The Unlucky XI: A team of ODI stars born in the wrong era

#4 Middle-order

Brad Hodge did not get many opportunities because of stiff competition for spots

While contemplating the greatest ODI batsmen of all time, one name usually flies beneath the radar. Before Sir Viv Richards carved a niche for himself, Zaheer Abbas was arguably the best batsman during the formative years of the limited-overs format. The elegant Pakistani featured in 62 ODIs and amassed 2572 runs at an impressive average of 47.62 and remarkable strike-rate of 84.80. Had be debuted a decade later, Abbas could have played plenty more matches and thus collected a sizeable sample set of his ability.

One of the many victims of the fierce contest for spots in the Australian team of the late 1990s and mid-2000s, Brad Hodge's international career lasted just 6 Tests, 25 ODIs, and 15 T20Is. The technically proficient right-hander's journey overlapped with the progression of the most intimidating batting lineup in ODI history. As a consequence, he found opportunities to be incredibly sparse at the national level.

David Hussey is best known for his exploits in the various T20 leagues across the globe. However, the shrewd right-hander could have earned a reputation as a reliable 50-over batsman as well. Despite making his List A debut in 2001 and carrying on until 2014, intense competition for places in the Australian setup curtailed his ODI career to 69 appearances. A strike-rate of 90.70 stands as the testament to his dynamic capacity in the business stages of the innings.