A Round-up of All the Eminent Players Not Playing in the World Cup

Ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, all the teams have been configuring their best players and fixing them in their respective squads. In all, 10 teams will be taking the field and confronting each other for the biggest prize, the World Cup trophy. However, owing to some frequent injuries sustained by some of the prominent players, the much-awaited tournament has been cut short of potential on the team’s side. Along with injuries, the selection process is one of the main factors responsible for the dismissal of key players. Let us see who these players are and what effect they had on their teams. 

The Speedsters

Sri Lanka’s top-class bowler and all-rounder, Wanindu Hasaranga, is the latest player to join the list of players who will not be appearing for the World Cup. Another one is South Africa’s fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Nortje’s dismissal is certainly the biggest blow to South Africa. New Zealand’s fate also received a setback with right-arm bowler Tim Southee’s unavailability for the World Cup. The star bowler got his right thumb dislocated in the recent ODI series against England. 

Last but not least, Pakistani pacer and rising star Naseem Shah’s exclusion came heavy on Pakistani cricket fans. The 20-year-old has been ruled out of the game due to a shoulder injury he sustained in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup against India. Coming to India, all-rounder Axar Patel suffered multiple blows to his body during the Super 4 match against Bangladesh. Axar has been replaced by young bowler Washington Sundar. 

The key batters

England’s Jason Roy failed to earn a call-up from the management, which had decided to call Harry Brook. Being a senior opener and experienced player, Jason’s last-minute exclusion from the squad disappointed the people of England. Another one on the list is Travis Head, who hails from Australia and is currently facing a hand injury. From India, the eminent batter to miss the tournament is Rishabh Pant due to a tragic car accident he faced earlier this year. Rishabh sustained multiple injuries and has been advised to rest. 

The International Cricket Council asserted that all the teams must finalise their 15-member squads prior to September 28th. However, only three teams have finalised their squads, which are England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.