ICC World Cup 2019: 5 players the selectors might regret picking

It is never an easy job to pick a 15-man squad for a World Cup and expect no contradictions. There will be people with different opinions who will batter the ones at the helm for not thinking the way they do, but eventually, one has to accept that everyone involved in this battle is vouching for their side to win the World Cup.

Just the way it happens at every World Cup, there were many selections which didn’t receive a great reception from the fans or some experts. Ousting Rishabh Pant didn’t go down well with various Indians whilst some great talents like Peter Handscomb, Ashton Turner, Junaid Khan, Dinesh Chandimal had to make way for someone better.

A true assessment can only be made after the World Cup if the selection was precise or not. But here are five names which we feel the selectors might regret picking in their squads.

1. Mohammad Amir

Despite not having a great 2018, Mohammad Amir made it to the World Cup side sheerly because of the ability he possesses and his record of performing in matches that matter. The left-arm seamer was not picked in the initial squad, but he, later on, got a call-up with Junaid Khan and Faheem Ashraf getting ousted.

Going by his form and Junaid Khan‘s recent run, one has to say this wasn’t a great call from the Pakistani selection committee headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq. The Pakistani fans will be expecting their hero from the 2017 Champions Trophy final to replicate something similar, but it will take a monumental effort from the 27-year-old to turn things around.

2. Vijay Shankar

One of the most talked about selections of this World Cup, Vijay Shankar made his debut a short time ago and managed to squeeze into the squad somehow. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder did some good work in the ODI series against New Zealand and Australia, which prompted the selectors to pick him ahead of Ambati Rayudu.

His recent form has not been very great and he hasn’t exactly vindicated the selectors’ decision to pick him in the World Cup. He had a forgettable outing in the IPL, where he tried to muscle his way through pretty much every game and barely bowled five overs on the whole. Nevertheless, he has a chance to prove his critics wrong but the chances of that happening seem grim.

3. Kane Richardson

Australian selectors might regret picking Kane Richardson for a completely different reason when compared to the other teams. Kane Richardson walks into this side in terms of ability, but his addition wasn’t really necessary as they already had four brilliant fast bowling options in Jason Behrendorff, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile and two spinners in Lyon and Zampa.

He is a fifth seamer who barely might get a game and the only possible reason he is in the squad is that Starc and Coulter-Nile are injury-prone. They are heavily reliant on the current batting setup and they might be one proper batsman short. They still might end up having a sensational World Cup, but it is difficult to see Richardson getting a lot of games.

4. Ashley Nurse

Ashley Nurse doesn’t have the most impressive numbers among all the other competitors, but still, he managed to enter the World Cup squad beating another prime contender in Devendra Bishoo. This World Cup will pose a huge challenge for Nurse, who will find it very difficult to find something off the track just like the other orthodox finger spinners in other teams.

With most teams emphasizing on leg-spinners, it was surprising to see Windies go with two off-break bowlers in Roston Chase and Nurse. It could be another one of those decisions which will make the selectors repent in hindsight as Nurse didn’t have a great outing in Ireland as well.

5. Colin de Grandhomme

For a number of years, Colin de Grandhomme has been an integral member of the New Zealand International side. But the all-rounder hasn’t really performed to the level he was hyped. He contributes in bits and pieces with both bat and ball. With the ball, it is almost impossible to trust him on a flat deck with more than a couple of overs.

He is still a more than handy finisher for the Kiwis, but is he capable of being the 5th or 6th bowler to good effect is the major conundrum. His lack of pace might not help him on some of the batting friendly decks, leaving Kane Williamson with one bowling option short in the XI. They probably could’ve picked up another spinner in the 15-man squad.