11 players who failed to perform to their potential in 2018

One Day International cricket is at its peak again, as the countdown to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 has begun and all the teams are looking to have their 15 men squads ready in the process of gearing up for the biggest event of all.

We as fans and spectators of the game are also looking forward to seeing the probable 15 players who would be part of the selector's radar for the World Cup. However, all teams have one or two underperformers in their playing XIs. These are players who may have been good in the past or at the domestic level but have been consistently inconsistent at the international level. In short, they have failed to make their mark of late.

Let us look at players who belong to this criteria and are still expected to make the cut for their respective national World Cup squads.

#1 Hashim Amla (C)

While Hashim Amla's batting prowess seems to be fading away, South Africa might still go ahead with him as their opener alongside Quinton de Kock simply because of the vast experience the southpaw has. In the absence of AB de Villiers, they have to play with Amla at the top.

#2 Alex Hales

The once swashbuckling English opener is now nothing but a benchwarmer

Ever since he has lost his place to Jonny Bairstow, Hales has barely managed to live up to expectations even in domestic tournaments. It seems like his career is going downhill, as he is just not scoring runs with the bat. However, he is expected to be picked for the World Cup squad.

#3 Colin Munro

Image result for colin munro sportskeeda

No matter how dangerous he may look in the T20 format, Munro has failed miserably to replicate his T20 batting in ODIs. He was picked to open for New Zealand in the bilateral series against Pakistan in the UAE and he did a dismal job.

While he may be a part of New Zealand's World Cup playing XI, he is certain for this flop XI.

#4 Travis Head

Head has great talent but it hasn't shown in the ODIs he has played

One very talented batsman who got the opportunity to dawn the prestigious yellow jersey of Australia was Travis Head, but he has not cashed in on the chances yet. Head was picked soon after the bans were put on Steve Smith and David Warner, but he has never looked comfortable or reliable. He has failed at the top while opening and also while batting at 4.

#5 Glenn Maxwell

Maxwell has never looked very dangerous with the bat due to his inconsistency

Maxwell may have been exceptional for Australia in patches, but he still continues to be effective only in patches. Rarely have we seen him do well for more than one match in a row. Maxi has not converted his good starts into 50s and 100s and his impatience at the pitch indicates immaturity and lack of proper temperament.

#6 David Miller

Miller has scored big very rarely and has never been able to take that form ahead

Right since the time he has come in, Miller has been a guest of just a few balls. He has played cameos of the likes of 15 off 6 balls or 25 off 10 balls but has failed to execute his responsibility, that is to finish off matches for his side. While David Miller can hit the big shots, he still lacks the ability to bat for longer periods of time and construct innings.

#7 Moeen Ali

Ali seems to have transformed from a batting all-rounder to a bowling all-rounder

The flamboyant English all-rounder hasn't looked as lustrous this year. With just 277 runs in 24 innings, Moeen Ali's batting has been deplorable. He has not looked comfortable with the bat at all and has failed to score even a single fifty in all of 2018.

While Ali may still be an above average ODI bowler, his strength lies in being able to finish off innings with his sweetly timed shots, which, at the moment, he is failing to do.

#8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Indian Skipper Virat Kohli and Bhuvi must devise plans to get early wickets with the new ball in the 2019 World Cup

India's first choice limited overs seam bowler, Bhuvi has disappointed one and all with his poor bowling. He has failed to deliver at crucial junctures and hasn't been successful in providing his team with the breakthroughs they needed.

He has looked uncannily ordinary as a bowler and has lacked the ability to stand out. While Bhuvi will play the World Cup for his country, he will be expected to be at the top of his game and undo the horrors of 2018.

#9 Tim Southee

The pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee has been termed as lethal by top batsmen

After starting the year on a high, Southee has been unsuccessful in carrying that form forward. Southee has picked only three wickets in eight ODI games and that will be a cause of concern for New Zealand.

If a team's strike bowler is picking just three wickets in 70 overs or 420 balls, that does raise a lot of eyebrows. New Zealand have to come up with ways to bring him back in form.

#10 Mohammad Amir

Amir was looking invincible in the 2017 CT Final

The young lad from Pakistan who wreaked havoc in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy Final against India has looked just a shadow of his old self this past year. He has gone wicketless in seven out of the ten One Day matches he has played and has failed to put any kind of pressure on the batsmen he has bowled to.

On the contrary, he himself has looked under a lot of pressure over the year and his mere 3 wickets in 10 matches and has put some added pressure on his shoulders ahead of the World Cup.

#11 Ish Sodhi

Ish Sodhi needs to have plans to bowl to subcontinental batsmen who are experts in playing spin bowling

The problem with Ish Sodhi has not been wickets as much as it has been about the runs. He has often given away runs at more than a run a ball, and that too, when oppositions haven't scored past 300 in 50 overs.

That is what the Kiwis might want to address. While Sodhi has been pretty dependable for picking wickets at crucial moments, his tendency of being hit is something he needs to work on.

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