The first international pink ball test celebrated its debut on Indian soil at the Eden Gardens, the Big Bash League adopted multiple super overs system and a third umpire no-ball check was implemented recently during India versus West Indies tie. Changes have been a part and parcel of the game, the player who adapts to the newer form excels.
Out of all the things, the spirit for the longest format remained the same. All the test playing nations battled for the mane with the same passion as their predecessors. With the ICC test championship around, all managements selected the best players to represent the nation and gain glory.
However many newer faces have been arriving at the global stage, some enthrall the cricketing fraternity and some fail to make a statement but the game keeps on moving. The experienced veterans have also put their best foot forward to compete with these young talented players.
In this evolution, some cricketers failed big time. Some failed to create an impact and some failed to maintain their mojo. The list of the worst test XI of 2019 is:
1) Rishabh Pant (wk)
2) Dane Piedt
3) Sarfaraz Ahmed (c)
4) Imam ul Haq
5) Mustafizur Rahman
6) Shimron Hetmeyr
7) Ihsanullah
8)Shai Hope
9) Dinesh Chandimal
10) Dilruwan Perera
11) Adil Rashid
1) Imam ul Haq:
The Pakistan opener never took off as a full-time test batsman. After debuting in 2018 as a promising talent, Imam wasted almost all the opportunities his management served in a platter. He hasn’t scored a single century as an opener in two years. 2018 saw him score two consolatory fifties but his conversion rate lets everyone down.
Imam has scored 91 runs in the six innings, at an average of 15.7.
2) Dinesh Chandimal:
Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal is a middle-order batsman for Sri Lanka who dons the gloves rarely. He was the captain of the Sri Lankan team in their first D/N match. It is observed that Chandimal never played in the fearless manner he used to after the 2018 ball-tampering incident and 2019 has been a record low year for him.
In the 4 innings he has played, Chandimal has only scored 46 runs at average as low as 6.0.
3) Shai Hope:
This 26-year-old is known for a clever brand of cricket. His ability to score runs without taking many risks in any format has Shai Hope an edge over the other West Indies batsmen. But 2019 hasn’t justified Hope’s talent as the wicketkeeper-batsman has managed to score only one fifty in 9 innings.
Hope has amassed 158 runs at an average of 19.8 this year.
4) Shimron Hetmeyr:
Another West Indies player in this list is attacking middle-order batsman, Shimron Hetmeyr. Hetmeyr has the ability to dispatch the white ball for long sixes on any day. But his form with the red ball hasn’t contributed to West Indies’ test campaigns against various teams.
Shimron has scored 244 runs in 10 test innings this year.
5) Sarfaraz Ahmed:
This is probably the former Pakistan skipper’s worst phase in international cricket. He has been sacked as the captain owing to the team’s poor performance and some racist comments. He didn’t even feature in Pakistan’s squad versus Australia. In a nutshell, Sarfaraz has failed as a captain and batsman.
In four innings Sarfaraz has managed only 112 runs.
6) Rishabh Pant:
The 22-year old’s chances with the Indian test squad ended when he was dropped after the West Indies series. Rishabh has been thoroughly criticized for his irresponsible shot selection and inconsistency with the gloves. With so much competition around, Pant will have to be at his best whenever required.
Pant has not even touched the 300 run mark this year.
7)Ihsanullah:
After some impressive domestic numbers, Ihsanullah Janat was selected for Afghanistan’s inaugural test versus India. However, the 22-year-old opener has failed miserably since his debut. His scores have been declining and he has become a liability for the already struggling Afghan team.
In the six-inning Ihsanullah has batted in, he has scored only 110 runs.
8)Adil Rashid:
Rashid has been a successful leg spinner with the white ball but needs to improve his accuracy with the red one. The Yorkshire spinner last played a Test in January and post that he was dropped completely. With other English spinners coming up, Adil will have to strive hard to take his place.
In the 26 overs he bowled, Rashid gave away runs at a high run rate and finished wicketless.
9) Dane Piedt:
Rohit Sharma only added to the South African’s misery by slamming sixes at regular intervals. Piedt has had a similar year where he hasn’t been able to effectively use the chances given by the South African management.
His economy of 5.74 runs per over doesn’t very test like. He has claimed only two wickets this year.
10) Mustafizur Rahman:
Bangladesh must’ve depended a lot on this pacer to make a loud statement as a test playing nations, but Fizz has failed at meeting any expectations. His form in all formats has depleted and now he has struggled to make past the selection committee.
Rahman’s economy of 5.29 and solitary wicket this year speaks on his form.
11) Dilruwan Perera:
Perera has bowled well in terms of the economy rate but has had issues to create a breakthrough in crucial situations. When the Sri Lankan test cricket is struggling to rise, Dilruwan has not made significant contributions. He hails to be the quickest Sri Lankan bowler to reach 50 and a hundred wickets in Sri Lanka.
His form this year reflects in the statistics that show that Dilruwan has claimed only 5 wickets in 2019.
