5 terrific cricketers who never played World Cup

There have been prolific cricket players in the history of cricket, who succeeded in all forms of cricket like Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, and others. However, few players stand out as an aberration for only being good in Test matches and not in limited-overs cricket. These players were talented and played like a champion cricketer but never got selected in their World Cup squad.

Some were unlucky, and some were not up to the mark in terms of representing their side in the World Cup. We have discussed five such players here:

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5. Matthew Hoggard (England)

Matthew Hoggard: Cricket - South Australia vs England - November 17 2006

Matthew Hoggard made his debut in 2000 against the West Indies and went on to play for eight years. In this span, he played 67 Test matches and took 248 wickets at an average of 30.5 with an economy rate of 3.26. He was a great Test player, but could not replicate the same success in ODI matches. Hoggard played in 26 ODIs, where he took 32 wickets at an average of 36.

Being tall and muscular, he bowled at high speed and moved the ball on either side of the wicket. Hoggard was chosen for the 2003 World Cup but did not play a single match.

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4. Chris Martin (New Zealand)

Chris Martin appeals for an LBW

Chris Martin was a right arm fast-medium bowler, who played for New Zealand for 13 years after making his debut in 2000. He played 71 Test matches and took 233 wickets at an average of 33.81 with an economy rate of 3.37. Martin was rarely on the selector's radar for the ODIs, meaning he was never in the reckoning to play in a World Cup.

He played 20 ODI matches and took 18 wickets at an average of 44.66. He was picked as a replacement for the injured Daryl Tuffey but did not get an opportunity to play any game.

3. Justin Langer (Australia)

Justin Langer: Somerset v Durham - NatWest Pro40

Justin Langer was one of the finest opening batsmen of Australia. He and Mathew Hayden formed a deadly opening pair, amassing 5655 runs in 113 Test innings with an average of 51.88. He was an effective driver and cutter of the ball. Langer played 105 Test matches and scored 7696 runs at an average of 45.27.

He, however, did not have a successful stint in ODIs. Langer played only eight ODI matches, and that is the reason why he was never chosen to represent Australia in the World Cup matches.

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2. VVS Laxman (India)

VVS Laxman: England v India: 4th npower Test - Day Four

VVS Laxman was a great middle-order batsman who played in the era of the greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid. He was technically superior, highly gifted, and known for his deft touch much like Mohammad Azharuddin.

He made his debut in 1996 and represented India for 16 long years before hanging up his boots. Laxman scored 8781 runs in 134 Test matches at an average of 45.97. The elegant Hyderabadi was a mediocre ODI player, who scored 2338 runs in 88 ODI matches at an average of 30.76. One of the reasons why he did not play any World Cup match was the fact that Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and other attacking players were always preferred over him.

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1. Alastair Cook (England)

Alastair Cook: England v India: Specsavers 3rd Test - Day Two

Alastair Cook made his international debut in 2006, and within 12 years of his playing career, he represented England in 161 Test matches. Cook was a prolific run-getter who amassed 12472 runs at an average of 45.35. The southpaw was always ready to take challenges and played with style.

He, however, played only 92 ODI matches and scored 3204 runs at an average of 36.40. Cook took time to settle down and was not a punisher of the ball, which is perhaps the reason why he never made it to any World Cup.