The Champions Trophy is just a week away and the top eight teams are intensifying their preparations to grab that Trophy presented to the winners on June 18th. The eighth edition of the Champions Trophy hosted by England will see two groups of four play league games before the semi-finals.
There are just 15 games in all meaning that even a single loss could hamper the chances of teams to stay alive in the competition. The pitches in England have yielded bountiful of runs in the past few weeks and the trend should continue into the Champions Trophy. This makes the role of bowlers pivotal to a team’s fortune.
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2017 has been the year of leg-spinners and unsurprisingly young Afghanistan boy, Rashid Khan, who racked up a Rs 4 crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad, leads the bowling charts for the year with 26 wickets in 10 games. But unfortunately, Afghanistan aren't among the top eight nations in the World and thus, not a part of the Champions Trophy.
Here, we take a look at the top 5 wicket takers in 2017 from the eight teams that are contesting the event in England.
#5 Imran Tahir (South Africa) - 16 wickets
Matches - 11, Wickets - 16, Avg - 29.37, SR - 36.8 BBI - 3/26
The 38-year-old leg-spinner has been South Africa's top wicket taker in 2017 and is a vital factor in their hopes of ending their ICC Trophy drought. Tahir had been phenomenal in the limited overs formats and is the World's no.1 bowler in ODIs and T20s. He has variations up his sleeve and over time has learned to use them to his advantage - making him the skipper's go-to-man.
In 11 matches this year, Tahir has bagged 16 wickets with his best of 3/26 coming against Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth. While there is nothing to drool about in the statistics, it is worth pointing out that Tahir has played all of his eleven games in conditions unsuitable for spinners. He played five games each in South Africa and New Zealand and one in England during the time frame.
This makes his feat all the more eye-catching. There is no doubting that Tahir will be South Africa's biggest weapon with the ball in the Champions Trophy.
#4 Chris Woakes (England) - 17 wickets
Matches - 7, Wickets - 17, Avg - 18.0, SR - 21.5, BBI - 4/38
England's One Day resurgence coincided with the emergence of Chris Woakes as a huge force in County Cricket – making him an automatic selection in the national side. Although benched in favour of Stokes several times during his early days for England, Woakes has slowly but steadily become a constant member of the England XI.
With a focus on bowling a tight line and length and having the ability to move the ball off the pitch at pace, Woakes has taken over from Stuart Broad as England's limited-overs' trump card with the ball. He has 17 wickets in 7 games with his best of 4/38 coming against South Africa two days back.
He has peaked at the right time and also had a productive IPL with the Kolkata Knight Riders. In home conditions, Woakes' opening spell will be a crucial factor in England's campaign, especially considering the fact that he has given runs away at a miserly rate of 5.01 this year.
#3 Liam Plunkett (England) - 17 wickets
Matches - 8, Wickets - 17, Avg - 19.64, SR - 22.6, BBI - 4/40
Although much less celebrated than Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, Liam Plunkett has slowly carved a name for himself in the England ODI setup. With Steven Finn no longer in favour, Plunkett's extra yard of pace is imperative to England in the shorter formats of the game.
He underlined his value for the side in 2017 with four instances of taking three wickets or more in an innings with his best figures of 4/40 coming against the Windies in North Sound. Plunkett has added a tricky leg-cutter to his repertoire, making him even more dangerous. The delivery is already reaping benefits, with him dismissing 2017's top run-getter, Faf du Plessis, with a smart leg-cutter in Leeds two days back.
Plunkett's 2017 has been exceptional so far and England will hope that he continues to shine in the tournament.
#2 Mitchell Santner (New Zealand) - 18 wickets
Matches - 11, Wickets - 18, Avg - 24.05, SR - 32.0, BBI - 5/50
A classic left-hand spinner in the mould of Ravindra Jadeja, Santner relies on stump-to-stump bowling and quickish deliveries that dart into the batsmen. The Kiwi all-rounder has had a successful year thus far having bagged 18 wickets in 11 games, second only to Rashid Khan from Afghanistan.
That Santner has played most of his games on pitches unresponsive to spinners makes his feat even more commendable. It is also worth noting that his economy of 4.51 in 2017 is the best among all bowlers in the Champions Trophy.
New Zealand do not have a power packed line-up like they used to and are pooled in with England and Australia, raising a big question mark on their abilities to make it past the league stage. Mitchell Santner's tight spells will be a much-needed weapon for the Kiwis against the two favourites in the group if they are to have a successful time in England,
#1 Hasan Ali (Pakistan) - 18 wickets
Matches - 8, Wickets - 18, Avg - 23.22, SR - 21.6, BBI - 5/38
Although all eyes are on Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali has quietly chipped away from one end for Pakistan in ODIs. With 18 wickets in just eight games, including two five-wicket hauls, Hasan Ali is the leading wicket-taker alongside Santner amongst the bowlers set to play the Champions Trophy.
The economy rate has, however, been a big issue for Hasan Ali with him conceding at more than six an over. His wicket-taking ability has overshadowed his other weaknesses, though.
He finished the five-match series against Australia with 12 wickets and then snared six wickets in three games against the Windies, including a career best 5/38 in Providence. Going into the Champions Trophy as underdogs, Pakistan will rely on Hasan Ali to provide them vital breakthroughs.
* Four bowlers from Associate nations have taken more than 16 wickets in 2017. They are Rashid Khan from Afghanistan (26 wickets), Peter Chase from Ireland (17 wickets), Zahoor Khan from UAE (17 wickets) and Imran Haider from UAE (16 wickets).
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