World Cup 2019: 5 all-rounders to watch out for

The twelfth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup is less than 100 days away and the countdown has begun for cricket's biggest event with teams more or less settling down on combinations. Most teams look to have made up their mind on the core of the team with a few slots here and there to be filled. At the moment it seems no team can be considered as an underdog going into the tournament, probably for the first time ever.

Talking of team combinations, every team aspires for at least one very good all-rounder who can win matches with both bat and ball. There have been different modes of all-rounders - the batting all-rounders who bowl a bit, the bowling all-rounders who bat a bit and the genuine all-rounders who are equally good in both departments.

A genuine all-rounder is a blessing for any team, especially in a big tournament like the world cup. They allow the captain to go in with one extra batsman or an extra bowler depending on situations. Here we look at 5 such all-rounders to watch out for in the upcoming World Cup:

#5 Jason Holder

The West Indies skipper who was handed over the captaincy just ahead of the 2015 World Cup has transformed into a much more matured player and a brilliant leader. Leading his side through all the adversaries of controversies between the players and the board and not being able to gather a full-strength team owing to off-field issues, Jason Holder has been one of the best performers for his side in the past few years in all formats of the game.

The ability to hit monstrous hits down the order as well as stitching a partnership when the situation demands makes Holder special. Someone with a never say die attitude, Holder has led from the front with both the bat and the ball, inspiring with his performance every now and then even when the whole team was failing.

The hard work is finally reaping fruits as West Indies are slowly getting into a state where they can beat any side on any given day. And much credit for the improvement goes to the consistent and inspiring performances by Holder both as a skipper as well as a player.

Holder is currently in the form of his life as an all-rounder and is currently leading a West Indies side capable of bringing back glimpses of their glory days. And he will definitely be one of the keys to West Indies' success in the World Cup.

#4 Colin de Grandhomme

The Kiwi all-rounder has been a revelation both with the bat and the ball ever since his arrival, though not being as consistent as he would have wanted to. The destructive batsman with the potential to become a dashing finisher, Colin de Grandhomme has a strike rate of 110.47 in his 28-match career and already has a number of match-winning knocks under his belt.

With the ball, de Grandhomme is particularly threatening on pitches assisting seam bowlers. Both in international cricket as well as in the IPL, he has picked up wickets in heaps on helpful pitches.

With the World Cup being held in England where pitches generally do offer a bit of help to the seamers, de Grandhomme will be a valuable asset for the Kiwis. With the bat, he will be tasked with the responsibility of finishing and also as a pinch hitter as and when required.

The balance of the team gets a lot better with de Grandhomme in the side. His contributions with the bat as well as the ball will be of key importance for Kiwi and will be one of the deciding factors in New Zealand's World Cup fortunes.

#3 Shakib Al Hasan

One of the finest cricketers to have ever played for Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan is undoubtedly one of the best and most experienced all-rounders in world cricket at the moment. The former Bangladeshi skipper is currently ranked second in the ODI rankings for all-rounders. Shakib is currently one of the most experienced members in the squad and is the batting mainstay for his side.

The left-arm spinner has 247 wickets from 195 games and has 5577 runs in ODIs under his belt. The middle-order batsman, with his experience, is expected to provide stability to the middle order and also carry his side over the finishing line, something his side has been guilty of not achieving. A blend of aggression and caution, Shakib has the right kind of game needed on English soil.

The mettle of giving wickets in the middle overs is hugely on Shakib and so far in his career, he has been quite successful in providing crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs. The same is expected from him in the upcoming World Cup, especially with the growing importance of picking wickets in the middle overs. Shakib will be one of the key to Bakeysadesh's success in the World Cup with his all-round abilities.

#2 Hardik Pandya

India's long search for a pace-bowling all-rounder seems to have finally been answered with the emergence of Hardik Pandya. Though Pandya has a long way to go in terms of consistency and reliability, he has shown patches of brilliance and has immense potential to win matches for India on his own.

Known for his ability to hit sixes at will, especially against spinners, Hardik will have the luxury of having a formidable batting lineup above him and will mostly be tasked with the responsibility of finishing as well as pinch hitting. However, he has to improve upon his record against fast bowlers.

Having a strike rate of 116.58 with the bat, Pandya has improved by leaps and bounds as a bowler too and unlike in batting, he has maturity and consistency with his bowling. A livewire on the field, Pandya has been good with his pace and variations mostly in the middle overs and has been very effective on pitches offering lateral movement. He is undoubtedly one of India's trump cards going into the world cup.

#1 Ben Stokes

One of the most potent all-rounders at present, Ben Stokes has changed the dynamics of English cricket in all formats of the game ever since his arrival. A batsman capable of batting in the top 5 and a bowler capable of giving his side 10 reliable overs, Stokes has been England's trump card over the past few years.

His improvement as a bowler has been an added bonus for England. With a knack of getting the big wickets, Stokes has aided to the wicket-taking prowess of the English bowling in the middle overs. Moreover, Stokes is getting better with every passing game in his death bowling.

As far as batting is concerned, Stokes seems to be one of the best number 5 in the world at the moment. With the ability to counter-attack at any stage of the game coupled with an improved sense of match situation makes him a dangerous proponent for the oppositions.

His finishing abilities are also an asset for the team. With an average of 37.49 and strike rate of 94.24, Stokes has both consistency as well as ruthlessness in his game and is undoubtedly one of the most potential contenders for the player of the tournament award.

Honourable mentions: Moeen Ali, Rashid Khan and Thisara Perera