ICC Cricket World Cup: 5 players who starred in 2011 but have flopped in 2015

When it comes to players who have earned their place in the pantheon of World Cup greats, what stands out, apart from their ability to perform on the biggest stage and win matches single-handedly, is their consistency in producing performances from one edition to the other. Whether it is a Sachin Tendulkar or a Glenn McGrath, they were able to come up with match-winning performances on a regular basis, which is why they finished as the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker of the World Cup, respectively.Talking specifically about the 2011 and 2015 editions, there have been a few players who did extremely well in the subcontinent in 2011 but have failed to replicate that level of performance this time around.Here’s a look at 5 such players:

#1 Shahid Afridi

Pakistans Shahid Afridi has been an enigmatic character right throughout his 19-year international career. The 35-year-old is a classic example of a cricketer with animmense amount of potential who has not been able to transform that into performances in the international arena on a consistent basis and do justice to his ability.

He started off his career batting at the top of the order and bowling leg spin occasionally, but in recent years, he has made himself into a dependable bowler who comes off with the bat only every once in a while.

In the 2011 World Cup, he took 21 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 12.85 and finished as the joint highest wicket-taker of the tournament along with Indias Zaheer Khan, helping his side play a key role in reaching the semi-finals.

Heading into the current edition of the tournament, then, Afridi was once again someone whom Misbah-ul-Haq had pinned his hopes on to help Pakistan progress deep into the tournament. While Pakistan are on course to reach the latter stages, it is very much on the back of the quicks who have done a commendable job.

Many expected Afridi to set the tournament on fire considering this is his swansong to ODI cricket and he wouldve been eager to end on a high, but thats not been the case and he has been a huge disappointment, having taken just 2 wickets in 5 games at an average of 107.

What has happened in the past is irrelevant now, though, and the veteran all-rounder would be hoping to put in a good performance and ensure that they qualify for the quarter-finals.