ICC ODI World Cup is the grandest event in cricket. Fans from across the world tune in to watch the matches live. The World Cup happens once in every four years. Every player dreams of participating in the mega event and also emerging as the champions.
Whenever one talks about some of the greatest all-rounders in ICC ODI World Cup history, the first few names that come to mind are Jacques Kallis, Shakib Al Hasan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kapil Dev, Lance Klusener and Yuvraj Singh. However, not many fans would know about the following five underrated all-rounders who performed exceptionally well at the grand stage.
1. One of the most underrated all-rounders in ICC ODI World Cup – Neil Johnson
Neil Johnson of Zimbabwe played a big role in his nation’s rise at the World Cup in 1999. Johnson was a left-handed batter and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He played eight matches in the 1999 WC, where he scored 367 runs and picked up 12 wickets.
2. One of the most underrated all-rounders in ICC ODI World Cup – Corey Anderson
All-rounder Corey Anderson played a big role in New Zealand’s journey to their first-ever WC Final in 2015. Anderson scored 231 runs and bagged 14 wickets in nine matches for the Blackcaps. He has moved to the USA now.
3. John Davison
John Davison made his ODI debut for Canada in the 2003 World Cup. He was a right-handed batter and a right-arm off-break bowler. In just six matches, Davison scored 226 runs and scalped 10 wickets for the Canadian team.
4. Hardik Pandya
Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya played the first World Cup of his career in 2019. Pandya played nine matches, where he scored 226 runs and took 10 wickets for the Indian team. He is the vice-captain of the team now.
5. Jimmy Neesham
Another all-rounder who impressed in the 2019 World Cup was Jimmy Neesham. He aggregated 232 runs in eight innings and picked up 15 wickets. Neesham is present in New Zealand’s WC 2023 squad.
