2019 World Cup: One star cricketer who holds the key for each team

With nearly six months left for the cricket's biggest multi-nation tournament, most of the teams have sorted their preparations with an eye over the World Cup next year. With only the top ten teams slated to participate in the tournament in England, it could well be one of the most closely fought World Cups in the history of the sport.

All the teams look well-balanced with absolutely nothing that separates any of them. The stakes for any World Cup are sky high and none of the teams would want to go undercooked for the prestigious competition.

Most of the teams look very strong on paper as they build their sides around few sure starters who also form the core of the squad. It would be worthy to see how each team strikes a balance within their squad to ensure enough firepower in their armory to cop up with tricky situations. It all boils down to how each team unleashes their trump card at the right moment in the tournament to ensure better results at the end.

Let's take a look at one player who holds the key for each team in the forthcoming World Cup.

---

#10 Dinesh Chandimal - Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka will look upon their skipper for inspiration

Sri Lanka have witnessed a downfall in their standards ever since the retirement of some of their senior players. The island nation has failed to fill in the voids left by some of the greats in their cricket.

The youngsters have been awful with their performances and have not converted their opportunities into successfully grabbed chances.

In such a case, the skipper needs to leads from the front. Dinesh Chandimal, who is one among their senior players, has been out of form as he continues to struggle with his injuries. He will hold the key for the Lankans in the upcoming World Cup. It will be a matter of one great performance which could inflict a turnaround in that under-confident dressing room at the moment.

#9 Babar Azam - Pakistan

Babar Azam is one of the consistent performers for Pakistan

One of the most prolific run-scorer for Pakistan in the recent past, Babar Azam is one of the key players for Pakistan leading up to the World Cup. An accumulator of runs, Babar understands his game and has the ability to play according to the situation. He bats at the very crucial number three position for his team and often plays the anchor role with others knocking around him.

The 24-year old also has the game to shift gears and take on the bowlers when needed. It will be for the very first time that Babar will don the Pakistan jersey in the World Cup and he would like to make it count in his maiden appearance at the prestigious tournament.

Even the team would hold their hopes high on the right-handed batsman to come good and deliver in the best interests of the team. It will also be a golden opportunity for Babar to establish himself as one of the better players for the men in green in the present decade.

#8 Kane Williamson - New Zealand

Kane Williamson is a true gentleman of the game

In this day and age when the opposition tries to get under the skin, the Kiwi skipper has still kept alive the spirit of the game. It is much due to his calm demeanor that also reflects in his game and how he controls things as a leader on the field.

A cool customer at the office, Kane Williamson is the vital cog in New Zealand's batting order given his experience and the kind of stability that he brings it to the table.

One of the better technically sound batsman in the world at the moment, Kane has been an all-weather batsman for his team and plays a similar role as Babar Azam does it for Pakistan. He is the fulcrum of his side while others bat around him to guide their team to a healthy total. Kane's role in the team is not just as a batsman but also as a skipper who has led his troops with great effect to produce better results for the New Zealand cricket.

#7 Jason Holder - West Indies

Jason Holder will look to initiate a turnaround

Jason Holder has been so unfortunate to not receive any backing from his players while him being at the helm of affairs for his team which is going through a crisis period. The all-rounder, who leads from the front, is an able leader and has shown it in the past by not losing the hope until it's not over.

The dismal relations between the board and some of the senior players have never helped their cricket. But still, Holder has kept alive the trust within the team to play for West Indies.

It will for the second consecutive time that Jason will lead his depleted side in the World Cup next year. Undoubtedly, he is their key player who can force a change in the team to perform to the best of their abilities.

It is just the lack of self-belief that has prevented the players to do justice to their cricketing abilities. It will be a tough task in hand for him to instill that lost confidence in his players and make them perform at the big stage.

#6 Rashid Khan - Afghanistan

Rashid is the key to Afghanistan's success

A cricketing hero back home for the people of Afghanistan, Rashid Khan has done more good than anybody to inspire a generation of cricketers to take up the sport.

At such a young age in his career, the leg-spinner has already become a household name in the Afghanistan cricket. Afghanistan should remain indebted for what he has done for the development of their cricket to allow them to be a force to reckon with in the International cricket.

The year 2019 will be a new challenge for Afghanistan as they will be all set to feature in the World cup for the second consecutive time in their cricket history. As a result, the expectations will be even higher from a senior player of Rashid's stature to lead the side during their difficult phases.

One of the best spinners from the current lot, Rashid will hold the key for the Afghans when they take the field in the World cup to not only spring surprises but also as a major threat to other teams.

#5 Shakib Al Hasan - Bangladesh

Shakib's injury is a matter of concern for the Tigers

One of Bangladesh's most consistent players in the last decade, Shakib Al Hasan has been a regular feature in all three formats for the Bangladeshi tigers. He contributes to the team not only as a player but also as a mentor to the number of youngsters who are still yet to find their feet at the highest level.

Shakib's injury, off-late, has caused a problem to the balance of the team. He featured in the recently concluded Asia Cup with a finger injury but couldn't manage to serve for the entire tournament and had to leave the tournament mid-way. Those were some unpleasant signs as Bangladesh continue to rely heavily on Shakib across all formats of the game.

#4 Joe Root - England

Root will have to play the anchor's role for England

One of the most prolific run scorers in the international cricket, Joe Root seems to have rediscovered his lost touch in the shorter versions of the game.

One of the best Test players from the current lot, Root has emerged from the shadows of not being recognized as a white-ball player. The consistency with which he gets to fifties is second to none. However, his failure resides in his ability to convert those starts into daddy hundreds.

In the year gone by, Root has been the second highest run-grosser after Jonny Bairstow for his ODI side. With an average nearing 60, he has carried England's batting with lot more responsibility to play the anchor's role and bat deep in the innings. It will be important for him to continue his great run of play and play a major role in the next year's World Cup at the home soil.

#3 Kagiso Rabada - South Africa

Rabada will lead his team's attack at the World Cup

Kagiso Rabada is the world's best fast bowler at present across formats. He came into notice on his ODI debut against Bangladesh at Mirpur. His figures of 6 for 16, which are the best for a South African in ODI, were an indication of what can be expected from the young pace bowler.

In no time, he has emerged as the Proteas' spearhead in every format especially after Dale Steyn was limited due to injury.

In recent times, Rabada has been an indispensable part of the South African lineup. He's the captain's go-to man in search of wickets or to curb the flow of runs. With 23 wickets in 14 games this year, the 23-year old continues to prove his consistency with every game. The right-arm pacer is a crucial aspect to his team's scheme of things in the upcoming World Cup as he is someone who can rattle the oppositions on his will in his bursts of a spell or two.

#2 David Warner - Australia

David Warner will return to the Australian setup for the World Cup next year

Despite being out of cricketing action for nearly nine months, David Warner is still one of the best ODI batsmen at the highest level.

The sand-paper episode in March 2018, which triggered a series of unlikely events for Australian cricket, now sees them as one of the underdogs ahead of the upcoming World Cup. The loss inflicted to their cricket has never been recovered as youngsters and some of the other senior players have failed to fill in the void left after the departure of David Warner and Steven Smith.

However, it is likely that the two will return to the squad and will walk straightaway into the playing XI. Warner, who is as explosive as any other opening batsmen in the world, will be required to bring in a change of fortunes for Australia.

The 32-year old would want to leave behind the forgettable experience and begin a new journey by doing wonders for his side in defending their World Cup title.

#1 Jasprit Bumrah - India

Bumrah's workload management will be key for India ahead of the World Cup

From being an unorthodox fast bowler who was not meant for the highest level of cricket with questions over his sustainability, Bumrah has risen rapidly to become India's match-winner in the limited overs formats.

Bumrah has made progress rather faster than what one would expect. In the past two years, the right-arm seamer has impressed one and all with his accuracy and maturity that he developed in such a short span of time.

Bumrah is probably the best bowler in ODIs at the moment due to his understanding of the game as well as the ability to anticipate the batsman's thinking and plan accordingly. Being ranked number one in the ICC rankings for bowlers is a testimony to his consistency in the past year. Undoubtedly, the 24-year old is the best bowler that India have as he can not only contain runs but also outfox batsmen on a regular basis.