Ranking the all-rounders of all 10 2023 ODI World Cup teams

The forthcoming ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 is just around the corner and the hype surrounding it is expectedly palpable.

The 13th edition of the mega event will begin on October 5 when the last edition's finalists, England and New Zealand, will go up against each other at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

It will be the first time India will solely host an ODI World Cup. In 2011, India co-hosted the showpiece event alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

All-rounders have traditionally played a crucial role in ODI World Cups, for instance, Kapil Dev in 1983, Imran Khan in 1992, Lance Klusener in 1999, and Ben Stokes in the last edition.

The 2023 ODI World Cup will also see several world-class all-rounders take centre stage.

On that note, we rank the 10 teams participating in the ODI World Cup 2023 according to the quality of all-rounders they have in their ranks.

#10 Netherlands - 6/10

Netherlands will enter the 2023 ODI World Cup as minnows [Getty Images]

The Netherlands made it to the main leg of the tournament after progressing through the qualifiers earlier this year.

The upcoming mega event will be the biggest learning curve for the current Dutch team. However, it is also true that their side is the least fancied among all the 10 participating teams.

Among all-rounders, all hopes will be pinned on Bas de Leede. Son of former Dutch player Tim de Leede, Bas has been one of his side's best players leading into the ODI World Cup.

Bas de Leede has scored 285 runs at an average of 47.50 and has taken 15 wickets across seven ODIs so far this year. However, he remains the only first-choice all-rounder on the team.

While the Netherlands do have Teja Nidamanuru, Shariz Ahmed, and Sybrand Engelbrecht in the mix, they are yet to make fruitful contributions in ODIs.

#9 South Africa - 6.5/10

South Africa lacks all-rounders [Getty Images]

Jacques Kallis, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, and JP Duminy are just a few of the several world-beating all-rounders that South Africa has produced over the years.

However, they will enter the ODI World Cup 2023 as one of the teams lacking greatly in the all-rounder department.

They have only two all-round options available in the form of Marco Jansen and Andile Phehlukwayo.

Although Jansen is yet to have an imposing innings with the bat in ODIs, he will be South Africa's only viable option to bridge the gap between batting and bowling.

Phehlukwayo, meanwhile, has played just two one-day internationals so far this year. Due to his consistent poor performances, he was also dropped from the national team before making his comeback in the ODIs against Australia earlier this month.

While top-order batter Aiden Markram will also certainly be seen rolling his arm over, South Africa will largely be dependent on their specialists to do the job at the ODI World Cup 2023.

#8 Afghanistan - 6.7/10

Rashid Khan will be the lynchpin for Afghanistan [Getty Images]

With their passion and indefatigable spirit for cricket, Afghanistan are expected to cause some damage to their opponents in the forthcoming ICC event. However, much will depend on the shoulders of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan.

The two Afghan stalwarts have been phenomenal for their teams. However, it is also true that their brilliant bowling performances overshadow their ordinary returns from the bat.

In ODIs, Nabi averages below 27, while Rashid has only scored 1,211 runs at an average of 19.53 across 75 innings. The duo will be looking to contribute more with the bat in the upcoming tournament.

Among other all-rounders, they also have Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmat Shah. While Shah has been decent with the bat but ordinary with his leg-spins, Omarzai has been pretty routine, with only 137 runs and six wickets across 13 ODIs in his career.

It came as a huge shock when Afghanistan left out Gulbadin Naib in the 15-man selected squad. Had he been on the roster, Afghanistan would've certainly looked stronger on paper.

#7 New Zealand - 6.7/10

Mitchell Santner will be crucial to New Zealand's success at the CWC [Getty Images]

A team that punches above its weight, especially in ICC tournaments, New Zealand has always had several multi-faceted players in their team for decades.

However, it is a bit startling to see New Zealand so low on the list. After all, they lack a genuine top-quality all-rounder in the team. Having said that, they do have options in the form of Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, and Mitchell Santner.

One of the most concerning areas for the BlackCaps will be the form of Neesham and Santner. While Neesham has only played two ODIs so far this year, Santner has taken just four wickets across seven ODIs in 2023.

Daryl Mitchell has been the only shining all-rounder for the Kiwis in ODIs for some time now. The 32-year-old is New Zealand's highest run-getter in ODIs so far this year, with 652 runs at an average of 43.45 across 17 ODIs.

Apart from this, New Zealand also have Rachin Ravindra in the squad. However, the young left-armer still remains an understudy for Santner but will be looking to showcase his mettle on the world stage.

If they are to go deep into the tournament, New Zealand would hope for Neesham and Santner to rise to their potential.

#6 Pakistan - 7/10

Pakistan will be rearing to do well at the ODI World Cup 2023 [Getty Images]

Pakistan, one of the favourites to qualify for the semi-finals, have been struggling with bridging the gap between batters and bowlers for some time now.

While their top-quality specialist batters and pace bowlers select themselves, Pakistan's problem lies at No. 6 and No. 7. At these positions, they need hard-hitting batters who can also chip in with some overs.

Fortunately for them, Pakistan witnessed a mature campaign from Iftikhar Ahmed at the Asia Cup. The 33-year-old scored 179 runs at an average of 89.50 and also took four wickets, including a match-changing spell of 3/50 in a must-win game against Sri Lanka.

While Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan remain certain starters, Pakistan would hope Mohammad Nawaz comes good with his left-arm angle.

They also have Agha Salman, who can be a decent part-time off-spinner for Pakistan at the World Cup.

#5 Sri Lanka - 7/10

Sri Lanka were dealt a huge blow ahead of the ODI World Cup when Wanindu Hasaranga failed to recover from a hamstring injury and missed out on the mega event.

Without Hasaranga, Sri Lanka now have three all-rounders in the mix, including skipper Dasun Shanaka. Unfortunately for the Islanders, Shanaka has been enduring his worst-ever year in ODIs, having only scored 258 runs at a poor average of 16.12 across 18 innings.

With Shanaka being out of form, the load must be shared by Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage. Both the spin bowling all-rounders have been in fine tune ahead of the World Cup.

Wellalage, in particular, has been a revelation for Sri Lanka. He has taken 10 wickets across eight ODI innings this year, including his brilliant five-wicket haul against India during the Asia Cup 2023.

Sri Lanka have all the ingredients to find success on the Indian soil but will have to perform at their highest level to go deep into the tournament.

#4 Bangladesh - 7.7/10

Bangladesh have strong all-rounders in the mix

Led by No. 1 ranked ODI all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh has a strong group of multi-faceted players.

The recent rise of Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been nothing less than spectacular for Bangladesh. The talented all-rounder has slowly become an integral part of the national side and has consistently dished out special performances, either with bat or ball.

Apart from this, Bangladesh have also welcomed the comeback of Mahmudullah in the team. The 37-year-old has been part of 221 one-day internationals in his career and will bring a lot of experience to the fore. He also has over 5,000 ODI runs and 82 wickets in the format.

Shakib, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Mahmudullah are expected to be Bangladesh's three main all-rounders in the tournament.

Not to forget, the Bangla Tigers also have Mahedi Hasan in their ranks. The right-arm spinner has taken eight wickets at a wily economy rate of 4.48 in ODIs and is a handy operator with the bat as well.

#3 India - 8/10

India are heavy favorites to win the ODI World Cup 2023 [Getty Images]

Team India made a late alteration to their squad for the ODI World Cup as Ravichandran Ashwin replaced Axar Patel after the left-arm spinner failed to recover from his injury.

This meant that India would enter the showpiece event with Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur as the two pace bowling all-rounders. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be the two premier spin-bowling all-rounders.

While India's team looks one of the best on paper, there are still some question marks. Apart from Pandya, no other all-rounder has been able to be effective in both departments consistently.

While Thakur has remained unproductive for some time now, Jadeja's returns with the bat have been few and far between. Since 2020, he has made only 448 runs across 21 ODI innings. Sadly, he has struck at a poor rate of 77.37 in those innings for India.

As far as Ashwin is concerned, he does boast a plethora of experience while bowling in India. However, how India utilises his batting remains to be seen.

Having said that, all four of Pandya, Thakur, Jadeja, and Ashwin are top-quality players and can change the complexion of a game single-handedly.

#2 Australia - 9/10

Australia have a few world-class all-rounders in their ranks [Getty Images]

At No. 2 are the record five-time champions, Australia. Despite losing four of their last six ODIs, the Men in Yellow will be one of the teams to beat at the ODI World Cup 2023.

Apart from their match-winning specialists in David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins, Australia have a wonderful bunch of all-rounders. These can come up with impactful performances from time to time.

Glenn Maxwell's bowling spell (4/40) in the third ODI against India in Rajkot would've certainly boosted confidence in the 34-year-old. He will look to be a key figure in Australia's campaign at the World Cup.

In Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green, Australia also have two high-quality pace bowling all-rounders. While Green is yet to take the 50-over cricket by storm, he still remains one of the hottest assets going around in world cricket.

If Green manages to adapt to bowling in Indian conditions, he can work in tandem with Stoinis. The sight of Maxwell, Green, and Stoinis bowling around 20 overs together will give Pat Cummins the luxury of playing four specialist bowlers in the starting XI.

Moreover, they also have Mitchell Marsh in the team, who is as destructive as anyone in the game.

However, he hasn't bowled in ODIs so far this year, and only time will tell whether the medium pacer, who has 54 ODI scalps to his name, will roll his arm over in the World Cup.

#1 England - 9.5/10

England have the best set of all-rounders [Getty Images]

Defending champions England have arguably the best set of all-rounders at the ODI World Cup 2023. The Jos Buttler-led side will be riding high on confidence after beating New Zealand 3-1 on home soil earlier this month.

England have plenty of all-rounders to choose from and will be one of the most fearful teams in the World Cup.

While there still remain question marks over Ben Stokes' availability as a bowler, England still have Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, and David Willey as proper seam-bowling all-rounders.

Sam Curran is probably the most exciting of the lot. The left-arm pacer can nail those yorkers in crunch situations and is also adept at clearing the ropes with the bat. Woakes and Willy, meanwhile, will predominantly take care of bowling with the new ball.

Among spin-bowling all-rounders, England will be able to muster the services of Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone.

Both Ali and Livingstone are two of the cleanest strikers in the England team. However, their spin bowling will also be a crucial asset for the side.

With a rich profusion of bowling options and a deep batting line-up, England are most certainly going to be the team to beat at the much-awaited ICC World Cup 2023.