ICC World Test Championship: Flop XI Of The Tournament

The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) has been very entertaining for the last two years and the matches have been of the highest order in the tournament despite it being the inaugural edition. New Zealand won the all-important ICC title after 20 years and they have been putting in the hard yards for a long time.

India came so close to making history under Virat Kohli but they weren’t good enough against the Kiwis side which looked more potent and had a lot of depth.

Arguably, this is the best New Zealand test team that can be put together and they deserve to win the ICC World Test Championship. Some players in the tournament couldn’t match their expectations and here is the flop XI of the Inaugural edition of the World test championship.

ICC World Test Championship: Flop XI Of The Tournament:

Joe Denly:

The England top-order batsman Joe Denly played the first part of the World Test Championship cycle and was dropped from the test team owing to some poor consistency. Denly played 10 tests scoring 569 runs at an average of 29.94  with four half-centuries and a highest score of 94. The 35-year-old right-hander is approaching the latter stages of his career and doesn’t look like getting another opportunity in the England test team.

Kraigg Brathwaite:

The West Indian skipper Kraigg Brathwaite has played 13 tests so far scoring 673 runs at an average of 25.88 in the ICC World Test Championship. He has managed to hit four half-centuries and one century in the tournament but he has never assured the West Indies test team with a big score in recent times which we have used to seeing him.

He definitely looks short on confidence and has been under the radar for a lot of poor batting displays. He still remains one of the most technically gifted players and should work on the run-scoring aspect.

Cheteshwar Pujara:

Cheteshwar Pujara has been India’s rock-solid batsman at the top of the order but his recent century drought is something very fishy. Pujara has always been a player who keeps piling up runs when he in the zone and his knocks against Australia in 2018 was extraordinary.

However, he has been under the scanner for the last two years with 841 runs in 18 Tests at an average of 28.03. He has scored nine half-centuries but hasn’t been able to convert into hundreds.

Shai Hope:

Shai Hope has been a stalwart for West Indies in the ODI internationals averaging more than 50, but his test form has seen a slight slump in form despite having enough experience.

In World Test Championship, he has played six tests scoring just 203 runs at an average of just 16.91. There has been never been doubt on the right-hander’s ability with the bat and he is expected to come good soon.

Faf Du Plessis:

The former South African skipper has been out of form in tests and he decided to move apart from the longest format by announcing his retirement to concentrate on the limited-overs format for the country.

He had a very dismal tournament scoring just 555 runs in 11 Tests at an average of 27.75. He scored just two half-centuries and one big score of 199 which was a delight to watch.

Roston Chase:

Roston Chase has been one of the most reliable test players for the West Indies but he has taken a fall back in his form in test cricket especially in the ICC World Test Championship.

The off-spin all-rounder has played nine tests scoring just 320 runs and also has been relatively quiet with the ball picking up just 18 wickets. He managed to pick one five-wicket haul in the tournament and will be looking to better his game.

Tim Paine:

The Australian skipper Tim Paine was really impressive in his captaincy at the start but off late he has faltered a lot and doesn’t look like he is going to be the captain in the near future.

The 36-year-old has scored 550 runs in the 14 tests at an average of 28.94. His wicket-keeping skills have been a big question mark and he needs to make sure that he contributes enough to keep his place on the side.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz:

The off-spin all-rounder Mehidy Hasan from Bangladesh is a very handy player in the playing XI with both his batting and bowling skills.

Mehidy Hasan has batted really well in the few innings he has played but has failed to pick up regular wickets which have been one of the reasons for his downfall in the side.

Despite playing on Bangladesh wickets, he managed to pick up just 15 wickets which he needs to definitely work on.

Alzarri Joseph:

Alzarri Joseph has been one of the best finds for West Indies in the bowling attack and he was expected to do wonders for the test team in the World Test Championship.

But couldn’t match his expectations picking up just 13 wickets in the 7 tests he played. It was way below his standards and he needs to pick up a lot more wickets regularly for his side.

Mohammad Abbas:

Mohammad Abbas started his test career brilliantly and he was pipped to be a great strength in the Pakistan bowling side.

However, he couldn’t replicate his usual standards and picked up just 18 wickets in the 9 tests at an average of 37.27 in the World Test Championship for Pakistan. His best figures were a four-wicket haul and he needs to get it right soon.

Lahiru Kumara:

The Sri Lankan fast bowler has promised a lot so far in his short stint in his international career but has more often hit with a lot of injuries. Kumara has some raw pace to destroy any bowling lineup.

He picked up just 12 wickets in the 6 tests he played in the World Test Championship and he will be keen to produce some better performances in the future.