Top 10 Benched players in the World T20 2016

Assembling a team is all about picking the best combinations and not always the best players. If not previously, the recently concluded World T20 in India has shown us that it is, in fact, true. However, in certain cases, when required, the players were surprisingly not called-up for the battle on the biggest stage of them all for one or more reasons. That said, we take a look at ten benched players who could have made an impact for their country in the World T20. 1. John Hastings (Australia): John Hastings. (© Getty Images) John Hastings aka ‘The Duke’ was surprisingly left out of the Australian side despite being in fine form. The absence of Mitchell Starc and the now retired Mitchell Johnson saw the likes of Hastings selected on the side. His T20 prowess is excellent and his death bowling abilities are one of a kind especially the way he varies his pace. However, he was kept out of the side courtesy of people like James Faulkner, Josh Hazelwood, and Nathan Coulter-Nile. Perhaps he could have been the game-changer should the Aussies have gone through. There were high expectations on them but they failed to come true – 7 High profile players who failed in the World T20 2. Andrew Tye (Australia): Andrew Tye. (Photo Source: Getty Images) A relatively unknown commodity, Andrew Tye was also thrown into the Australian squad along with the likes of Peter Nevill and Adam Zampa. Despite blossoming in domestic career towards the later part of his career, Tye has been a revelation with his Big Bash side, the Perth Scorchers. A brilliant bowler at the death, Tye also is handy with the bat and can clear the fences when called upon to do so. However, he was unable to dislodge the likes of Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner. 3. Reece Topley (England): England’s bowler Reece Topley. (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images) Reece Topley was a surprise exclusion from the England playing XI. Prior to the World T20, Topley was the man all of the England was talking about. His performances in the tour of South Africa were something impressive. He was the highest wicket-taker for the Brits in the ODI series. However, with the pitches in India offering little or no assistance for the pacers, Topley was left out while Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali operated the spin duo for the Brits. How well did the English players do in the tournament? – World T20 2016: England Player Ratings 4. Harbhajan Singh (India): Harbhajan Singh. (Photo by Satish Bate/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) One of the most surprising exclusions from the playing XI of India was Harbhajan Singh. The 35-year old has been a part of the Indian side that triumphed in the 2007 edition of the World T20 as well as the World Cup in 2011. India ground out the results courtesy of some impressive performances with the bat from Virat Kohli to reach the semifinal. An injury to Yuvraj Singh opened the door for Harbhajan Singh momentarily only for Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey to swoop in and fill the spots in the batting order. 5. Mohammad Shami (India): Mohammed Shami. (Photo Source : Getty Images) Mohammad Shami has been in and out of the Indian side in the past few months with an injury. With their premier pace bowler missing, the Indians recalled one of their oldest and most experienced warhorses – Ashish Nehra. Despite recovering from the injury, Shami was unable to dislodge the bowling partnership forged by Nehra and new Indian recruit Jasprit Bumrah. Would the results have changed if he was given a run out on the side? We will never know. 6. Tim Southee (New Zealand): Tim Southee. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Tim Southee is arguably one of New Zealand’s best exponents of out-swing. The 27-year old has been one of the top New Zealand players since his debut all those years ago. However, similar to the exclusion of many other fast bowlers, Southee too was left out in the cold as he wasn’t expected to get anything out of pitches that seldom assisted pace. Adam Milne, the Kiwi fast bowler was picked in his place. 7. Trent Boult (New Zealand): Trent Boult. (Photo Source: ICC Twitter handle) Trent Boult received the award for best New Zealand fast bowler in 2015. He was also rewarded with an additional year with his IPL franchise, the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, in the context of the World T20, Boult found out soon enough that his opportunities had dried up and he was being kept out of the side by Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi. It was something of a strange thing to witness one of the top bowlers being left out in the cold. And not to forget Boult was the leading wicket-taker in the 2015 World Cup. The shock expressed was something of an understatement despite impressive performances by the Kiwis in the Super 10’s. What was the best XI picked by the ICC – Analysis: ICC World T20 2016 team of the tournament 8. Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan): Mohammad Nawaz. (Photo Source: Twitter) It seems as though Pakistan have missed a trick by not including specialist leg-spinner Mohammad Nawaz. What was more baffling was the fact that he was kept on the bench while Pakistan fielded 4 genuine fast bowlers? How did the Pakistan management fail to see that the ball wasn’t going to do much for the seamers in Indian conditions just flirts with pundits’ imagination? Should the Pakistan management decided to have included Nawaz, the tournament would have perhaps had an impact for the better. 9. Sachitra Senanayake (Sri Lanka): Sachitra Senanayake along with his Sri Lanka teammates. (© Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) The Sri Lankan off-spinner was yet another one of those important players left out of the side. In a side that lacks experience as badly as the Lankans, Senanayake’s was somewhat shocking. Moreover, he is a spinner and a quality one at that. He bowls his off-breaks and doosras while keeping the run rate low and picking up the odd wicket. 10. Jason Holder (West Indies): Jason Holder. (© Getty Images) Jason Holder is the skipper of the ODI and Test squad of the West Indies. When it comes to T20 cricket, Holder is generally left out in favor of the senior members of the side. However, while the other members of the side pull a rank ahead of Holder, it was surprising to see the number of players who could be the ‘Jack of all trades’ be picked into the side.

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Top 10 Benched players in the World T20 2016

9. Sachitra Senanayake (Sri Lanka):

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