The most underrated XI of all time in cricket

Cricket has been a gentleman’s game for close to 150 years now since the first-ever Test match between Australia and England was played. In this time, we have seen many players who have inscribed their names in history books and in the hearts of millions of people.

Generation after generation, the sport has created stalwarts and giant ambassadors from various countries. However, there remains to be a sea of players who have always flown under the radar, with their performances overshadowed by other more talked about personality’s exploits.

However, without these players’ contribution and their relentless selflessness to the team’s cause, cricket would’ve been a much lesser game than what it is today.

Here’s a look at the most underrated XI of international cricket:

1. Tamim Iqbal

The exponential growth of Bangladesh cricket has been talked about a lot since Tamim Iqbal’s debut in 2007, and very rare players have had as big a hand in their growth as this Bangladesh opener. His scores of 53 and 84 in his test debut in 2008 against a very disciplined Kiwi attack, doesn’t hold much significance as the Asian team was clinically defeated in a three day drubbing.

While Bangladesh now have a side with several fine players, including Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mustafizur Rahman, at the time of Iqbal’s debut, many of Bangladesh’s players were struggling to fulfil their potential. In those times, he would be Bangladesh’s most consistent player at the top, providing his team with solid foundations for the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to feast on a bowling attack that was weared out and had suffered a dent in their morale long before the middle order batsmen had made their way to the crease, in the hands of Tamim Iqbal.

Iqbal perhaps does not possess quite the same level of talent as the likes of Al Hasan, Rahim, and Rahman, which may explain why he does not receive the same level of admiration of some of his fellow countrymen. But he has made the most of his talent, and subsequently has more Test runs than Al Hasan and Rahim, despite having debuted after them. In 58 test matches for the tigers, Tamim Iqbal has scored 4327 runs at an average just a shade under 40, maintaining a healthy strike rate of 56.58, much more than his more recognised contemporaries.

In 201 ODI matches, he’s scored 6871 runs at a strike rate of 77.88 and at an average above 35. It is also worth noting that Iqbal is only 30, and may still break many more batting records for Bangladesh, setting up an example for the future generations to follow.