, and is best known for a remarkable opening bowling partnership along with fellow West Indian Curtly Ambrose for several years.

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First Published: Feb 07 2015 | 12:02 PM IST

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