World Cup 2019: Top five emerging cricketers of the tournament

After the conclusion of the most anticipated tournament in the sport of cricket, it is time to recall some of the brilliant efforts that set the world stage alight in the span of the last 45 days. A World Cup which was expected to produce some high-scoring thrillers from the onset, on the contrary, was a spectacle to some high-quality display of fast bowling in restricting the oppositions to low totals.

The World Cup is, no doubt, a different ball game and the pinnacle in every sport. At such a huge platform, the pressure is bound to take on the individuals, and players who can overcome the occasion are remembered for their efforts. Each performance is closely followed given the whole world takes a note of it and appreciates a winning effort while an awful show is rightly criticized.

As a result, it is the best opportunity for any player to showcase his mettle at the big stage. With a plethora of individual brilliance that lit up the tournament in England, it is worthy to take a look back at some young individuals who raise their game for the big stage and stood for their team in the adverse situations.

Some cricketers in this edition came with an experience of 25 or fewer ODI matches, we take a look at 5 of those emerging cricketers who were instrumental in shaping an image for themselves by the end of the tournament.

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#5 Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Afridi has grown rather quickly in such a short span

One of the rising stars in the international arena, Shaheen Afridi caught the world's eye after his majestic performance in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand in 2018. A tall, lanky left-arm fast bowler is one of the future prospects for Pakistan at the international level. There was quite a debate over Afridi's selection in the squad, however, the youngster was able to put his best foot forward in the limited opportunities available.

Despite starting his World Cup campaign on a disastrous note, the 19-year old made a reasonable comeback in the later stages of the competition. He emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker for the Men in Green with 16 scalps in just five games. In his last outing, at Lord's, Afridi registered figures of 6/35 - the best for any Pakistani bowler in World Cup history.

He might be young but has definitely shown signs of brilliance with his raw pace and the willingness to carry the legacy of left-arm fast bowling in Pakistan.

#4 Mohammad Saifuddin

Saifuddin impressed with his all-round skills in the tournament

The 22-year old young Bangladeshi all-rounder announced his arrival in the international cricket in the U-19 cricket World Cup which was staged in Bangladesh a few years ago. After an impressive run there with 13 wickets in six appearances, Mohammad Saifuddin was the talk of the town in the cricket circuit back home.

One of his major achievements so far in his short international career was his selection in the squad for the World Cup in England. The team management invested faith in the youngster as he made the playing XI ahead of the more experienced Rubel Hossain as a batting all-rounder.

In his seven outings in the tournament, Saifuddin managed to pick 13 wickets, emerging as their second best bowler after Mustafizur Rahman. Being a handy lower-order batter, Saifuddin also struck his second half-century in the game against India in Bangladesh's penultimate game in the edition.

#3 Avishka Fernando

Avishka Fernando has the mettle to follow the footsteps of some of the former greats

In a rather disappointing World Cup campaign for the islanders, there were very few positives along the road in this World Cup for Sri Lanka. One of them being the emergence of an aggressive batter in Avishka Fernando. As a prodigy, Avishka made his ODI debut at the age of 18 against Australia but failed to replicate his astonishing form against one of the world's best.

However, the youngster was picked in Sri Lanka's World Cup squad in England. Fernando, with his display of skill offered a certain hope of the continual of batting legacy in the country. What sets the youngster apart is his eye-catchy style of play. With 203 runs in four innings, the 21-year old looked assured of his shots. He got starts in the initial couple of games and smashed a fluent hundred against West Indies in a winning cause.

If these are signs of things to come, Sri Lanka might have unearthed a talent which might take their cricket in the best direction forward with some support cast needed along the way.

#2 Nicholas Pooran

Nicolas Pooran is a definite star for the future

Another hard-hitting young batsman emerging from the shores of the Caribbean islands, Nicholas Pooran was a huge positive for West Indies in their World Cup campaign that derailed after a bright start. One of the batsman who has proved his mettle in the shortest version of the game, Pooran was the highest run-scorer for his side with 367 runs in 8 innings.

He was clinical in holding the underperforming middle-order to some extent with his consistent starts. It was the lack of support at one end that prevented him to express his game more freely as he had to hold one end tightly. It was only in his ninth ODI innings that Pooran scored his maiden ODI hundred.

It was an innings that instilled life in a game that was nearly lost. The knock defined his ability to rotate the strike and game awareness of when to up the ante and force the pace of the game.

If Pooran plays to his potential and gets continued opportunities at the highest level, he might be the next star in the reckoning from the land that has already produced some of the best to have ever graced the game.

#1 Jofra Archer

Archer has been impeccable with the ball in this World Cup

Prior to the World Cup, a lot of debate surrounded around Jofa Archer's inclusion in England's squad for the World Cup. However, the team managemnet and the skipper was mighty impressed with his exploits as an all-round cricketer in the shorter versions and were keen to rope him in the squad.

Archer did not put a foot wrong in the entire tournament and lived upto the faith invested in him by the selectors and the England team, so much so that the Barbadian-born fast bowler was chosen to do the job even in the super-over against New Zealand in the final. With 19 wickets in the competition, the 24-year old provided the X-factor to the already well settled English team in this format of the game.

With his accuracy in the death overs and the first powerplay, he was banked upon by skipper Eoin Morgan in the rather two most difficult phases of the innings. With an experience of merely 4 international games before the World Cup, Archer showe great potential to adjust himself to such a high-pressure environment.

He never seemed to get bogged down by the stage and went about his business with ease. Making his ODI debut not lesser than a month before England's first World Cup game, Archer was at the centre of the things in the tournament final, ensuring that the long-living dream was fulfilled without any further hiccups.