Winning the ICC World Cup is the dream of every cricketer. The 50-over World Cup happens once in every four years, and it is the dream of every individual to win the championship at least once in their careers. However, it is not everyone’s cup of tea to make it to the final 15-man squad of the teams in World Cup.
The teams generally announce a list of 18 men before trimming it down to 15 in the mega events. Over the years, there have been some unlucky stars who missed out on a place in the World Cup team quite closely, and their team won the ICC World Cup. Here’s a list of four such players.
1. Praveen Kumar was ruled out of ICC World Cup 2011
Former Indian pacer Praveen Kumar was the best swing bowler of his time. Kumar represented India in all three formats. He was named in the 2011 WC squad, but a last-minute injury ruled him out of the mega event. Sreesanth replaced him in the squad.
2. David Willey missed ICC World Cup 2019
England all-rounder David Willey was picked in the squad for the mega event in 2019. However, the left-arm pacer missed out on a place in the England team because Jofra Archer became eligible to play, and England selectors preferred him.
3. Joe Denly
Joe Denly is another England cricketer, who was present in the original squad, but just pulled out of the team before the World Cup started in 2019. The England team management picked spinner Liam Dawson instead of batting all-rounder Denly because Adil Rashid had a niggle.
4. Jason Gillespie
Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie was a member of the original squad that the Aussies named for the 2003 World Cup. However, Gillespie suffered a strain in his right ankle. Soon after, he was ruled out of the tournament, with Nathan Bracken replacing him.
