Sean Wilson picks out ten Cricket World Cup veterans who are looking to bow out in style in the 2019 edition.
Every team needs a balance between youth and experience, so while most of the players listed here are no longer in their prime, they bring a wealth of experience and know-how to their respective sides.
Here is a look at the sparkling careers of the star players who could well be playing their last Cricket World Cup this summer. These stalwarts are still capable of game-changing performances in the twilight of their international cricket career.
Chris Gayle, 39 (West Indies)
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Gayle smashed 424 runs in four ODIs against England earlier this year[/caption]
Destructive opener Gayle made his ODI debut way back in 1999 against India and was soon heralded as the next great Caribbean batsman. His West Indies appearances have decreased in recent years but he has played some scintillating knocks for his country. The “Universe Boss” smashed the first World Cup double-century in 2015, sharing a record second-wicket partnership (372) with Marlon Samuels. The left-hander has also hit the second-highest number of sixes (314) in the 50-over format.
ODIs: 10,151 runs at 38.16, 25 hundreds
CWC: 944 runs at 37.76, 2 hundred
Hashim Amla, 36 (South Africa)
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Amla has been very consistent at the top of the order for many years in ODI cricket[/caption]
Despite initially making his name as a rock-solid Test batsman, Amla soon showed off his prolific run-making talents at the top of South Africa’s ODI batting line-up. No Proteas batsman has more centuries (27) than Amla, whose finest World Cup knock of 159 came against Ireland in 2015 – a tournament in which they again crashed out at the semi-final stage.
ODIs: 9,282 runs at 46.64, 27 hundreds
CWC: 639 runs at 42.60, 2 hundreds
Ross Taylor, 35 (New Zealand)
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Taylor has been a key batsman for New Zealand for over a decade[/caption]
A reliable and destructive batsman on his day, Taylor has been the pillar of New Zealand’s batting hopes for over a decade in all formats. No man has made more runs and centuries for the Black Caps in ODI cricket, yet a World Cup winners medal agonisingly eluded him in 2015 as his side were beaten in the final by Australia.
ODIs: 8,026 runs at 48.34, 20 hundreds
CWC: 652 runs at 36.22, 1 hundred
MS Dhoni, 37 (India)
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Dhoni has made a reputation of being a brutal hitter and expert finisher of an innings[/caption]
Veteran Dhoni’s brutal power and finishing ability with the bat, along with his dependable skills behind the stumps, made him one of the modern greats of the limited overs game. He first drew attention not long after his debut with scores of 148 and 183* against Pakistan and Sri Lanka respectively. Dhoni’s calm captaincy guided India to their second ever World Cup triumph in 2011, a match in which he scored an unbeaten 91 to see his country home.
ODIs: 10,500 runs at 50.72, 10 hundreds
CWC: 507 runs at 42.25, 0 hundreds
JP Duminy, 35 (South Africa)
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Duminy has proven to be a valuable all-rounder for South Africa in ODI cricket[/caption]
After making his debut in 2004, Duminy became a dashing and versatile batting all-rounder who has been a regular member of South Africa’s limited overs set-up. He is seen as an unfulfilled talent but has shown flashes of brilliance, such as his 115* against Zimbabwe at the 2015 World Cup, where he shared a record-breaking partnership of 256 with David Miller, and his hat-trick at the quarter-final stage of the same tournament.
ODIs: 5,047 runs at 37.38, 4 hundreds
CWC: 388 runs at 43.11, 2 hundreds
Shoaib Malik, 37 (Pakistan)
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Malik’s longevity has been down to his calmness with the bat and his ability to bowl useful off-spin[/caption]
Even at the tender age of 37, Shoaib Malik is still Mr. Dependable for Pakistan. His limited ball-striking ability is replaced by his solidarity in the middle-order, which has regularly allowed freedom for Pakistan’s promising hitters and stroke-makers. His highest ODI score of 143 came in 2004. Only four Pakistan batsmen have more ODI runs than Malik.
ODIs: 7,526 runs at 35.00, 9 hundreds
CWC: 92 runs at 30.66, 0 hundreds
Mashrafe Mortaza, 35 (Bangladesh)
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Mortaza has been the leader of Bangladesh’s ODI attack for many years[/caption]
With the ability to bowl fast and hit a long ball, Mortaza burst onto the scene in 2001 as a teenager and was seen as Bangladesh’s first real promising bowling talent. Injuries hampered his speed but his career has seen him develop into a dependable seamer capable of causing problems through swing and seam. The 35-year-old has the most wickets by any Bangladeshi in ODI history.
ODIs: 265 wickets at 31.69, 1 five-for
CWC: 18 wickets at 36.05, 0 five-fors
Dale Steyn, 35 (South Africa)
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Despite recent injuries, Steyn’s pace, accuracy and ability to swing the ball still makes him a threat[/caption]
He has made his name as one of the great Test bowlers but Steyn has also prospered in ODI cricket. Only four seamers have more ODI wickets for South Africa than the 35-year-old, whose pace and potency have been curtailed by injuries in recent years. Steyn’s best figures of 6-39 came against Pakistan in 2013 but he failed to reach the World Cup final in 2011 and 2015.
ODIs: 196 wickets at 25.95, 3 five-fors
CWC: 23 wickets at 23.39, 1 five-for
Lasith Malinga, 35 (Sri Lanka)
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Malinga is the only man to take three hat-tricks in ODI cricket[/caption]
With his unorthodox action and devastating yorkers, Malinga became a global bowling superstar soon after his debut in 2004. A defining moment came at the 2007 World Cup, where he took an astonishing four wickets in four balls against South Africa. Malinga is the only man to take two World Cup hat-tricks and his 322 ODI wickets for Sri Lanka are bettered only by Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.
ODIs: 322 wickets at 29.03, 8 five-fors
CWC: 43 wickets at 21.11, 1 five-for
Imran Tahir, 40 (South Africa)
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Tahir has proven to be a key wicket-taker for South Africa in the middle periods of matches[/caption]
A late bloomer in the international scene, Tahir made his ODI debut in 2011 against the West Indies, taking an impressive 4-41. His stock rose further after taking 14 and 15 wickets at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups respectively. No South African spinner has more ODI wickets than Tahir, who also became the fastest South African to 100 wickets in the format in 2016.
ODIs: 162 wickets at 24.21, 3 five-fors
CWC: 29 wickets at 16.31, 1 five-for
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