Creating hypothetical cricket teams is a proven source of debate and always an entertaining exercise. Here I will select a team of Associate member players based on performances throughout this year’s Cricket World Cup.
(Despite popular belief, England are not an Associate team and therefore their players weren’t considered for this XI.)
Overall the team comprises three Irish, three Afghans, three Scots and two Emiratis.
William Porterfield (Ireland)
275 runs @ 45.83. Strike rate – 67.23
Porterfield led by example during the tournament and finished it at the top of his game, producing a century in the do-or-die match with Pakistan. The opening batsman is a veteran of Irish cricket, but at 30 he still has runs in him. Porterfield also captains this hypotehtical XI.
Kyle Coetzer (Scotland)
253 runs @ 42.16. Strike rate – 89.71
The Scottish opener created history by belting the highest ever score by an Associate batsman for a career-best 156 against Bangladesh. The electrifying innings was one of the highlights of the tournament.
Coetzer was also at his explosive best against British rivals England, when he smacked 71.
Ed Joyce (Ireland)
246 runs @ 41.00. Strike rate – 98.40
A veteran of three World Cups, one with England, Joyce showed no signs of slowing down. His 112 against Zimbabwe proved a match-winning knock, while an 84 against the West Indies went a long way towards another Irish upset.
The elegant left-hander scored his runs quickly and reminded the world how classy a player he is.
Shaiman Anwar (UAE)
311 runs @ 51.83. Strike rate – 91.47
He played the feel-good innings of the tournament and even led the run aggregate at one point, so Shaiman Anwar’s selection is a given. His century, UAE’s first ever in a World Cup, against Ireland was mesmerising cricket and one of the knocks I will remember most.
Overall he finished in the top-10 run scorers to cap a brilliant competition.
Samiullah Shenwari (Afghanistan)
254 runs @ 42.33. Strike rate – 57.20
A half-century against New Zealand’s vaunted attack consisting of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori was the highlight of Shenwari’s Cup. Although he fell short of a historic century against Scotland, Shenwari was crucial to Afghanistan’s maiden World Cup victory.
The team’s leading run-scorer in the tournament also finished in the top-25 batsmen after the group stages.
Andy Balbirnie (Ireland)
236 runs @ 39.33. Strike rate 90.76
Balbirnie was the find of the tournament for Ireland, and at just 24, the aggressive right-hander should be the mainstay of the team for years to come. Balbirnie found his groove against Zimbabwe with an authoritative 97 and he did well for another half-century against South Africa.
His confidence clearly grew as the tournament progressed, all the while accumulating runs quickly. An exciting talent.
Matthew Cross (Scotland)
88 runs @ 14.66. Strike rate 73.33. Nine catches and one stumping
This was the hardest position in the team to fill. I decided to go against Niall O’Brien as he didn’t keep wicket during the tournament. Although he didn’t star with the bat, Cross proved his worth behind the stumps, his 10 dismissals during the World Cup were good enough for third of all wicket-keepers and his stumping against England was one of the best pieces of glove-work you will see. The 22-year-old looks a promising prospect for the Scots.
Josh Davey (Scotland)
15 wickets @ 20.73. Economy – 6.22
He led the wicket-taker’s tally at stages during the tournament, but ultimately the Scottish all-rounder finished the competition tied with Mohammed Shami and Trent Boult in second. At just 24 years old, Davey has plenty of upside and should be a mainstay of the Scottish team for years to come – that’s if England don’t pinch him.
Shapoor Zadran (Afghanistan)
10 wickets @ 26.50. Economy – 5.19
The character of the Cup, Shapoor backed up his flowing hair and equally fetching flair with the ball. The left-armer led a competent Afghanistan attack and epitomised the spirit of the Associates.
Shapoor hitting the winning runs against Scotland, notching Afghanistan’s first ever World Cup victory, will be an enduring memory from this event.
Hamid Hassan (Afghanistan)
8 wickets @ 32.62. Economy – 5.11
Like Shapoor’s luscious locks, Hamid’s headband was immediately identifiable during the World Cup. Looks aside, Hamid was exceptional for Afghanistan with the ball. ‘He runs in hard all day’ is a typical analogy for workhorse pacemen but it perfectly typifies Hamid and his attitude.
Afghanistan as a team was the story of the World Cup, but the discovery of their bowling talent was the on-field lesson learnt.
Manjula Guruge (UAE)
7 wickets @ 19.42. Economy – 4.77
He only played four matches but Manjula was tremendous for the UAE. The left-armer finished the tournament with a strike rate of just 24.4 and an average of 19.42 – elite figures by anyone’s standard.
At 34 he doesn’t have long left in the game, but he certainly showed age is no barrier for quicks – even for Associate members.
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