5 players you did not know were a part of the 2011 World Cup

It is the dream of every budding cricketer to represent his/her nation at the Cricket World Cup. Over the years, several legendary players have been a part of this tournament. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn McGrath, Zaheer Khan, Ricky Ponting have etched their names in cricket history forever with their remarkable performances in the biggest cricket tournament of the world.

Among all the World Cups, the 2011 World Cup is very close to the heart of the Indian fans. For the first time in World Cup history, a host nation won the trophy on its home turf and MS Dhoni‘s men emerged as the first team to achieve that feat. India ended a wait of 28 years by winning their second World Cup. The fans remember all the players who donned the Indian jersey in that competition however, not many fans would be able to recollect that the following names were also a part of the World Cup that year.

Here are the 5 players you did not know featured in the 2011 World Cup:

1. David Warner

Just like Steve Smith, David Warner played a pivotal role in the team’s success at the 2015 World Cup, however, not many fans would know that Warner was also a part of Australia’s 2011 World Cup squad. Unlike Smith, the left-handed opening batsman did not get a chance to represent his nation at the mega event in 2011.

Warner warmed the benches for the entire course of the competition as Australia used the pair of Shane Watson and Brad Haddin as their openers. The explosive opener from Western Australia was just 23 years old back then.

Australia has been very lucky to have an opener like Warner because he not only scores runs at a brisk rate but he also possesses the ability to play a big innings. The southpaw played a key role for Australia in the next two World Cups.

2. Steve Smith 

Former Australian skipper, Steve Smith, who is ruling the world of cricket at the moment was one of Australia’s main spin bowlers in the 2011 World Cup. The cricket universe would know that Smith started his cricket career as a leg-spinner and as the conditions in Asia favour the spin bowlers, Australia had named Smith in their squad.

He did not play in the quarterfinal match against India at Ahmedabad but during the group stage, he played six matches for Australia. The right-handed batsman scored a 4-ball 11 against Zimbabwe while he scored 15 runs off 17 balls against Kenya. In the game against Pakistan, Smith scored 25 runs from 32 deliveries.

Talking about his performances with the ball, the leggie could pick up only one wicket in the 2011 World Cup. Playing in the Trans-Tasman battle, Smith dismissed New Zealand’s Jamie How. Very few fans would have imagined that he will become Australia’s top batsman four years later.

3. Andre Russell 

One of the most dangerous all-rounders in the cricket world at the moment, Andre Russell had made his one-day international debut for West Indies during the 2011 World Cup. The team management did not pick him in the first few matches. However, he was chosen to play in the matches against Ireland, England and India.

West Indies made it to the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup however, Russell was dropped for the quarterfinal match against Pakistan. Speaking of his performances in the three group matches, he aggregated 52 runs in 3 innings.

He scored 3 runs against Ireland but bounced back with a 46-ball 49 against England. Unfortunately, he could not open his account in the match against India at Chennai. With the ball, the right-arm pacer scalped 7 wickets which even included a four-wicket haul versus England.

4. Kane Williamson 

The current New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson was just 20 years and 9 ODIs old when he was picked to represent his country at the 2011 World Cup. Having very less knowledge about the subcontinental conditions, Williamson made his World Cup debut against Canada. He played a fantastic knock of 34 runs from 27 balls on his World Cup debut.

Next, he could score only 5 runs versus Sri Lanka. New Zealand even made use of his bowling skills in both the matches but Williamson could not pick any wicket. In the quarterfinal match against South Africa, the right-handed batsman scored 38* off 41 balls and guided his team to a respectable total which ultimately helped them win the game.

Williamson failed once again in the semifinal match against Sri Lanka as Lasith Malinga dismissed him when he was on 22. Eight years later, Williamson led New Zealand to their second World Cup final.

5. Imran Tahir

The king of leg-spin, Imran Tahir had not even played his first ODI match when South Africa named him in their World Cup squad. He was 31 years old in 2011 and he did not have even any facial hair. While he is one of the best leg-spinners in the world right now, he was not picked by the team management to play against India at Nagpur.

Tahir featured in 5 matches for South Africa. He showcased his talent on his ODI debut with a fantastic 4-wicket haul against West Indies. Next, he dismantled the Dutch team with 3/41 before troubling England with another 4-wicket haul.

He picked up one wicket against Bangladesh and in the quarterfinal match against New Zealand, Tahir got the better of Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor. Given how he bowled in the 2011 World Cup, he could have easily been the leading wicket-taker had he played in all the matches. Nevertheless, he has ended his international career now but it will be interesting to see if he comes back to the international arena to play in the T20 World Cup 2020.