World Cup 2019: 5 all-rounders to watch out for
The twelfth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup is less than 100 days away and the countdown has begun for cricket's biggest event with teams more or less settling down on combinations. Most teams look to have made up their mind on the core of the team with a few slots here and there to be filled. At the moment it seems no team can be considered as an underdog going into the tournament, probably for the first time ever.
Talking of team combinations, every team aspires for at least one very good all-rounder who can win matches with both bat and ball. There have been different modes of all-rounders - the batting all-rounders who bowl a bit, the bowling all-rounders who bat a bit and the genuine all-rounders who are equally good in both departments.
A genuine all-rounder is a blessing for any team, especially in a big tournament like the world cup. They allow the captain to go in with one extra batsman or an extra bowler depending on situations. Here we look at 5 such all-rounders to watch out for in the upcoming World Cup:
#5 Jason Holder
The West Indies skipper who was handed over the captaincy just ahead of the 2015 World Cup has transformed into a much more matured player and a brilliant leader. Leading his side through all the adversaries of controversies between the players and the board and not being able to gather a full-strength team owing to off-field issues, Jason Holder has been one of the best performers for his side in the past few years in all formats of the game.
The ability to hit monstrous hits down the order as well as stitching a partnership when the situation demands makes Holder special. Someone with a never say die attitude, Holder has led from the front with both the bat and the ball, inspiring with his performance every now and then even when the whole team was failing.
The hard work is finally reaping fruits as West Indies are slowly getting into a state where they can beat any side on any given day. And much credit for the improvement goes to the consistent and inspiring performances by Holder both as a skipper as well as a player.
Holder is currently in the form of his life as an all-rounder and is currently leading a West Indies side capable of bringing back glimpses of their glory days. And he will definitely be one of the keys to West Indies' success in the World Cup.