Twenty20 / Andrew Hughes / 12 January 2009 / Leave a comment

Ok, it wasn't Symonds that said it, it's Andrew Hughes that's saying it but betting.betfair.com's cricket fanatic rates the burly Aussie all-rounder as the finest batsman of cricket's shortest format. But who makes the remainder of Andrew's list?

Are you a wealthy businessman with time on your hands and money to burn? Are you excited by Twenty20 cricket? Maybe you've just purchased a franchise in the IPL or perhaps you've built your own ground on a tropical island? If so, once you've designed your logo, commissioned a pop song and hired some cheerleaders, you'll be keen to get started. But wait. There's something you've forgotten. That's right - you're going to need some players!

But who to buy? There are so many to choose from! That's where we come in. Betfair is not just the world's leading betting exchange. We're also here to help steer our discerning clients through the jungle that is international cricket. To get you started, take a look at this handy and informative guide to the top five most valuable Twenty20 exponents in the world today. (Prices available on request).

Roy the Destroyer

Andrew Symonds is THE best Twenty20 batsman in world cricket. The stats don't lie. With his average over 50 and his strike rate somewhere north of 180, he stands head and broad shoulders above his contemporaries. And for those of you who've bought into the idea that the crocodile-wrestling, pig-hunting, shark-catching Brummie is a wild slogger in the agricultural style, you should think again. His main scoring shots are played with a straight bat and restrained power. Make no mistake, he is a proper batsman. Time will show that he is worth every cent of the $1.35 million that the Deccan Chargers bid for him last year.

King Yuvi

Yuvraj Singh is a thriller. He has an uncanny knack for getting up the noses of English bowlers, perhaps because he is always hitting them for six. With a minimum of footwork, his full-blooded shots end with a flourish of the bat and his powerful yet flexible wrists enable him to play the most audacious strokes. But his most memorable hits are those where he clears his right leg out of the way and smites the ball high into the night sky. India is full of fine hitters, but Yuvraj is the finest.

Mr Cool

The lazy stroll to the wicket; the tall but relaxed stance and the apparent absence of emotion give Chris Gayle an impossibly cool image. Of the three batsmen in the list, he is the purest hitter. He appears to have an age to play his shots and if you give him any width at all, he will free his arms in a trice. The boundary boards in Johannesburg are still ringing with the century he made in the opening game of the last Twenty20 World Cup. The only West Indian to thrive in this format, he gives an innings crucial momentum from the very first ball.

Toe-Crusher Gul

Twenty20 is no respecter of bowling reputations. Yet Umar Gul, the lanky seamer from Pakistan has thrived where countless others fail. He isn't express-pace and his high-stepping run-up does not instil fear. But he is deadly accurate. And when the field has scattered and the bowling has been blasted to all parts, he has the priceless ability to bowl six toe-crunching yorkers in a row. An economy rate of under six an over is testament to his value in this format.

Danny Champion of the World

Spinners have thrived in Twenty20 and the New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has been the best. He has understood an essential truth about Twenty20: that the pressure is really all on the batsmen. He can vary his flight, line and above all, his pace without any discernable change of action. He is the man who applies the brakes in mid innings, inducing panic and mistakes. And he takes wickets too.

Nice one Warner!

Australia has taken to Twenty20 in a big way and it has given some talented domestic players another route to national selection. David Warner of New South Wales is the latest example. His 89 on debut in the first Twenty20 International on Sunday set up a crushing 52 run win over South Africa. The visitors' limited overs performances have been shocking in recent months and they are a whopping [2.82] to win Tuesday's second Twenty20 with the Aussies big favourites on [1.51]