DHAKA, April 10, 2019 (BSS) – All eyes will be glued to the TV screens as
the cricketing world will enjoy yet another edition of the ICC World Cup, the
biggest cricketing spectacle, in this May. Top ten teams from across the
globe will fight for the illustrious trophy and the subsequent pride that
comes with it.
For the established cricketers, this is the stage to become national
heroes, and for the budding young players, it is a chance to prove their
mettle and get a one-way ticket to the national team for an indefinite
period.
If we take a nostalgic trip down the memory lane, we will find many young
guns who made their nation proud in the biggest cricketing stage. Nowadays,
with the fame and the lucrative brand deals that come along with it, the
stakes are higher for the cricketers. One magical spell, one match-winning
knock, and the world comes down to their feet, something many young
cricketers will be hoping for.
Talking about teenagers, there might not be plenty. However, given the
current squads of the teams, we can expect a total of four teenagers to be
selected for the once in four years cricket carnival. Let us have a look at
them.
#1 Nayeem Hasan (Bangladesh)
Nayeem Hasan became an adult just a couple of months back, but he has
done something that no cricketer has ever done before. He is the youngest
bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul on Test debut. In the two Test matches
he has played thus far, he has picked up 6 wickets by conceding just 133 runs
at an average of 22.
He is quite handy in the limited overs too, something that can be
comprehended by looking at his numbers in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier
League. In his 15-match long T20 career, the spinner from Chittagong has
managed to pick up 8 wickets, but what separates him from the rest of the
pack is his economy rate of under 7 runs per over, something very difficult
to achieve in the shortest format of the game.
As a result, he had got a place in the Bangladeshi ODI as well as the
Test squad for the Bangladesh’s last series against New Zealand. If he
manages to avoid a performance drop, a ticket to the World Cup is there for
the taking. #2 Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
Like Hasan, Shaheen Afridi is also just 18-years-old, but with his
impressive performances, the tall and fiery left-arm pacer from Pakistan has
made himself a household name. At this young age, Afridi has already played
19 limited overs matches for his nation and is now a member of the playing
XI.
Afridi is currently bowling his heart out in South Africa. In the ODI
series, he is the most successful bowler for Pakistan thus far. The lad from
Khyber Agency has picked up 6 wickets in the 27 overs he has bowled,
conceding 130 runs at an economy rate of under 5 runs per over.
As it stands, if any injury or some other external factor does not
arise, his place in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC World Cup 2019 looks sealed.
#3 Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)
Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who will turn 18 this March, is the youngest player in
this list. If Pakistan has a romantic affair with left-arm quicks,
Afghanistan has a very similar one with spinners. Carrying on the legacy of
Rashid Khan is Mujeeb, the 17-year-old from Khost who has already made a name
for himself by displaying his caliber in the franchise-based T20 tournaments.
After a successful stint with Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier
League, Zadran is currently plying his trade for Brisbane Heat in the Big
Bash League. In the last 10 games he has played for them, his economy rate
has crossed the 7-run mark only thrice.
In ODIs too, he has an astonishing economy rate of under 4 runs per over
and has picked up 51 wickets in the 28 50-over matches he has played for
Afghanistan.
#4 Shubman Gill (India)
With impressive performances against Australia and New Zealand, there
aren’t many questions the Indian fans would like to ask the Indian team
management, except one – will we see Shubman Gill in the World Cup?
The 19-year-old has already proved his mettle, not once but thrice. A
brilliant ICC U19 World Cup campaign was followed by a commendable IPL stint
with Kolkata Knight Riders.
He rounded it all off with a phenomenal Ranji Trophy season, scoring 728
runs in 9 games at a staggering average of over 100 and a strike rate of
nearly 80. Consequently, he has earned a place in the Indian ODI squad for
the New Zealand series, and at the time of writing, seems hours away from
getting his debut ODI cap.
Provided he manages to impress the management with his performances, he
might earn a call for the biggest cricketing stage there can ever be.