World Cup 2019: 4 experienced players who might be dropped due to their sub-par performances

We are almost at the halfway stage of the most anticipated cricket tournament of the year - the ICC World Cup 2019. As we move forward, the points table will get more and more interesting and we'll eventually get to see a few teams fighting intensely for the semifinal spots.

So far, with almost every team having played half of their games, we have had a fair share of quality performances on show. However, alongside some breathtaking displays, we have also had a few poor performances from veteran campaigners.

The sub-par performances from these experienced players have also cost their teams in one way or another. In this article, we look at four underperforming players who might get dropped in the following fixtures for their respective teams.

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#1 Shaun Marsh (Australia)

At the start of the tournament, there was a toss-up between Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh for a place in the lineup. Aaron Finch decided to go with Khawaja as his preferred choice, but that hasn't turned out so well as the left-hander has scored just 98 runs from five games at an average of 19.60.

Meanwhile, Marsh got a lucky break as Marcus Stoinis was ruled out for a couple of matches owing to an injury. However, Marsh has failed to capitalize and has scored just 26 runs from two games.

With Stoinis expected to play in Australia's next encounter against Bangladesh, Marsh will likely have to make his way out of the playing XI. Khawaja would have faced the axe as well, but the support of Australia's assistant coach Brad Haddin will most probably save his place for the time being.

#2 Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)

Angelo Mathews

Angelo Mathews is having a tough time with the bat in the 2019 World Cup. Having featured in three matches so far, Mathews has amassed just nine runs at a shocking average of 3.00.

The batting all-rounder's sorry run with the bat has created loads of problems for Sri Lanka. Owing to Mathews' inefficiency in the middle order, Sri Lanka have not only struggled to cope with the loss of early wickets but have also failed to lay a solid foundation for their finishers.

Thus, considering Mathews' performance for Sri Lanka in this World Cup, it seems likely that he will lose his place in the playing XI.

#3 Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)

Shoaib Malik

Of late, Shoaib Malik has been receiving a lot of criticism from his fellow countrymen and the cricketing pundits. Coming into the 2019 World Cup, Malik was envisioned to be Pakistan's key batsman and was expected to lead their middle order. However, the story has been entirely different on the ground.

Malik has failed to make any vital contribution to the team. The experienced campaigner has played three games for Pakistan so far, and has managed to score just eight runs at a pretty low average of 2.67. Besides, he has been no good with the ball.

Keeping in mind Pakistan's best interests in this World Cup, the team management will likely drop Malik for the upcoming fixtures.

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#4 Lahiru Thirimanne (Sri Lanka)

Lahiru Thirimanne

Another Sri Lankan batsman who has been struggling at this World Cup is Lahiru Thirimanne. The southpaw has had a horrendous time in the tournament so far, with his confidence at a real low.

Having featured in three games so far, Thirimanne has amassed just 45 runs at a paltry average of 15.00. The left-hander has failed to stabilize the top order, which has complicated things severely for the team.

Thirimanne has failed to gauge the length of the deliveries he has faced, and looks unlikely to get out of his rut any time soon. Taking into account all of that, the southpaw will most likely be losing his place in the playing XI for Sri Lanka's upcoming games.