I thought I'd do a post that wasn't about cricket finances:
The next world cup is in India 2023 (Shall we go? I think we should go, I'm going.) And this is my uninformed selection for the stars of 2023. As no imaginary selection exercise is complete without a raft of bizarre self - imposed rules, I've kept myself to players under 25 years of age (25 years of age now not 2023).
So drum roll, please
Number 1 Prithvi Shaw: India, Age 19.
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I saw Shaw bat in an U19 ODI against England and got the tingle I used to get when something really good came on the John Peel show, a feeling I was in right at the start of something. OK I accept I might have been getting onto a bandwaggon a couple of hundred million Indians were already on but I'm not getting off now. Go Prithvi.
Number 2 Rishabh Pant: India, Age 21 Wicket Keeper
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Was tempted by Aiden Markham but I reckon first 10 overs will be a good time to score in India and Pant's freakish hand to eye coordination and iconoclastic style is well made for mayhem. Gets to keep as Alex Carey is a scary 27 years old (who knew).
Number 3 Babar Azam: Pakistan, Age 24
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It's no coincidence that all 2019 semi - finalists had a great helmsman type (Root, Williamson, Kohli and Smith) Babar A is pretty much at that level now and is one of the choices I feel more confident in.
Number 4 Nicholas Pooran: West Indies, Age 23
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Great fun and likes (and is very good at) whacking the spinners. Only reservation is he'll be playing a lot of 20 over franchise cricket in the next 4 years which can sometimes spoil a player (well financially it makes him but you know what I mean).
Number 5 Avishka Fernando: Sri Lanka, Age 21
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Just squeezes out Shimron Hetmyer. Not a player I know a whole lot about but loved watching him in the World Cup and his stats are fine
Number 6 Andile Lucky Phehlukwayo: South Africa, Age 23
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And he is a bit lucky to be in this side. But one of the lessons of the 2019 World Cup was, cherish all rounders and Phehlukwayo is the only under 25 in the top ten of the ICC ODI, all rounder rankings apart from Rashid Khan who's in at 7 in this team. Sam Curran would be another option here.
Number 7 Rashid Khan: Afghanistan, Age 20
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Batting one place too high I know. Before World Cup 2020 he would have been a sure thing for team of the tournament but eventually he was first in the disppointments xi. Is he one of those bowlers who gets found out? The next four years will tell but for the moment he gets in on weight of stats. If he can captain Afghanistan he can captain an imaginary side.
Number 8 Jofra Archer: England (sort of), Age 24
Not much to say, one of the players of 2019, fitness permitting hard not to see him as one of the players of 2023.
Number 9 Kagiso Rabada: South Africa, Age 24
With Lockie Ferguson and Jasprit Bumrah (just) missing the under 25 age limit, becomes a simple selection. Already one of the best test bowlers in the world, but how will he go India? Will have some IPLs between now and then to work it out.
Number 10 Shaheen Afridi: Pakistan, Age 19
Left handers generally have good one day stats and at just 19 years old plenty of room for improvement.
Number 11 Mujeeb Ur Rahman: Afghanistan, Age 18
Baby of the team. But has already played for teams all over the world and goes at less than 4 an over in ODIs. If he's still going in 4 years time almost bound to be a star of the tournament.
So that's my team. A bit lacking in all - rounders, batting in the tail and a batsman or two who can bowl some Mark Waugh style offspin if the pitch is really spinning. Is that just one of those things or is 20/20 making the bits and pieces cricketer so valuable in ODIs a thing of the past?
My tip for 2023? India, unless they pick MS Dhoni, Sunil Gavasker or Tiger Pataudi. Slightly braver pick, West Indies.
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