England being crowned as the new world champions after their nerve-wracking win over New Zealand concluded the 12th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup on Sunday. And while this campaign saw several amazing team performances, individual brilliance was on show in full swing as well.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) sure have named their best XI, but we think there needs to some alterations in the team. That being said, here we present to you ‘Stumped’s Best XI’.
David Warner (Australia):
Having missed the honour of being the highest scorer of this year’s tournament by just two runs, Warner (647 runs) became only the fourth Australian to score 500-plus runs in a single World Cup. It is not just that, his personal best of 166 against Bangladesh is the highest individual score of the tournament. And all these figures coming on the back of a one-year suspension made Warner arguably one of the finest batsmen of the World Cup.
Jonny Bairstow (England):
No Rohit Sharma or Jason Roy. Surprised? Don’t be. Following England’s back-to-back defeats against Sri Lanka and Australia in the league stage, it was Bairstow who led England’s batting contingent by scoring two consecutive tons. Apart from that, his tally of nine catches in 11 games in the tournament is only the third best.
He delivered when it mattered the most; as simple as that. Bairstow might have scored fewer runs than Joe Root but imagine what kind of havoc he might cause with Warner being his partner-in-crime. Sounds familiar, right?
Kane Williamson (New Zealand) (captain):
Leading his team right from the front, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson scored 578 runs (highest score for any captain in a World Cup) in nine innings at an average of a whopping 82.57. Having been named as the ‘Player of the Tournament’, Williamson soared like a true leader throughout the tournament.
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Babar Azam played a huge role in Pakistan’s revival at the death. The Men in Green were indeed eliminated, but it was Babar who made sure the dreams of his nation stay intact right till the very end. In Pakistan’s last four league games, the 24-year-old scored a ton and two half-centuries. Again, when it mattered the most.
Why not Shakib Al Hasan you ask? Well, let’s just put it this way; did Bangladesh have anything to lose? The Tigers were a free-flowing unit and their chances of making it to the semi-finals were slim. Pakistan, on the other hand, were hanging at the edge of the cliff and needed someone to deliver, which Babar did.
Ben Stokes (England):
The man who cruised England to their first World Cup glory, Ben Stokes was absolutely flawless throughout the tournament, scoring 465 runs in 10 innings and picking seven wickets with a mere economy of 4.83. Apart from all that, he also took arguably one of the best catches of the World Cup to dismiss South Africa's Andile Phehlukwayo in the opening game of the tournament.
Enough said, guys!
James Neesham (New Zealand):
Picking 15 wickets, including a five-wicket haul against Afghanistan at Taunton, New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham was one of the glaring lights no one expected to shine. His total of 232 runs in eight innings also proved instrumental as New Zealand booked a place in the final for the second time running.
Not to forget the way he almost guided the Black Caps to glory in the Super Over on Sunday at Lord’s. Almost!
Alex Carey (Australia):
Scoring 375 runs at 62.50 in nine innings, Australia’s wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey did his job to mere perfection. Be it with the gloves or the bat, the 27-year-old stabled Australia’s lower order whenever the situation arose.
Mitchell Starc (Australia):
Being the highest wicket-taker in a tournament like the World Cup isn’t a child’s play. For pacer Mitchell Starc, he has now achieved the feat in two consecutive tournaments. Not only did his tally of 27 wickets in this year’s edition made him the leading wicket-taker, but he also set a new record for most wickets in a single World Cup.
Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand):
Arguably one of the finds of the tournament, Lockie Ferguson overshadowed New Zealand’s main man, Trent Boult, by picking 21 wickets (second-best) in the tournament. Furthermore, his bowling average and strike-rate of 19.47 and 23.9 respectively, too, was better than Boult, making him the most effective pacer of his team.
Imran Tahir (South Africa):
In a rather underwhelming tenure for South Africa, where the likes of Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada were supposed to be the lynchpin, a certain Imran Tahir shone the brightest. At 40, Tahir delivered arguably the best spinning performance of the World Cup, picking 11 wickets in eight innings at an economy of 4.92. Only India’s Yuzvendra Chahal, as a spinner, picked more wickets than Tahir (12) but was expensive overall in terms of leaking runs.
Mohammad Amir (Pakistan):
An economy of mere 4.90 and a bowling strike rate of 25.7 made Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir one of the best bowlers of the tournament. All this coupled with 17 wickets, including a five-fer against Australia, in mere eight innings is a perfect testament of how effective his tenure was on a personal note. He was definitely a bright spot in Pakistan’s otherwise unpredictable campaign.
