The World Cup is the peak of cricketing glory that every player dreams of achieving. The ICC ODI World Cup is played every 4 years and the 2019 World Cup was won by England. Many players happen to be part of world cup squads and share the joy and pride. However, it so happens that a player can have a long and illustrious career but yet cannot win the cup.
Even the great Sachin Tendulkar had to be part of numerous world cup campaigns before finally winning it in 2011. Tendulkar had to wait for a massive 22 years to lift the cup. Therefore, it is evident that it is not compulsory that every great player is lucky to lift the cup. We look at the best eleven that can be made out of players who have not won the world cup.
Sourav Ganguly
As an opener, Ganguly would be a phenomenal choice. He was a prolific batsman and was part of three world cup campaigns and also reached the finals in 2003 but lost. Having more than 10,000 international runs in ODI, Ganguly is a perfect captain and opening batsman for the team.
Brendon McCullum
He led the Kiwis superbly in the 2015 World Cup and played a pivotal role in their journey to the finals. His aggressive and fierce brand of cricket would help any team in winning. He also has the fastest 50 in world cups when he scored 77 runs of 25 balls in the 2015 world cup. He was the first Kiwi captain to lead his side to the finals but could not win it.
Brian Lara
Lara has played 5 world cups but was never on the winning side of any. In his 34 world cup matches, he has 1225 runs. His overall batting credentials are unquestionable. He was one of the West Indies’ greatest batsmen. He at one down would be a perfect fulcrum.
Martin Crowe
Crowe captained New Zealand during the 80s and 90s. he played in 3 world cups and has scored heavily an average of 55 in world cups. He was tactically and technically very sound. He would be just the right player who could stabilize the team if wickets were lost quickly at the top of the order.
Kumar Sangakkara
Sangakkara played in the 2007 and 2011 finals. He shared the captaincy with another Sri Lankan great, Mahela Jayawardene, for many years. He led the Lankans in 2011 and showed superb captaincy acumen throughout the tournament. Adept with the gloves and a prolific run-maker, he adds batting depth to this lineup.
AB De Villiers
AB is a legend of the white ball cricket and to have him in any team would be a boon. He led South Africa in the 2015 tournament but lost to New Zealand in the semis. His performance overall has been phenomenal but in the world cup’s he takes it a notch higher with an average of 63.52. he would be a perfect finisher to the team.
Jacques Kallis
Kallis, like most South African players, has been part of various world cup campaigns but was never successful in winning the cup. He played 5 world cups between 1995 and 2011. He scored a total of 1148 runs and picked 21 wickets in all these world cups. Kallis is one of the world’s best all-rounders and would be an incredible asset to the team.
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble has represented India in four World cups from 1996 to 2007. He picked 31 wickets in all of his campaigns. The lanky legspinner was the lynchpin of the Indian bowling attack throughout his career and controlled the flow of runs with his guile and consistency.
Daniel Vettori
Vettori would support Kumble in the spin bowling department. He played four World Cup tournaments and captained his side in the 2007 edition. His biggest strength was his stump-to-stump bowling and his ability to pick up wickets in the middle overs
Allan Donald
One of the most feared bowlers of his era, Allan Donald was simply unstoppable at his best. His best spell came in the 1999 edition against hosts England as he ripped apart their batting order and registered figures of 4/17. He picked up an astounding 38 wickets in all his world cup campaigns. He would be lethal in any team, especially this one.
Javagal Srinath
Javagal Srinath played for India in four world cups from 1992 to 1996. He has formed a formidable partnership with Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan in the 2003 edition that played a vital part in India’s run to the finals of the tournament. Srikanth with his 44 wickets in all world cups would perfectly compliment Donald.
