The Cricket World Cup, which starts in India on October 5, will bring together the cream of the white ball world. Ben Stokes, Virat Kohli and Trent Boult are among the established stars who will be vying for glory, but there is also a new generation of players who are eager to make a name for themselves on the biggest stage.
Let up pick five young players who will be looking to make their mark on the ODI World Cup 2023:
#1 Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan)
Noor Ahmad is a 18-year-old left-arm wrist spinner who has already impressed with his high action, good control and decent pace. He made his Under-19 debut for Afghanistan when he was just 14 and was only 17 when he made his full ODI debut against Sri Lanka last year. Noor starred for Gujarat in the IPL and is in demand from numerous franchises around the world. In India, he will offer important back-up to his idol and influence Rashid Khan.
#2 Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka)
Since the retirement of Lasith Malinga after the 2019 World Cup, Sri Lanka have been looking for a shock bowler who can take wickets and tie up the batsmen at the close of the innings. In Pathirana, they appear to have found the most like-for-like replacement possible. Also a slinger, with an even lower arm action than his model Malinga, the 20-year-old speedster with a penchant for yorkers, stepped into the fast lane when MS Dhoni pulled him into the Chennai IPL squad late in 2022 as a replacement for Adam Milne.
With a perfect sense of theatre, he took the wicket of Shubman Gill with his first ball. He only made his ODI debut against Afghanistan in June, but if Sri Lanka lift the trophy for the second time, it will surely be part due to ‘Baby Malinga’.
#3 Gus Atkinson (England)
When England won the 2019 World Cup, they swore by pace. In Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, they had two quicks who could go beyond the 90mph mark on a consistent basis. Wood is back again, but with Archer still recovering from a long-term elbow injury, the mantle has been handed to Atkinson.
The 25-year-old paceman broke through this year with some fine early season performances that earned him an England call-up for the ODI series against New Zealand in September. He only took one wicket in three matches, but it is the promise of a 95mph bowler that is exciting the English.
#4 Teja Nidamanuru (Netherlands)
Teja Nidamanuru is a 29-year-old Indian-born cricketer who qualified for the Netherlands in May 2022. He struck an impressive half-century on debut against West Indies and then made a match-winning 111 against Zimbabwe. Nidamanuru is a versatile batsman who can bat anywhere in the order and he will be a key player for the Netherlands in the World Cup.
#5 Towhid Hridoy (Bangladesh)
Towhid Hridoy is a 22-year-old middle-order batsman who has been tipped for stardom for some time. He has already scored five fifties in his 17 ODIs and he will be looking to make a big impact on the World Cup. Hridoy is a skilful and elegant batsman, and he has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament.
These are just five of the many young players who will be hoping to make their mark on the Cricket World Cup 2023. It is sure to be an exciting tournament, and there will be plenty of new faces to look out for.
