5 most underrated cricketers at the moment
International cricket can turn an ordinary player into a superstar with just one special performance. Players who possess extraordinary talent and who are able to convert their potential into big performances often catch people's attention. These players grab all the attention and are often labelled as 'Players to watch out for'.
While the sport is kind to some players, it is cruel to some others.
There are a lot of players who, for some mysterious reason, have failed to achieve the superstardom status. These players might or might not possess any special ability but they keep on churning out performances consistently and produce the goods for their teams more often than not.
Unfortunately, these players remain in the shadow of the star players and their efforts often go unnoticed. Despite being an integral part of their respective teams and doing everything that their teams ask for, they have remained underrated throughout their careers.
Here are five of the most underrated cricketers at present.
#5 Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis played in the same age group sides as the legendary Ab de Villiers. But unlike Ab de Villiers, who made his debut at a very early age, du Plessis made his international debut at the age of 26 in the year 2011. The right-hand middle-order batsman has played some gritty innings for South Africa, especially in Test cricket.
But unfortunately, he doesn't have the finesse and class that his teammates Ab de Villiers and Hashim Amla have. The 34-year-old's mediocre Test average of 41.27 does not reflect the telling contributions he has made for the Proteas.
His average of 45.12 and strike-rate of 88.58 is a testimony of his versatility as a batsman. Also, amidst the leadership crisis in South African cricket, du Plessis stepped up and has led his country brilliantly.