ICC World Cup 2019: 3 all-rounders who could be match winners for their teams
The cricketing world's attention will now shift to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which is all set to begin on 30th May. The tournament will take place in England and Wales. Ten nations from all over the globe will compete for the most prestigious trophy.
This year the trophy will be contested in a different format, called 'round-robin'. In the 'round-robin' format, there will be a single group of 10 teams, each team will play the other nine once, and the top four teams at the end of the group phase will progress to the semi-finals.
Superstars from all over the globe will be action. Here, we have a look at 3 all-rounders who could be match winners for their teams.
#1 Hardik Pandya
India's long hunt for a quality pace bowling all-rounder seems to be over. Hardik Pandya has shown glimpses of brilliance in his short international career for India. His ability to decimate any bowling attack on his day and pick up important wickets makes him a match winner in limited overs cricket.
However, what remains an issue for India is his inconsistency. Pandya has scored 731 runs at an average of 29.24 and picked up 45 wickets in 45 ODI matches which do not do justice to his potential.
India's top order has been in fantastic form of late which will only make things easier for Hardik Pandya who will have the responsibility of finishing off games for the side. He has improved by leaps and bounds as a bowler and will be India's third seamer in the upcoming World Cup. India will only hope that Hardik Pandya carries his magnificent form into the World Cup.
#2 Andre Russel
West Indies have slowly started to click as a unit and will only go from strength to strength with the return of their premier all-rounder Andre Russell into the side. He has scored 998 runs at an average of 28.51 and picked up 65 wickets in 52 matches. have great
However, what works in his favor is his recent form. The Jamaican born cricketer was in scintillating form throughout the IPL and ended the tournament with 510 runs and 11 wickets in 14 matches. Russell's ability to hit sixes at will and pick up crucial wickets makes him a match winner in the shorter format and it will be important for him to convert his T-20 form into ODI form if West Indies have any chance of replicating their past glory.
#3 Mohammad Nabi
Afghanistan has made giant strides in international cricket and has produced many superstars. One of them is Mohammad Nabi, who is undoubtedly one of the best all-rounders in the world at the moment. With 2565 runs and 118 wickets to his name in 111 ODI matches, Nabi has played a pivotal role in Afghanistan's success in international cricket.
His ability to deceive some the best batsman in the world and play powerful shots down the order makes him a force to reckon with. The onus will be on the former Afghanistan skipper to produce some match-winning performances for his team in the World Cup.