World Cup 2019: 7 players who might not play a single match in the tournament
The World Cup is up and running, and it has been a great start to the tournament with some terrific individual and team performances. Some of the teams are off to a flying start, while some have struggled to find their feet. However, with the World Cup being a long tournament, no team can be written off completely so early. Also, as each team are set to play nine matches at least, all the 15 members of the squad have got a real shot at getting some game time. Having said that, there are certain players who might warm the bench for the entire tournament. There are various reasons for it to happen, such as team combinations and the playing conditions. Here, we will look at seven such players who might not get a single game at the World Cup and the analysis of the possible reasons for their omission.
#7 Milinda Siriwardana
Milinda Siriwardana was a surprise pick in Sri Lanka's World Cup squad. Siriwardana last played an ODI for Sri Lanka in October 2017 and wasn't really in the scheme of things for the World Cup. Sri Lanka already have a barrage of all-rounders in the squad such as Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva, and Siriwardana might not be picked in the playing XI.
#6 Tom Blundell
New Zealand selectors surprised everyone when they named the ODI-uncapped Tom Blundell in their World Cup squad. New Zealand were looking for a back-up wicket-keeper and Blundell was deemed perfect for that role.
And even though he made it to the final 15, the 28-year-old might not get any match time in the tournament. Tom Latham is the designated wicket-keeper of the team and unless he is injured, it is highly unlikely that Blundell will get a game.