ICC World Cup 2019: Team-wise destructive player

The batsmen today don’t really follow the cricket manual. The advent of T20 format has brought in a new facet to the game. ODI cricket has evolved and strike rates have become a key aspect in a player’s selections. Batsmen nowadays are capable of changing the course of the game in a space of few overs. The World Cup is scheduled to commence on May 30 in England. The brand of cricket England team has been playing shows the kind of conditions which will be on offer in the tourney. Flat decks, small boundaries and thick edges of bats; suggests that it is going to be a run feast this summer. And therefore the teams would like to stack their squad with ferocious hard-hitting batters. Here we look at the most destructive member of each team for the World Cup 2019: 10. Mohammad Shahzad – Afghanistan Mohammad Shahzad celebrates his hundred. (Photo Source: Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images) He is one of the most compelling personalities in cricket fraternity, maybe because of his wide smile or body physique but not more than for his hard-hitting faculties. His happy-go-lucky attitude brings out an audacious and carefree batting style. He became the first Afghani to be named ICC Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the year in 2016. The wicket-keeper batsman has been playing a lot of league cricket in the subcontinent. Recently in a T10 tournament playing for Rajputs, Shahzad scored a brisk 16-ball 74 and brought up his fifty in just 12 balls! The opener idolizes former Indian skipper MS Dhoni and plays his patented helicopter shot often. If he is any near to Dhoni’s striking ability, Shahzad could produce handful of the entertaining performances in the World Cup. 9. Glenn Maxwell – Australia Glenn Maxwell. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) With his clean striking abilities and unorthodox shot making skills, whenever on song Glenn Maxwell sends jitters down the opposition. Maxwell has been a quick scorer his entire career, a strike rate of 120 in ODIs is a testament for that. His talent and temperament was never in question, but his form and consistency has always raised concerns. 2018 may have been a dire year for Maxwell but he had a positive start to 2019 as he was adjudged Man of the Series in the T20I series against India. By scoring a century against a formidable bowling attack, he has rejuvenated himself and possibly Australian cricket. Maxwell already averages 39 in England which is his second best in away countries. With a revived form, ‘The Big Show’ will be Australia’s main man in their title defence. 8. James Neesham – New Zealand James Neesham. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images) It came in as a surprise that James Neesham went unsold in the IPL auctions. But he made the world notice his ball-muscling prowess with a breath-taking innings of 47 from 13 balls following it with a 37 ball 64 against Sri Lanka. Neesham was out of the side for the entire 2018, but he has been exceptional since his return in January earlier in the year. The Kiwi all-rounder has scored 204 runs in 5 innings at an astronomical strike rate of 182. The conditions in England are much similar to that in New Zealand if the pitches and the sizes of the grounds are concerned. The Black Caps will be hopeful for Jimmy Neesham to continue his devastating form and take them one step further where they ended in the last World Cup. 7. Kusal Perera – Sri Lanka Kusal Perera. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Short back-lift, attractive pull shots and an antagonistic mindset towards the cricket ball; there are plenty of reasons why Kusal Perera was hailed as a successor to Sanath Jayasuriya. The pocket dynamite batsman demonstrated his six hitting knack as he smacked 14 sixes during a gargantuan innings of 336 runs of 275 deliveries in a first-class game. It isn’t long ago since Kusal Perera scripted the most famous win in Sri Lankan Test history. He single-handedly took his team to a one-wicket victory in Durban as he took the attack to likes of Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. Sri Lanka may not be favourites to reach the final four in the World Cup, but individual performances from someone like Kusal Perera might give them a new lease to live on. 6. Tamim Iqbal – Bangladesh Tamim Iqbal. (Photo Source: Twitter) Tamim Iqbal is the nephew of former Bangladesh skipper, Akram Khan but that has nothing to do with his aggressive yet graceful style of play. A typical left-hander with the penchant for creaming the ball through the covers, he is Bangladesh’s main player in the upcoming mega-event this time. The 29-year-old has been in international circuit for over a decade. From averaging 21 in his debut year to an average of 85 in 2018, Tamim has been the spine of Bangladesh’s top order. And en-route, he became the country’s all-time highest run-getter in ODIs. Tamim played an imperative role in Bangladesh’s run upto the semi-finals in CT 2017 and also averages of 50.71 on English soil which should delight the fans. 5. Jos Buttler – England Jos Buttler of England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Joseph Charles Buttler has become England’s limited-overs icon. He is designated as the best finisher currently, and a career strike rate of 118 justifies the same. Buttler’s style of play resembles to England’s all-out attack strategy. He is adept in remorselessly tonking the bowlers to all the corners of the ground. Buttler amassed runs at an average of 51 in 2018 and he has had a thunderous start to 2019 by smashing the Windies’ bowlers for a 77-ball 150. With an average of 54 and strike rate of over 150, he single-handedly took Rajasthan Royals in the playoffs of IPL last year. Though he is an opener in T20s, Buttler will be England’s trump card in the World Cup taking up the role of a prime finisher. 4. David Miller – South Africa David Miller. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images) South Africa’s World Cup campaign took a major blow when star batsman AB de Villiers announced a sudden retirement. Although nobody could ever fill those shoes, David Miller along with the all-rounders will have the responsibility of providing the final touches to their innings. Miller has always been well-known for his swashbuckling capabilities. He made a name for himself in 2013 IPL where he was the highest run-getter for Punjab. He accumulated 418 runs at an average of 59.71 and a sky-high strike rate of 164. He scored three fifties and a hundred where he humbled the RCB bowlers to score a century of only 38 balls. The left-hander also holds the record of joint fastest century in T20 Internationals. If South Africa have to end the hunt for their first World Cup trophy, ‘Killer Miller’ will have to turn on his beast mode. 3. Fakhar Zaman – Pakistan Fakhar Zaman. (Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Not many cricketers have had as a sudden rise in international cricket as Fakhar Zaman. While Indian fans remember him for his hundred in Champions Trophy final, Zaman continued his rich vein of form in 2018 as well. He scored 875 runs at an astonishing average of 67 last year. In 31 innings short ODI career the left-hander already holds a number of records; fastest to 1000 ODI runs, first Pakistani to hit a double century, highest opening stand and more. A strike rate of 96 indicates his assertive approach right from the start of the innings. He can be supple as Salman Butt and hostile as Afridi, which makes him Pakistan’s kingpin for another tournament triumph in England. 2. Rohit Sharma – India Rohit Sharma. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images) There have always been an abundance of batting talent in India, but there has never been somebody who made batting look as easy as Rohit Sharma does. Talent,’ lazy’ elegance, inconsistent- were some terms used to describe him in the early part of his career. But Rohit put all those to bed since Champions Trophy 2013 where he was promoted to open the innings. As an opener, he averages 57 amassing over 5000 ODI runs. Rohit has thirteen scores of over 130 in 22 centuries including three double tons which justifies his knack of occupying the crease for long durations. He has been in an incredible form in 2017 and 2018 by scoring at an average in excess of 70 each. Rohit needs time to set the pace to his innings. But once the new ball is negated, he is the most destructive batsman in world cricket. 1. Chris Gayle – Windies Chris Gayle. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Christopher Henry Gayle needs no introduction whatsoever. Regarded as the most ferocious hitter of the cricket ball ever, Gayle holds almost all batting records in T20 cricket. He has played T20 leagues around the world and had successfully asserted his dominance. He may have troubles against off-spin and short pitch deliveries but his long reach and brute power hasn’t spared any bowler. He has been in and out of the ODI side in the past few years owing to issues with the board or for fitness reasons, but of late Gayle made a comeback in the national side with a bang. In just 4 innings against England he has scored 424 runs with an astounding strike rate of 134 and has joined the 10000-run club in ODIs. Playing international cricket for almost 20 years, Gayle has announced his retirement from ODIs and this will be his one last crack at winning the trophy. Having rediscovered his form the ‘Universe Boss’ is set to make people drop their jaws for one final time to envoy his ODI career. ~ Written by Jatin Khandelwal

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ICC World Cup 2019: Team-wise destructive player

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