World Cup 2019: 5 finds of the tournament

44 matches of the World Cup are done and dusted and now it's time for the big Final. India, Australia, England, and New Zealand were the stand-out performers in the league stage and as a result, those were the four teams which qualified for the semis. There was a lot of competition in the league stage as there were three teams fighting for the last two spots going into the last week. Eventually, England and New Zealand came through as they finished third and the fourth respectively. Interestingly, they will be contesting the final.

India and Australia were knocked out by their opponents. India showed a fight in the semi-final against New Zealand whereas Australia was thrashed by England at Edgbaston.

Coming back to the league stage, there were some brilliant, incredible and unbelievable performances from individuals in the whole tournament. What was even more pleasing was that most of these performances came from players who haven't played much ODI cricket. There were a number of players who put their hand up when the situation got tough.

As a result, each team has found some players who can perform under pressure. So, let’s have a look at five players who could be called the finds of the tournament.

#5 Ikram Ali Khil (Afghanistan)

Ikram Ali Khil was mighty impressive against West Indies

Midway through the tournament, Afghanistan made a change and bought in the young wicket-keeper for Mohammad Shahzad. In the initial games which he played, he batted way down the order and didn’t look impressive at all but his keeping was up to the mark. Keeping against three quality spinners is always a difficult task but he did it successfully.

He came into the limelight when he was pushed up the order and asked to bat No.3. He looked mighty impressive in the game against West Indies as he scored 86 off 93 balls in a 300+ run-chase. He could have been the youngest to score a century in World Cup history. He might have missed this record but his temperament and skills are going in the right direction to become a star.

#4 Avishka Fernando (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka needs to ensure that they don't waste this young talent

If you want to see style, elegance and timing, then you have to watch Avishka Fernando. He was timing the ball like anything. Some of the shots which he played were worth watching again and again. People will keep talking about his pull shot which went for a six against Jofra Archer. He did it so effortlessly.

Fernando scored 203 runs in four innings at an average of 50.75 and a strike-rate of 105.73. Many people were wondering as to why he wasn't part of the XI in the earlier games. He put on a show against the West Indies with his match-winning hundred. The ease with which he was timing the ball was pleasing to the eye. He never looked hurried even against the quickest of bowlers. Sri Lanka needs to ensure that they show the faith in this youngster as he has the potential to become a match-winner.

#3 Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

Shaheen Afridi has a bright future ahead of him

Pakistan has found a future star in Shaheen Afridi. He was absolutely brilliant in this tournament as he picked up 16 wickets in just five games. He was the second highest wicket-taker for Pakistan after Mohammad Amir. He was a perfect replacement for the struggling Hasan Ali. The 19-year-old left-arm pacer picked up wickets when it mattered the most.

Against New Zealand, in a must-win game, he bowled a fabulous opening spell to get rid of Munro, Latham, and Taylor. He was equally effective against Afghanistan as he picked four wickets for 47 runs. Shaheen Afridi ran through the Bangladesh batting line-up as he picked up six for 35 and showed all his variations. He has most of the variations which a fast bowler should have. He bowls quick, swings the ball upfront and can bowl the slower one as well. He is still very young and has a bright future ahead for Pakistan.

#2 Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)

Nicholas Pooran was the highest run-scorer for West Indies

Nicholas Pooran was billed as an out-and-out T20 batsman and hadn’t played much ODI cricket. But in this World Cup, he has shown that he is more than capable of performing at the highest level even in this format. He was the leading run-scorer for West Indies in this World Cup as he outscored players like Chris Gayle and Shai Hope.

It was a formidable achievement as he wasn't batting in the top three. He generally batted at No.4 or No.5 depending on the situation. He scored 367 runs in eight innings at an average of 52.43 and a strike-rate of 100.27. He smashed a brilliant century against Sri Lanka and almost chased down 338 single-handedly. Many doubted his temperament to play long innings but he has shown that he can do it. He along with the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope is the future of West Indies batting.

#1 Alex Carey (Australia)

Alex Carey is the find of the tournament

When you have such a strong batting line-up like Australia has there won’t be many days when you will get to bat a lot. But in whatever opportunities Alex Carey has got he has been absolutely phenomenal. Every time Australia were in trouble this guy played a meaningful knock.

He is their fourth-highest run-scorer with 375 runs in eight innings at an average of 62.50 with a strike-rate of 104.17. He has scored a fifty whenever his team needed it. Against New Zealand and South Africa, when his team lost four quick wickets, he came to the rescue. Even in the semi-final, he scored 46 runs after getting hit on the chin by Jofra Archer.

What's more eye-catching is that he has scored his runs fairly quickly. He doesn't take a lot of time to settle down as he starts hitting boundaries pretty early in his innings. The Little Master Sachin Tendulkar was impressed by the Australian wicket-keeper so it would be fair to say that he has been the find of the tournament.