Ben Gardner picks out Wisden’s up-and-coming ODI World XI, a team of players with fewer than 50 ODI caps each.

With the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League still nascent, and the next ODI global event still two T20 showpieces away, now is the time for looking forward, and wondering who are the players about to imprint themselves on the international stage.

To that end, we’ve picked an XI of players whose ODI careers are just starting out, with each having played 50 ODIs or fewer, but who might well be on their way to greatness.

*Stats in bold correct as of March 27, 2021

KL Rahul

37 ODIs, 1,502 runs @ 50.06, SR: 89.83, 5 100s, HS: 112

KL Rahul is 28 years old and has long been rated as one of India’s most exciting batting prospects. But the dominance of India’s established top three means he’s still making his way in ODI cricket, despite a stellar start to his career. His 36 ODIs have been spread over five years, and he’s reached 50 in more than a third of his innings to date.

Imam-ul-Haq

40 ODIs, 1,834 runs @ 52.40, SR: 80.43, 7 100s, HS: 151

When you’re the nephew of one of Pakistan’s greatest batsmen, anything less than excellence on the international stage will quickly lead to words like ‘nepotism’ and ‘favouritism’ being thrown around. Luckily, Imam-ul-Haq has never been anything less than excellent, especially in ODI cricket. He made a century on debut, against Sri Lanka, added 151 against World Cup favourites England in a pre-tournament bilateral series, and made a century in that tournament too, although it came with Pakistan virtually out of contention in their final group game against Bangladesh.

Temba Bavuma (c)

6 ODIs, 335 runs @ 55.83, SR: 92.28, 1 100, HS: 113

In terms of matches played, Temba Bavuma is the least experienced player in this team, but South Africa have seen enough to make him white-ball captain, and we’re backing him as skipper of this side too. A century on debut against Ireland, and a 98 against England two knocks and four years later have convinced us that he has the technical, strike-rotating prowess to play the anchor role in this line-up.

Rassie van der Dussen

21 ODIs, 707 runs @ 70.70, SR: 81.82, HS: 95

Rassie van der Dussen has had a quietly blistering start to his ODI career. While the 32-year-old South African rarely sets stadiums alight with bursts of sustained hitting, he has shown incredible consistency so far. His average is the highest of any player with more than 500 ODI runs to their name, and fewer than a third of his innings so far have seen him dismissed before reaching 50.

Nicholas Pooran

28 ODIs, 982 runs @ 49.10, SR: 106.62, 1 100, HS: 118

One of the most thrilling talents in the world game, Nicholas Pooran only made his debut at the start of 2019, but quickly justified the significant hype that had built up around him. A measured maiden century in the World Cup showed he could construct an innings, and there have even been calls for him to be elevated to the Test team, despite limited first-class experience, because of his highly commendable skill-set.

Rishabh Pant (wk)

17 ODIs, 451 runs @ 30.06, SR: 112.46, HS: 77

Rishabh Pant is one of two players in this XI whose numbers don’t exactly leap off the page, and yet you’d get long odds on the pyrotechnic Indian stumper not ending his career with a formidable body of work behind him. Already he has done enough in Test cricket to suggest he might have supplanted MS Dhoni as India’s best in that format. His 40-ball 77 in the second ODI against England is just the latest evidence that it’s only a matter of time before his stakes a claim for limited-overs greatness too.

Wanindu Hasaranga

18 ODIs, 320 runs @ 26.66, SR: 120.75, HS: 80*; 18 wickets @ 37.22, ER: 5.26, BBI: 3-15

Wanindu Hasaranga is the other punt in this XI, and the least secure of his place. While South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi is unlucky to miss out as a spinning option, Hasaranga is highly rated, having been backed by Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur to break into the “top 10 most valuable players in the world” soon enough, and adds batting depth to this side. An unbeaten 60-ball 80 in his most recent ODI suggests he might be about to come good.

Jofra Archer

17 ODIs, 30 wickets @ 24.00, ER: 4.74, BBI: 3-27

Few players have made their international debuts with such excitement around them, and fewer still have justified that build-up so totally. Within one season, Jofra Archer was England’s leading wicket taker in an epoch-shifting World Cup triumph, bowling the Super Over that sealed the trophy, and claimed two Ashes six-fors, including one which set up arguably their greatest modern Test win.

Lockie Ferguson

37 ODIs, 69 wickets @ 25.78, ER: 5.45, 3 4WIs, BBI: 5-45

Lockie Ferguson’s moustache harks back to a simpler time, and while the speeds he reaches place him at the forefront of fast bowling advancement, his method is decidedly primitive too. He’s coming at you, and he’s coming hard. With 21 wickets in a campaign that was only stopped short of being New Zealand’s maiden World Cup triumph by a number of freak occurrences, he’s quickly become a key part of the Blackcaps attack.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

43 ODIs, 70 wickets @ 22.04, ER: 3.96, 3 4WIs, BBI: 5-50

The Afghan wunderkind burst onto the scene in 2017 as a mystery spinner to be reckoned with. It’s been four years now, and the puzzle looks no closer to being solved. Even in a torrid World Cup campaign, he was one of few Afghanistan players to come out with credit, conceding under 4.5 runs per over.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

22 ODIs, 45 wickets @ 21.64, 6 4WIs, BBI: 6-35

Shaheen Shah Afridi might look like a couch, but he’s no slouch. Having burst onto the scene at the 2018 Under 19 World Cup, he has quickly established himself as Pakistan’s attack leader in all three formats. Capable of reaching high speeds from a great height with a left-arm angle, arguably no Pakistani has had a greater claim to the throne of Wasim Akram. His 6-35 in the final game of Pakistan’s gloriously in-vain World Cup saga are the best figures by anyone from the Asian side in the tournament’s history.

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