With the coveted ICC World Cup 2015 just four days away, the fourteen participating nations are busy playing the warm-up games to find right mix of playing XI for the upcoming tournament. Top 10 Batsmen | Top 10 Bowlers | Biggest Upsets | Top 5 Performances
Almost every team including the four second-tier sides - Afghanistan, Scotland, Ireland and United Arab Emirates(UAE) - boasts potential match-winners who are capable of taking the game away from the opposition. While a few sides are equipped with a lethal bowling attack, others will be counting on their destructive batting unit to get the better of the opposition.
However, finding the perfect playing XI for the 11th edition of the tournament is not going to be easy. The teams will need a few all-rounders to chip in with both the bat and ball to give cover to their sides during the tournament.
So while you keep guessing the potential winner of the World Cup this year, here's our list of top 10 all-rounders who are likely to shine in the upcoming tournament:
Shahid Afridi(PAK):
Playing role: All-rounder
It is always good to have cricketers like Shahid Afridi playing the game for a long time. Looking at him it can be safely assumed that this could be his last World Cup, but with Afridi one can't be so sure. Afridi no more plays the longer format in order to prolong his international career, rightly so, because he doesn't have that temperament nor the style to play Test cricket.
Afridi as a bowler is flat and doesn't have much variety except for the googly and the faster one, but arguably effective in ODIs and T20s. Coming to his batting, Afridi is no elegance rather a batsman who relishes going after each and every ball he faces. But being around for quite sometime, his approach towards batting has changed.
James Faulkner(AUS):
Playing role: All-rounder
The 29-year-old bowling allrounder will be a vital cog if Australia intend to secure the World Cup title. A left-arm medium pacer and right-hand batsman, Faulkner has consistently picked up key wickets and also chips in with a few handy runs while batting in the lower-middle order. The Tasmanian cricketer was unstoppable in 2013, with his match-winning 29-ball 64 against India establishing him as one of the deadliest all-rounders in the limited overs cricket.
An accurate left-armer who can move the ball both ways, Faulkner also possesses a deceptive slower ball, which helps make him a handful in the shorter formats. With three fifties and a hundred in the ODIs alongside 49 wickets, Faulkner is clearly one of the key players to watch out for in the coveted World Cup.
Shakib Al Hasan(BAN):
Playing role: All-rounder
The 27-year-old player is one of the most influential cricketers in the Bangladesh squad. A talented left-hand batsman and left-arm spinner, Shakib Al Hasan is unarguably the best cricketer that Bangladesh have ever produced.
As a bowler, he is accurate and consistent while a wide range of strokes bolstered by a nerver-say-die attitude brings out the best in his batting. In 2015, Shakib became the first cricketer to be ranked at the top in the list of ICC all-rounders across all formats of the game. Shakib had recently played a major part in Bangladesh's 3-0 and 5-0 whitewashes of the Zimbabwe series, collecting 29 wickets and scoring two centuries and a half-century across the formats.
With an aggressive middle-order batting and slow left-arm spin bowling, Shakib is expected to play a major role during Bangladesh's World Cup campaign.
Steven Smith(AUS):
Playing role: All-rounder
The rising star of Australia, Steven Smith goes into the World Cup being in top form after a record-breaking Test series against India. Smith's batting flourished in the captaincy role when he took over the reins from an injured Michael Clarke after the first Test. He went past Don Bradman's for most score in a Test series against India by scoring 769.
This has been a dream summer for Smith so far and more or less Australia's batting will be revolving around him at the World Cup. The journey for Smith who started as a legspinner has establised himself as a batsman with three centuries from 48 matches at an average of 35.70.
Ravindra Jadeja(IND):
Playing role: All-rounder
Ravindra Jadeja is one such cricketer who won't impress you immediately, but his limited skills be it with the ball and bat is an asset for India. His left-arm spin doesn't get much spin but he maintains a tight line and length. Moreover, Jadeja as a batsman lower down the order can bring the long handle to effective use - added to that he is a livewire on the field.
In limited-over cricket, Jadeja is Dhoni's go-to man, especially as a bowler who can get through the overs quickly and keeping things tight. Jadeja also faces the challenge of recovering from a shoulder injury before the start of India's matches.
Moeen Ali(ENG):
Playing role: All-rounder
The 27-year-old English cricketer of Pakistani descent has cemented his place in the team in a relatively short span of time. A left-handed batsman and a more than handy off-spinner, Ali has filled the void in England's long-term struggle of finding a bankable all-rounder.
After building a reputation as an elegant batsman, it was his off-spin bowling that earned him a call-up when England were left reeling from the surprise retirement of their frontline spinner Graeme Swann. His ability to bowl quicker without losing any flight saw the Worcestershire cricketer claim a record 19 wickets - the fourth highest haul any spinner had claimed against India in a Test series outside the subcontinent.
Revelling in the heroics of his spin bowling, Ali capitalized on his promotion as the opening batsman after smashing 72-ball 119, the third fastest ODI century by an England player, against Sri Lanka in 2014. With 497 runs and 14 wickets in just 15 ODIs, Ali will surely be England's trump card in the World Cup.
Corey Anderson(NZ):
Playing role: All-rounder
The 24-year-old Christchurch player is one of the most influential players in New Zealand cricket. Anderson shot to fame in 2014 after breaking Shahid Afridi's 17-year-old record of the fastest ODI century by one ball. He slammed a 36-ball hundred and finished the innings unbeaten on 131 in 47 balls hitting 14 sixes and 6 fours against the West Indies.
Though Anderson's record was recently broken by South Africa's AB de Villiers(31-ball 100), it shouldn't take anything away from the New Zealand cricketer's ability to turn the heat on the opposition. In 2014, Anderson joined IPL giants Mumbai Indians for a staggering Rs 4.5 crore and went onto justifying his price-tag with a pulsating 44-ball 95 to guide his side into the tournament playoffs.
Apart from his powerful hitting, Anderson has also turned out to be an efficient bowler for New Zealand in limited-overs cricket. The left-arm seamer has 31 wickets, including the best bowling spell of 5/63, in 24 ODIs to his name. His presence in the squad only strenghthens New Zealand's chances in the upcoming World Cup.
Suresh Raina(IND):
Playing role: All-rounder
Suresh Raina may have not have found his footing at the Test level, but for India in the shorter formats he is indispensable. His struggle against the short balls in Tests is well known, however, in one-dayers he judges the length quite early and manages to find gaps easily.
His slow offspinners is a plus for Dhoni when he wants to slip through few quick overs. Raina's form would be crucial in India's journey to defend the World Cup.
Darren Sammy(WI):
Playing role: All-rounder
The 31-year-old St. Lucia player is one of the best all-rounders in modern day cricket today. His aggressive middle-order batting and consistent right-arm seam bowling has turned him into a crucial player for the West Indies.
Sammy's medium-fast pace bowling will be of great use to support West Indies' strike bowlers in the World Cup. A consistent bowler, though he does not move the ball much Sammy delivers the ball with an upright seam and uses the crease to vary his angle of delivery. As a batsman, his strike-rate in ODIs of 98.11 is the second highest amongst West Indian players who have faced at least 500 deliveries (behind all-rounder Andre Russell on 119.34), and in ODI innings of at least 25 runs holds the second, third, and fourth highest strike rates of West Indian players.
Thisara Perera(SL):
Playing role: All-rounder
The 25-year-old Colombo player is an aggressive left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler which makes him an ideal attacking all-rounder. Perera is fast establishing himself as one of Sri Lanka's key 'impact' players, capable of clearing the ropes and breaking partnerships with his nippy seam bowling.
During an ODI series in 2012, Perera became first ever person to take 6 wickets against Pakistan in an One-Day International - also his career best. In the 4th ODI of the same series, Perera became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to take a hat-trick in ODIs. His ability to clear the fence with ease was at full display in 2013 when he slammed South Africa's Robin Peterson for 35 runs in a single over(6,6,6,4,Wd,6,6). Peterson's over is the second most expensive in ODI history.
Perera also slammed a 23-ball fifty against England in 2014 which is the second fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in ODIs. With over 1,000 runs and 112 wickets in ODIs, Perera is one of the highly influential players in the Sri Lankan squad.
