• 2019 World Cup: Team of the Tournament

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    Three New Zealanders and as many Australians, two Indians, a pair of Englishmen and a Bangladeshi complete SACricketMag.com‘s Team of the 2019 World Cup.

    1. Rohit Sharma, India (matches: 9, runs: 648, average: 81, highest score: 140)
    Close, but no: Jason Roy, England

    • Sharma collected a single more than Warner to be the tournament’s leading run-scorer. His tally included a record five centuries.

    2. David Warner, Australia (matches: 10, runs: 647, average: 72, highest score: 166)
    Close, but no: Jonny Bairstow, England

    • Warner started uncharacteristically slow, but gradually came into his own to finish as the competition’s second-highest run-scorer, aided by three tons.

    3. Kane Williamson, New Zealand, captain (matches: 10, runs: 578, average: 83, highest score: 148)
    Close, but no: Joe Root, England

    • Williamson collected the most runs by a captain at the World Cup, surpassing Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene’s 2007 tally and was named Player of the Tournament.

    4. Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh (matches: 8, runs: 606, batting average: 87, highest score: 124 not out, wickets: 11, bowling average: 36, best bowling: 5-29)
    Close, but no: Babar Azam, Pakistan

    • A veritable one-man army for the Tigers, Al Hasan was the backbone of the middle order – and an instrumental figure among the spin bowlers.

    5. Ben Stokes, England (matches: 11, runs: 465, batting average: 66, highest score: 89, wickets: 7, bowling average: 35, best bowling: 3-23)
    Close, but no: Faf du Plessis, South Africa

    • Stokes was solid enough with the ball but superb with the bat, exemplified by that World Cup-winning contribution in the final.

    6. Alex Carey, Australia, wicketkeeper (matches: 10, runs: 375, average: 63, highest score: 85, catches: 18, stumpings: 2)
    Close, but no: Tom Latham, New Zealand

    • Preferred to Matthew Wade and other wicketkeeper-batsmen, Carey provided plenty of impetus to Australia’s push for middle- and late-order runs and was sound behind the stumps.

    7. Jimmy Neesham, New Zealand (matches: 10, runs: 232, batting average: 33, highest score: 97 not out, wickets: 15, bowling average: 19, best bowling: 5-31)
    Close, but no: Chris Woakes, England

    • Among the standout all-rounders of the World Cup, Neesham largely delivered on cue with bat and ball throughout. A telling performance with the latter went in vain in the final, though.

    8. Mitchell Starc, Australia (matches: 10, wickets: 27, average: 19, best bowling: 5-26)
    Close, but no: Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan

    • Starc was the 2019 tournament’s leading wicket-taker. His total is also the most claimed by any bowler at a single World Cup edition.

    9. Jofra Archer, England (matches: 11, wickets: 20, average: 23, best bowling: 3-27)
    Close, but no: Mohammad Amir, Pakistan

    • Archer debuted in ODI cricket just two months ago, but was the World Cup’s joint third-highest wicket-taker and dutifully obliged England’s title ambition in the final’s Super Over.

    10. Jasprit Bumrah, India (matches: 9, wickets: 18, average: 21, best bowling: 4-55)
    Close, but no: Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh

    • Tipped by many pundits to claim the Player of the Tournament accolade, Bumrah didn’t but he was vital to India’s push for a semi-final berth.

    11. Lockie Ferguson, New Zealand (matches: 9, wickets: 21, average: 19, best bowling: 4-37)
    Close, but no: Trent Boult, New Zealand

    • Without outright pace and masterful slower deliveries, Ferguson was second only to Starc among the tournament’s leading wicket-takers.

    Photo: Getty Images

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