Sportskeeda Cricket Awards 2014: Emerging Players of the Year

The year 2014 saw some stellar performances in cricket by the established star players like Kumar Sangakkara, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn, all of whom further enhanced their credentials with strong showings. The last 12 months also saw the emergence of some new players who put in some impressive performances for their country.We look at five emerging players who made people take note of them pretty much for the first time in 2014:

#5 Akshar Patel (India)

The youngster from Gujarat had a breakthrough year in 2014. He began the year by being named as the BCCI Under-19 cricketer for the previous season, and an impressive all-round show in IPL 7 won him the Emerging Player of the Tournament award.

The selectors showed faith in Patel’s talent and temperament at such young age by rewarding him with a call-up to the national ODI side. The player has justified his selection with some impressive performances with the ball and in the field, and also with the bat in the limited opportunities he has got.

Such has been the rapid rise in Patel’s reputation that many believe that he is a strong contender to be in India’s final squad of fifteen for the 2015 World Cup, and predict that he will give a tough challenge to the more experienced Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for a spot in the playing XI.

#4 Corey Anderson (New Zealand)

Corey Anderson made his debut for the Kiwis in ODIs and Tests in 2013, but was a largely unknown player till he started 2014 in grand style by breaking the world record for the fastest ODI century with a hundred off 36 balls against West Indies in Queenstown. He continued to impress in the subsequent ODI series against India. Along with his batting, Anderson also provided a reliable bowling option for the Kiwis and chipped in with crucial wickets for the side.

The record-breaking innings made the world take note of him and Anderson was purchased by IPL defending champions Mumbai Indians for Rs 4.5 crores. He justified his fee with an incredible knock of 95 off 44 deliveries against Rajasthan Royals as he led his team’s chase of 190 off 14.3 overs to progress to the next stage.

#3 Gary Ballance (England)

Ballance, the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2014, was in top form during the English summer of 2014 as he scored three centuries and three fifties against Sri Lanka and India. The Zimbabwe-born player was selected for the England Test squad after an impressive show for Yorkshire.

Jonathan Trott’s illness meant there was an opening in the playing XI, and Ballance grabbed the opportunity with both hands, after failing in his debut Test in the Ashes in January. The left-hander wasn’t able to replicate the good form in ODIs though, and was subsequently dropped.

However, Ballance has been the beneficiary of Alastair Cook’s sacking from the ODI team and has been named in England’s 2015 World Cup squad.

#2 Mitchell Marsh (Australia)

Mitchell Marsh has followed his father Geoff and elder brother Shaun by playing for the Australian national team. The all-rounder had led the Aussie Under-19 side to World Cup glory in 2010 and has been earmarked for greater glories ever since then. He was selected for the national side in 2011 and got occasional chances where he didn’t impress much. But the selectors kept faith in the player, and 2014 has been the year when he has properly announced his arrival in world cricket.

He was one of the better batsmen for Australia in the 0-2 Test series whitewash at the hands of Pakistan in the UAE recently and followed it up with a strong show in the ODIs against South Africa and later in the first Test against India. Marsh, who idolizes Jacques Kallis and Steve Waugh, has offered his captains a decent bowling option with his handy medium-pacers as well.

#1 Moeen Ali (England)

Making his international debut at the age of 27 years, Moeen Ali certainly can’t be called a youngster. But the Birmingham-born all-rounder has compensated for the delay in getting an England cap by quickly cementing his spot in the ODI and Test teams.

An impressive 2013 season for Worcestershire put Moeen under the radar of England selectors. He made his ODI debut in February against West Indies and a run of decent scores led to him making his Test debut against the touring Sri Lankans. In the second Test, he scored a fighting maiden century in a game that England ultimately lost.

The Sri Lanka Test series was followed by India’s tour of England, and the Indian batsmen underestimated his bowling as he spun a web around them with his off-spin and played a key role in England winning the series after losing the second Test at Lord’s.

Moeen has established himself as a key member of the English ODI and Test teams with his all-round skills, and seems to have cemented his spot as the ODI team’s opener after a quick-fire century in Sri Lanka.