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The ICC Cricket World Cup is around the corner and the buzz can be felt in the air. The teams are gearing up for the challenge as they want to win the tournament. All the teams have announced their squads for the World Cup. Generally teams don't make a lot of experiments in the biggest cricket tournament.
All the teams plan ahead with World Cup as their goal so by the time the tournament arrives they have a settled squad. Still, there are always a few places up for grabs and sometimes selectors need to take a brave call or two. Sometimes selectors go for safer and tested options instead of trying some new option.
On the other hand, some selectors go for risky options expecting them to be the trump card in the tournament. Every team in the tournament has made some brave selections. So let us look at the brave choices made by selectors of each country.
#1 India - Vijay Shankar
Vijay Shankar might have a lot of experience in domestic crickets but he is still raw in international cricket. The all-rounder is yet to do anything special in the ODIs as he is yet to score a half-century. In his short cameos, in the ODIs, Shankar has shown that he has a solid technique to do well against quality bowling attacks.
Indian selectors had much more experienced option in the form of Ambati Rayudu but they didn't pick him. The chief selector said that Shankar is a three dimensional player which makes him an asset to the team.
The all-rounder has an ability to adapt his game according to the situation of the match. He can also come up with the big hits in the death overs to take the innings forward. Shankar can also be a good option with the ball in the English conditions which will give flexibility to Virat Kohli.
#2 New Zealand - Tom Blundell
The inclusion of Tom Blundell was a huge surprise as he is yet to make his ODI debut. The wicketkeeper-batsman is lucky as he got an opportunity only because Tim Seifert got injured.
His lack of experience is a concerning factor but Kiwi selectors took a brave call. While Tom Latham is the first choice wicket-keeper batsman, Blundell can be a good back up. The right-handed batsman can play a variety of sweep shots which makes it difficult for spinners to contain him in the middle overs.
#3 Bangladesh - Abu Jayed
Bangladesh has always been blessed with quality spinners but they are found wanting in the fast bowling department. Abu Jayed was impressive in the Test series against New Zealand. His performances caught the attention of fans but very few expected him to be selected in the World Cup.
The selectors took a brave call by picking the fast bowler in the Bangladeshi squad for the World Cup. If he can continue his good form in the mega event, the selectors should give themselves a pat on the back for picking him.
#4 England - Joe Denly
Joe Denly made his ODI debut way back in 2009 but he lost his place in the team after falling out of favor with selectors. Impressive performances in the domestic cricket earned him a recall in England team at the age of 32.
Considering the fact that he played last ODI almost 10 years ago, selecting him for the World Cup is a brave move. The all-rounder has now got an opportunity to make up for the lost time in the 2019 World Cup.
#5 Sri Lanka - Jeffrey Vandersay
Sri Lanka used to be a hub of talented spinners but now the scenario has changed. The team is struggling in all formats of the game and the selectors had to place bets on inexperienced players. Jeffrey Vandersay caught the attention of the cricket fans in the 2016 World T20.
The right-arm leg-spinner has only played 11 ODIs in his career but none of them has come at home. Recently, the wrist spinners have done well in ODI cricket which might have brought his name into contention for World Cup squad. The 29-year-old has a chance to make his mark on the world stage.
#6 Pakistan - Abid Ali
Abid Ali had to wait a long time before getting an opportunity to play in ODI cricket. The 31-year-old made full use of that opportunity as he scored a century on his debut.
He broke the record of most runs scored by a Pakistani on a debut as he scored 112 runs on his debut. Despite his international inexperience, the Pakistani selectors took a bold move by picking him for the World Cup squad.
#7 South Africa - Anrich Nortje
South Africa never has a dearth of great fast bowling reserves in their ranks. The 25-year-old impressed against Sri Lanka in his debut ODI series.
The fast bowler picked eight wickets in four ODIs to put himself in the reckoning for the World Cup squad. The South African selectors saw the potential of Anrich Nortje and took the bold decision of picking him in spite of his inexperience.
#8 Afghanistan - Hamid Hassan
Hamid Hassan has seen it all with Afghanistan cricket team. He was part of the team which played in division five in 2008, and he also was a part of the team which played in the 2015 World Cup.
Injuries and loss of form meant that the fast bowler lost his place in the team. The selectors have made a brave decision by picking despite the fact that he has not played a single ODI since 2016. Afghanistan has a talented bowling attack but they need experience of bowlers like Hassan in a tournament like World Cup.
#8 Windies - Fabian Allen
West Indies keeps producing talented all-rounders and Fabian Allen is another one of them. The 23-year-old only made his ODI debut in October last year vs India.
He has failed to make any impact on the international stage in ODIs. The youngster has scored just 25 runs and failed to pick any wickets in his short four-match career. The Windies selectors have taken a brave step by trusting his talent to pick him in the World Cup squad.
#10 Australia - Jason Behrendorff
Jason Behrendorff is fantastic with the new ball but he isn't that good when the ball loses the shine. The left-arm pacer is not an easy bowler to face as he is deadly in the powerplay. The 29-year-old believes in hitting the deck hard which helps him in extracting bounce from the pitches.
The natural angle created by a left-hander is never easy for any batsmen which can make him a trump card for Australia. The English conditions aid swing bowling which will work in the favour of the lanky Australian bowler.
The problem with his selection is that he is very inconsistent. He showed this inconsistency in IPL too, as he was dropped when he lost his form after a few good outings. The Australian selectors have considered the fact that Behrendorff adds variety to the attack but it is a brave call.
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