ICC World Cup 2019 | The underwhelming XI of group stage

Openers

Middle-Order

Jos Buttler:  Lauded pre-tournament as a potential MVP, Buttler has barely been a shadow of his own self in this World Cup. Despite his heroics against Pakistan and Bangladesh earlier in the tournament, “Iceman” Buttler failed to deliver and succumbed to pressure whenever his team needed him to fire. Having showcased what he is capable of in T20 tournaments around the World and heading into the World Cup with terrific form, Buttler was touted to be the “X-Factor” of the English batting lineup, but with an average of just 31, he has instead turned out to be a major under-performer. 

David Miller: The retirement of AB de Villiers meant that South Africa were heavily reliant on David Miller to give them the finishing touches, heading into the World Cup. Having earned the nickname of “Killer Miller” thanks to his performances in the IPL, he has been a mere filler for the Proteas in this World Cup. With a strike rate of 86 and an average of 34, not only did Miller fail to score big, but also failed to score quick, thus adding to the woes of the Proteas.

Marcus Stoinis: Stoinis took ODI Cricket by storm striking a heroic 146* in just his second ever innings, and all eyes have been on him ever since. Having built up his reputation as a clean striker of the ball, Australia came into the tournament relying on himself and Maxwell to give them firepower. While the latter has blown hot and cold throughout this World Cup, Stoinis has had no performances of note - with bat or ball. The Western Australian has shockingly averaged just 17.40 with the bat and has looked like a fish out of water. As Australia sweat on his fitness ahead of the semi-final, it won’t be an overstatement to say that an injury to Stoinis might just serve as a blessing in disguise for the Aussies.

Jason Holder: The injury to Andre Russell meant that Holder had to take matters into his own hands, with both bat and ball, and despite being two meters tall, the Barbadian fell way short of what he was supposed to do. Averaging 24 with the bat and 42 with the ball, Holder picked up just eight wickets in the World Cup, finishing his quota of 10 overs just twice. It is fair to say that Holder’s performance in this World Cup has more or less summed up the Windies’ campaign.

Rashid Khan: With people undermining his achievements in ODI Cricket due to a vast majority of his wickets coming against the associates, the World Cup served as a litmus test for Rashid Khan - the most talked about name ahead of the World Cup. But with just six wickets at an average of almost 70, Rashid leaves the World Cup battered and bruised, unable to get the monkey off his back. He is also now the bearer of the most expensive World Cup spell by any bowler with figures of 0/110, thanks to the beating served by Eoin Morgan. One has to look no further than Rashid Khan for the title of “the most disappointing player of the World Cup”. 

Pacers

Kagiso Rabada: With 25 wickets in just 12 matches in the 2019 edition of the IPL, Kagiso Rabada was expected to take the World Cup by storm, with his pace and aggression. While his rivals Starc, Bumrah and Archer have all been exceptional, Rabada has not quite lived up to expectations, and while 11 wickets at an average of 36 are not too bad, those are numbers nowhere near Rabada’s standards. Fatigue and injuries might have played a part but the pacer will definitely look back at this World Cup as a missed opportunity.

Hasan Ali: Man of the Tournament in the 2017 Champions Trophy, Hasan Ali came into the World Cup with high expectations, despite a string of poor performances in build up to the World Cup. But with just two wickets in four innings at an average of 128, Ali hurt Pakistan in more than one way - not only did he not make the most of his opportunities, but also kept Shaheen Afridi out of the team, a player who claimed 16 wickets in the 5 matches he played. For Hasan Ali, sadly,  there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.