Philander has had a dream start to his career. Many wonder how he has managed to do so well without having a lot of pace. Will his good performances last?
Vernon Philander
Nine five-wicket hauls in just 19 games tells the story of a bowler with a large capacity for dismembering batting units, quelling the doubts of those who considered his pace too gentle and the movement he elicited too slight for him to succeed the highest level. For years he plugged away in first-class cricket, racking up impressive numbers, but denied promotion to Tests, most likely due to a stereotype that looks askance at fast bowlers incapable of blinding pace.
Vernon Philander