ICC World Cup 2019: Players who can provide the 'X-Factor' for their team

ICC World Cup enters its 12th edition, and there will be lots of surprises in store for us this time around as well, as it has been over the last 11 editions.

While the consistent players play a significant role especially in a long tournament such as this, it is those 'X-factor' players who can have a significant say in the outcome.

An 'X-factor' player is the one that can turn around a contest when a game is in balance, a player that can clear the boundary when the game is on the line or bowl an inspiring spell to turn the game on its head when the opposition seems to be driving home the advantage.

So, that player wouldn’t necessarily be a guy like Virat Kohli, who is the leader of a team. The 'X-factor' would be his teammate, someone like Hardik Pandya. He doesn’t dominate in run-scoring or the wicket-taking charts, but when the game is on the line, he seemingly does whatever is needed to win the contest for the team. Whether it is hitting a mighty six, breaking a crucial partnership, or taking an exceptional catch on the field.

Mustafizur Rahman - Bangladesh

Mustafizur Rahman

Bangladesh have never gone beyond the quarter-finals in World Cup history. Their success in ODIs recently have mostly been dependent upon Tamim Iqbal and Shakib-Al-Hasan. However, with the emergence of Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh have a robust fast-bowling option.

At any time in a match, captain Mashrafe Mortaza can throw the ball to Mustafizur, and he can create difficulties for any batsmen from his arsenal of many variations.

In the 40 ODI matches that the speedster from Bangladesh has played so far, he has managed to take 73 wickets at an economy rate of 4.58, which is excellent for a front-line pace bowler, especially in this day and age.

Akila Dananjaya - Sri Lanka

Akila Dananjaya

Akila Dananjaya has been one of the finds for the Lions in the last couple of years, in what has been a sorry state of affairs. Sri Lankan Cricket has nose-dived and hit rock-bottom in recent times, but Akila Dananjaya has been one of the shining lights.

He has picked up 46 wickets in 30 ODI matches at an economy of 5.1 and a strike-rate of 31.3. He has the skill of bowling off-spin, leg-spin, carrom ball and googly which makes him a tough bowler to face in any conditions.

If the Sri Lankans have a glimmer of hope in the World Cup this time, Dananjaya has to provide the 'X-factor' by bowling a few match-winning spells and turning the game in their favor.

Andre Russell - Windies

Andre Russell

In a team filled with players like Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and Shimron Hetmeyer, it is difficult to pick the biggest 'X-factor' for their success, but with Andre Russell in the team, he can be that man for the Windies.

Russell can take the game away from any opposition in a span of a few overs. In the 52 ODI matches that he has played for the Windies, he has managed to score nearly 1000 runs at a mind-blowing strike rate of 130.4 and has also been able to take 65 wickets at an economy of 5.8.

Russell's ability to strike towering sixes in death overs makes him priceless in any lineup, while he can also chip in with a few wickets with the ball as well. Russel, like Hardik Pandya, lends the much-required balance to the Windies side.

Rashid Khan - Afghanistan

Rashid Khan

The young Afghani sensation, Rashid Khan, needs no introduction as he is one of the top-ranked bowlers in ODIs. In 52 ODIs, he has picked up a mind-boggling 118 wickets for his country.

He has taken over 70 international wickets in 2018 only. Rashid, who has a quick-arm action and a vast repertoire of variations, concedes runs at an economy of 3.90, with a strike-rate of 22.2.

He is a vastly improved batsman as well, as he finished a few games for his team in the recently concluded Asia Cup.

With the skills that Rashid Khan has, he is the 'X-factor' for any team that he plays for. Once again, he will be crucial for Afghanistan's success in the tournament.

Fakhar Zaman - Pakistan

Fakhar Zaman

The world has already seen what Fakhar Zaman can do. In his very first outing in International cricket, he played a fearless brand of cricket, which helped Pakistan win the Champions trophy for the first time in 2017, and that too against their arch rivals India in the final.

Fakhar, who is an aggressive opening batsman, has scored 1275 runs at an average of almost 58 with 3 centuries and a brilliant strike-rate of 97.7. He also holds the record for being the only Pakistan cricketer to score an ODI double hundred.

If Pakistan wants to repeat their success in the UK, Fakhar's consistency will play a massive role.

Martin Guptill - New Zealand

Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill is easily one of the most destructive openers in the world along with Rohit Sharma. New Zealand has become a force in the ODIs and some of that credit has to go to the belligerent batting of Guptill.

The 'big' Martin has scored 5976 runs in 156 innings in the 50-over format with the highest score of 237, which also happens to be the highest score in World Cup history. Kiwis have some very good batsmen in their ranks, but none of them can have a similar impact as Guptill.

Kiwis were unable to win the World Cup last time as they fell short at the final hurdle. If Guptill has a great World Cup, he might be the 'X-factor' for the Black Caps that can help them to go all the way this time around.

Chris Morris - South Africa

Chris Morris

One of the most underrated match-winners of the current generation, Chris Morris has been a successful all-rounder for South Africa. Morris' dual skills make him an 'X-factor' for the Proteas for the upcoming World Cup.

One of the primary reasons South Africa suffered a massive defeat against India in their 2018 ODI series was the poor form of their premier game changer for most of those matches. South Africans found it difficult to combat the spin and did not pick the right combination, but with Chris Morris returning to form, one can expect the fortune for their side to change.

In the 34 matches that Morris has played for the Proteas, he has scored 393 runs at a strike rate of 97.6 and has taken 35 wickets with a decent economy rate of 5.6.

Glenn Maxwell - Australia

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell needs no introduction as he has a reputation of thrashing some of the best bowlers in the world. He has been in and out of the Aussie ODI setup but Australia have had a terrible time in ODIs recently and they can get back on track if Maxwell starts smashing the ball to all parts of the ground.

Maxwell has 2242 runs in 78 innings in ODIs at a strike-rate of over 121. In fact, he holds the record for the fastest hundred by an Australian in World Cup history. He is a useful off-spin bowler as well and has picked up 45 wickets, and he is a live-wire in the field.

Maxwell can change the course of any match in a jiffy with a few lusty blows, as his only job in the team is to see the ball and hit the ball.

Hardik Pandya - India

Hardik Pandya

India have produced a lot of talented cricketers in the recent times. The likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal are all developed under Virat Kohli's leadership, but Hardik Pandya is easily one of the biggest stars produced by team India in recent times.

Hardik Pandya is a player who has a knack of making things happen around him, and this is a type of player who is more valuable for the team. Aggressive, and flamboyant, his skills as a finisher will play a significant role in a huge tournament like the World Cup.

In the 42 ODI matches that Pandya has played for India, he has scored 670 runs at a strike-rate of 114.5 and has also taken 40 wickets at an economy of 5.5. With maturity and experience, these numbers are bound to only get better.

Jos Buttler - England

Jos Buttler

2018 saw the best of Jos Buttler, who scored runs for fun in ODIs. While Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Jason Roy gave some match-winning performances, it was Buttler, who proved to be the 'X-factor' for England.

In the 101 ODI innings that Buttler has played for England, he has scored 3176 runs with 6 centuries at a massive strike rate of 117. His ability with the bat combined with the shrewd tactics behind the stumps has catapulted England towards ODI success.

If England has any chance to win the World Cup, Buttler has to lead the way with the bat to win some crunch matches like he has already done many times in the recent past.