Best Asian ODI XI among current players

Cricket has a very rich history in Asia and is a ‘festival’ particularly in the sub-continent. Fans cheer for their teams and players no matter the situation their team is in and that is what keeps the sport alive. The popularity of this sport in the Asian sub-continent has grown leaps and bounds from worshipping their players as gods to burning their posters to show their discontent. We have even seen TV sets been smashed after a certain Pakistan team’s loss to their arch rivals India when they meet in ICC tournaments.

Historically, Asian players have been dominating the game which can be implied from the fact that the top 5 wicket-takers in ODI cricket are all Asians and 8 of the 10 leading run-scorers in the format are of the same continent. If that doesn’t convince you about the dominance of Asians in the game, there is another stat. 5 of the 10 teams which played the 2019 ICC World Cup in England were from the Asian sub-continent.

The Asian sub-continent has produced some of the best cricketers in the history of this game. They have always been a force to reckon with in the cricketing world. Talking about the new powerhouse of Asian cricket, Afghanistan has taken giant strides and made the world take notice of their cricketing talent.

Subsequently, we have tried to come up with the best Asian ODI XI from the current lot of players from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

1. Rohit Sharma

India’s vice-captain known for his flamboyant style of batting and exquisite timing of the ball is a treat to watch. On his day, he is simply unstoppable. He has mastered the art of starting slow and destroying the opposition bowlers at the back end of the innings.

Rohit’s career graph saw a steep rise ever since MS Dhoni’s decision of opening him in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England which India eventually won. His white-ball form over the past couple of years has been nothing short of phenomenal. He has played a major role in India’s progress in the ODI format.

Rohit was the leading run-getter in the recently concluded World Cup. The talisman batsman was the leading run-getter of the tournament as he scored 648 runs at an average of 81. Furthermore, he scored five centuries in the tourney. The right-hander has the skills to score daddy hundred and he is the only batsman to score three double hundreds.

2. Tamim Iqbal

When we talk about explosive openers from the sub-continent, we talk about the aggression factor. Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Sachin Tendulkar have mercilessly destroyed the bowling over the years. However, an opener from Bangladesh soon joined that list by his exploits.

He scored his maiden century against Ireland, but it was his knock against Zimbabwe at Harare in 2009 that made the world take notice. Tamim launched a brutal counterattack to smash the highest score by a Bangladeshi batsman. His match-winning knock of 154 included seven fours and six sixes.

Tamim achieved the feat of first Bangladeshi batsman to reach 5000 ODI runs when he reached the milestone against England in October 2016. He started the Champions Trophy in England with a bang with a smashing knock of 128 in the tournament opener and followed it up with scores of 95, 0 and 70.

Being the mainstay at the top of Bangladesh batting circles, he features in this playing XI as the second opener as someone who can start striking from the word go and dislodge any bowling attack.

3. Virat Kohli (C)

A stylish chubby teenager with spunky hair who shot to fame after leading India to glory in the Under 19 World Cup at Kuala Lumpur in early 2008 has come a long way.

Kohli’s career-defining innings came against Sri Lanka chasing an improbable target of 321 off 40 overs to stay alive in the tournament, Kohli demolished the Sri Lankan bowlers and cruised his way to 133*, getting India home with more than two overs to spare, helping them to stay alive in the tournament.

He hasn’t looked back since amassing 11,125 runs in 227 matches to end as the decade’s highest run-getter. He has been a total nightmare for all the world-class bowlers. Undoubtedly, there has not been any batsman as consistent as the Indian captain as far as the bilateral ODI series is concerned. Kohli will also hold the captaincy reins of our Best Asia XI.

4. Babar Azam

Pakistan’s search for a dependable top-order batsman has been an eternal one. It seems they have finally found one. Babar Azam is deemed by many to be the next Virat Kohli of the cricketing world.

However, his best is yet to come in the 50 over format, but he was Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in the 2019 ICC World Cup scoring 474 runs in eight matches.

In his match-winning knock against the Kiwis, he was a treat to watch scoring an unbeaten century, his first in World Cup games. Considering his giant strides in world cricket with his batting performances, he finds a place in our XI.

5. Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan is currently the best all-rounder in the world. Hee has delivered the goods whenever his team has needed it the most. The talisman all-rounder has played a main role in Bangladesh’s rise in world cricket in the last decade. He has been a remarkable player for the longest time.

Since 1999, no one has been involved in more balls per match than him (86.3). Shakib is an above-average batsman and bowler in ODI cricket. Since his ODI debut, he is second on the wicket-takers list, and 13th on the run-scorers one. For over a decade now, his presence has allowed Bangladesh to include another batsman or bowler in their line-up.

Shakib had become the first-ever cricketer to score 600 runs and take 10 wickets in a single World Cup in the recently concluded ICC World Cup. The southpaw was phenomenal in the recently concluded World Cup with both bat and ball scoring 606 runs at an average of 86.57 and took 11 wickets. The left-arm spinner was the second-highest wicket-taker in the last decade.

6. Mushfiqur Rahim (WK)

Mushfiqur Rahim perfectly fits the description of a wicketkeeper. He is quick behind the stumps and a brilliant batsman as well. It won’t be an overstatement if we call him the fulcrum of Bangladesh’s middle order. He has performed whenever his team has needed him the most as far as batting is concerned.

Mushfiqur Rahim was just 16 when he made his Test debut at Lord’s. Thanks to his sound technique as a batsman and swift glove-work behind the stumps, it did not take much time for him to become Bangladesh’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman. In ODIs, his batting average is close to 35 and has scored more than 5000 runs.

Along with Shakib Al Hasan, he has been a stalwart for Bangladesh cricket in the recent past helping them reach knockout stages of limited-overs tournaments. Mushfiqur added another feather to his cap when he scored his maiden century (102 off 97 balls) in World Cups against Australia in the recently concluded World Cup.

7. Angelo Mathews

The only Sri Lankan to feature in this best Asian ODI XI is their veteran all-rounder, Angelo Mathews. Mathews ticks all the boxes as far as an all-rounder is concerned. A big-hitting middle-order batsman and a medium-fast bowler, Mathews provided the balance to the side that the Sri Lankans had lacked for ages. Mathews’ impact has been immense in all the three formats along with his composure while leading the side.

The world took note of his batting prowess during an ODI at the MCG, in which Sri Lanka were chasing 240 to win, but looked to be done and dusted at 107 for eight but followed was a stunning counterattack by the veteran who added 132 runs for the ninth wicket with Lasith Malinga, a World Record, to guide his team to a one-wicket win.

Mathews was once considered Sri Lanka’s crisis man but unfortunately a series of injuries to his lower body – ankle, calf, hamstring and side has forced him to miss quite a lot of cricket in the last two years. But he once again rose to the occasion to rescue his team against India at the World Cup by a glorious century (113 off 128 balls) after they were reduced to 55 for 4.

8. Rashid Khan

There is only one representative from the Afghanistan cricket team in this best Asian ODI XI. Rashid Khan has undoubtedly been Afghanistan’s best performer in the recent past. He has played a massive role in helping Afghanistan upsurge in all three formats. Rashid outnumbers leg-breaks with googlies, something he has perfected into a reliable and somewhat retaliatory weapon and executes it without being ever so predictable.

Rashid bowls similar lines – linear, from stump to stump – and does so at a quick pace, rebelliously using his fingers more than the wrists, thus not allowing the batsman any time to shimmy out and get to the pitch of the ball. He is soon graduating into a good first-class bowler and an agile fielder who is well capable of putting in the dives and then excels at clearing the big ropes in the slog overs to top it all.

His growing all-round skills pave a way for him into most international sides going around, thus pitting him as someone who is readying to trail-blaze Afghanistan to better time Afghan spin wizard made his World Cup debut in 2019, however it wasn’t a memorable one for him. He has the best figures of 7/18 which demonstrates how much he has troubled the batsmen.

9. Mohammad Amir

A prodigy turned offender were the words associated with the Pakistani pacer after he was banned by the ICC for 5 years in 2010. After coming back from the ban he has been amongst the wickets for Pakistan in the ODI format. Ever since his return to the side, Amir has had to deal with constant comparisons of his younger self and that he has lost out on a lot of the steam that once turned the heat on the batsmen to make them sweat.

The Indo-Pak Asia Cup game in 2016 was a silent reminder to his critics and fans alike, he can be as devastating when he is in the zone. The in-swinging curler, the slanting away swinger, the deadly yorker are a few of the weapons in his repertoire that can befuddle any batting lineup.

He has bid adieu to the longest format to focus on his white-ball game. He was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded World Cup with 17 wickets from 9 matches. If he attains the peak of his form in the coming years, it will surely help Pakistan reach greater heights in the limited-overs format.

10. Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami was handed an ODI debut in early 2013 post which he started to make significant contributions and with his ability to reverse swing the old white ball, he became an indispensable asset to the limited-overs side, becoming the second-fastest Indian to 50 ODI wickets in the process. Shami has breathed down the neck of his opposition with his accurate line and length and his upright seam position.

He proved his worth in gold in the 2015 World Cup taking 17 wickets and ending up as one of the highest wicket-takers in the tournament despite suffering from a knee injury. He was India’s most economical bowler in the tournament, except in the semi-final loss against Australia, in a period when the power-play laws were stacked for the batsmen.

Shami has been right on the money with his bowling since his ODI comeback in the limited-overs format. He had a great World Cup taking 14 wickets in 4 matches of the tournament. He played a pivotal role in helping the Men In Blue reach the semis of the 2019 ODI showpiece.

11. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is currently ranked number 1 in the ICC ODI rankings which is more than enough to showcase his domination at the world stage. His express pace and ability to hit the hard length makes it extremely difficult for the batsmen to score against him. He possesses the skills to hit the blockhole more often than not making him the best death bowler currently in the limited-overs format.

He has delivered consistent performances in coloured clothing and has since become an irreplaceable asset for his captain, consistently holding his nerve as a last-over specialist for India. He performed exceptionally well in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, where he only took 4 wickets in 5 matches, conceding at an economy rate of just 5 runs an over, particularly impressive for a death overs specialist.

He was the leading wicket-taker for the Men In Blue at the 2019 ICC World Cup with 18 wickets to his name. His economy rate in ODIs in 4.49 which is quite remarkable in this day and age of T20 cricket. There has been a dip in his form post coming back from injury but there’s no doubt the normal service will resume soon.