Year in Review: ODI Team of the year 2013

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and not reflective of the website as a whole.

2013 has witnessed some very good ODI cricket all over the world. It has seen India emerge as the undisputed winners of the Champions Trophy and then getting thrashed by the Proteas after a run fest at home against the Aussies.

Meanwhile, South Africa and Pakistan have played enough to bore fans from both the nations. Australia, England and Sri Lanka have had a mixed year while West Indies’ misfortunes have simply increased in 2013.

Keeping the complete year’s performance in mind, here’s the best ODI team of 2013:

Top Order

1. Shikhar Dhawan (India)

Setting the trend for moustaches this year!

The man with a giant smile and a lion heart has definitely been the talk of the year. The way he twirls his moustache on the ground has admired his countrymen and intimidated his opponents. He announced his return to ODI cricket in style, hitting a powerful century against South Africa in England. Stepping into Sehwag’s shoes, he has definitely added a new dimension to India’s top order.

His flashy shots on the off-side, reminiscent of Sourav Ganguly, have given India the edge as he has taken the attack on to the opposition bowlers. The southpaw also loves coming down the track, often forcing bowlers to err in their lengths. With 1162 runs at an average of 50+ and a strike rate of almost 98, it has been certainly a fairy tale run for Dhawan.

2. Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

Guptill on song against England!

Martin Guptill might just not be as prolific as some of the names mentioned on this list but he has performed more than the stats simply suggest. New Zealand have had one of the most successful away assignments in the recent years beating South Africa in South Africa and England in England, with Guptill playing the antagonist in most of these ventures.

With occasional big scores like the spectacular 189 against Anderson and co., Guptill has managed to keep his team on top in the games he played. Unfortunately, he missed out on the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka tours after suffering an ankle injury and New Zealand’s plight was clearly exposed.

3. Virat Kohli (India)

The best in chasing business!

This lad has got a very big appetite for chasing big scores which has made him an ideal No.3, forcing Sanga to go a spot lower in the batting order. Technique and flamboyance could probably be well associated with Kohli and his purple patch is getting darker with every passing year.

With the added responsibility of vice-captaincy, Kohli’s response under pressure has been terrific, making centuries in 350+ chases twice this year. With 1268 runs under his belt this year at an average of 53 and a strike rate of 98, Virat Kohli is undoubtedly Cricket’s next-big-thing.

Middle Order

4. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

The run-machine in action!

He has been the backbone of Sri Lankan cricket for some time now. The team has been revolving around him and it will be justified if he is labelled as one of the modern day greats.

Sanga’s approach to the game has been methodical and calculative and he has certainly developed the art of converting starts into bigger scores. Accumulating almost 1200 runs at an astonishing average of 65.50 with a healthy strike rate of 91, he has been the most consistent ODI player of the year.

5. Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)

The pillar of Pakistan batting!

Fondly called as ‘Tuk-Tuk’ in his country, Pakistan batting starts and ends with him. He has been more of a fighter, often playing the role of a saviour with the bat. Aggression doesn’t come naturally to the Pakistan skipper, but he has also managed to switch gears to help his team’s run-rate.

He has scored more runs than anyone else this year, but a century has always remained out of his gasp. He has dished out as many as 27 sixes this season and is the only player to cross the 1300 run mark at an average of more than 55 runs per match. Misbah has the habit of going when the going gets tough.

6. MS Dhoni (India) (C & WK)

Captain Fantastic!

It has now simply become a tradition to leave the captain’s role of any ODI World XI to Dhoni, with his tactics and composure already making him one of the greatest to have played the game. He has been himself this season, finishing off things in style with an average of 63, including a fabulous century against the Aussies in a match where the Indian top-order crumbled.

He has been pretty much shrewd as a captain often utilising the best out of his resources. The Champions Trophy triumph was certainly another feather to his glorious cap. Add his clever wicket-keeping skills to that and feel the true worth of MSD!

7. Ryan McLaren (South Africa)

Mclaren has turned to be a key member of the Proteas side!

McLaren will not feature in the list of best batsmen, bowlers or all-rounders. But as a contributor, McLaren has been top-notch. In an ODI line-up he could be that crucial No.7 that would suffice any team. He has been able to break partnerships and has always delivered the quota of the fifth bowler.

With the bat, he has played a few cameos when needed and at times, he has raised his game for resurrecting the innings from scratch. With 372 runs at 28.6 and 45 wickets at 23.7, McLaren has definitely been the all-rounder of the year.

Bowlers

8. Mitchell Johnson (Australia)

The mother of comebacks!

Mitch is back! The Road to Ashes was definitely laid following his brilliant performances in One Day Internationals this year. He was able to hit the deck with accurate pace and bounce even in the flat tracks in India as he emerged as the only bowler who remained unscathed at the end of the series.

Johnson announced his return to international cricket this year like no other player in the recent past. He was quickly able to gather some momentum for the fading Aussies as the key bowler in both England and India.

9. Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan)

Mr. Consistent!

60 wickets in 32 games at an average of 20.41! The most important fact of his form would be that he has managed to do these in conditions that weren’t in great favour for spinners. He was adjudged the Man of the Series in South Africa where the pitches don’t offer that much assistance to the spinners.

Ajmal has been able to mince the doosras along with the off-spinner that has proved quite difficult for most of the batsmen. His subtle variations in flight and speed have definitely helped his cause in becoming the leading spinner of 2013.

10. Dale Steyn (South Africa)

Fiery and Deadly!

The best fast bowler in the game now and one among the best of all time. There might not be many who would dare to deny the statement. Steyn would be able to swing the ball on any surface on earth and an economy rate of just 3.65 in ODIs this year is just an indication of his resplendence.

He has managed to survive his initial hiccups in the shorter format and has proved people that bowling could still win matches in the modern era. Ask Hafeez more about Steyn and one will realize how brutal he could be!

11. Mitchell Mcclenaghan (New Zealand)

The Wicket machine!

40 wickets in just 15 games at an unbelievable strike rate of just 20. He doesn’t have the accuracy in swing and bounce, but he rather knows the knack of taking wickets. He has been able to burst through any batting line-up he has played against, though his economy rate has been quite on the upper side. Having him as an opening bowler would definitely help his captain in breaking partnerships that would pester his team.

Debatable exclusions include Rohit Sharma, Ab De Villiers, George Bailey, Ravindra Jadeja, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Junaid Khan. I truly feel embarrassed in leaving someone like De Villiers out from the team of the year.

The most complete cricketer of today, De Villiers’ form has been a shade lighter than that of Sangakkara and Misbah, who have been more than brilliant this year. He has definitely been more among the runs in comparison to Dhawan and Guptill, but a slot in the middle order is not open enough to let Mr.360 degree walk into it.

Rohit Sharma, despite being the highest scoring opener this year, didn’t fare as well in overseas conditions as Dhawan and Guptill managed to do. Bailey wouldn’t able to make it to a world XI until one of Misbah, Sangakkara and Dhoni go out of form and McLaren has been more steady this year than Jadeja.

Dilshan has played more of with I-want-to-score attitude rather than contributing to winning causes while Junaid Khan has unfortunately missed it out to a miser, a wicket-bag and a comeback hero.