| A cricket player who can bat, bowl and field is an | | | | provides support to frontline bowlers, reducing their |
| asset to any cricket team. Traditionally, a cricketer | | | | workload. In modern cricket, pitches are |
| who can bat and bowl is identified as an all-rounder, | | | | batsman-friendly, ensuring that bowlers toil for longer |
| although wicket keeper-batsmen are now listed as | | | | periods in the field. An all-rounder 's inclusion in a |
| all-rounders. The definition of an all-rounder goes | | | | cricket team spreads the burden around. A team also |
| beyond that, however. A genuine all rounder is one | | | | has more wicket-taking options- instead of resorting |
| who excels in two or more specialties. Cricket pundits | | | | to 'dibbly-dobbly' bowlers- when an all-rounder is |
| consider the likes of Garry Sobers, Jacques Kallis and | | | | present. |
| Mahendra Dhoni genuine all-rounders because they | | | | The wicket keeper-batsman is considered an |
| are highly competent in more than one cricketing | | | | all-rounder in modern cricket. The wicket keeper |
| specialty. | | | | must be able to perform well behind the stumps. |
| There are different types of all-rounders in cricket. | | | | However, in modern cricket, the 'keeper is supposed |
| One can be a batting or bowling all-rounder, | | | | to be able to hold a place in front of the stumps. |
| wicketkeeper-batsman or just an all-rounder. Batting | | | | Teams no longer have the luxury of playing specialist |
| all-rounders tend to be stronger with their batting, | | | | wicket keepers who cannot score many runs. The |
| with the same principle applicable to bowling | | | | wicket keeper- batsman lengthens the batting line up |
| all-rounders. A wicket-keeper batsman is classified as | | | | while a good one actually bolsters the middle-order. |
| an all-rounder because wicket keeping is a specialist | | | | A good all-rounder can also give team selectors and |
| position. | | | | the captain more options. For instance, an all-rounder |
| There are cricket pundits who opine that an | | | | who bowls finger spin can be played as an extra |
| all-rounder should be able to earn a place in a cricket | | | | spinner on a turning pitch. He can also provide a spin |
| team solely on the merit of one specialty. Regardless | | | | option when the pitch is seaming and a specialist |
| of what kind of all-rounder it is, the importance of | | | | spinner is required. The bowling style of an all-rounder |
| one to a cricket team cannot be understated. | | | | allows teams to be more flexible with bowling |
| An all-rounder adds depth to the batting line-up. The | | | | selections. |
| presence of one or more all-rounders in a cricket | | | | In a cricket team, the all-rounder has an unenviable |
| team tends to lengthen the batting order significantly. | | | | workload. However, the all-rounder is in a position to |
| Teams with genuine all-rounders find that their middle | | | | compensate for a bad performance in one |
| order extends to the Number 8 or 9 position in the | | | | department with success in another. All told, the |
| batting order. A genuine all-rounder reduces the | | | | cricket all-rounder provides more options to team |
| length of the 'tail', allowing teams a chance to | | | | selectors and can lengthen the batting line-up or |
| recover from batting collapses. | | | | strengthen a bowling attack. |
| When a cricket team takes the field, an all-rounder | | | | |