10 most debatable selections for World Cup 2015

All the squads for the upcoming Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand were confirmed yesterday, and as always, it is impossible to please all and sundry in regards to both those who have been selected as well as those who have been omitted.It would’ve to be said that while most of the selections have been as per expectation, some choices have sparked long debates.Here are the 10 most debatable inclusions or omissions from the World Cup squads:Note: The list in no particular order

#1 Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)

We all know that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is an enigma in the way it operates. But the absence of former captain Dwayne Bravo from West Indies 15-man World Cup squad was a newloweven by their standards.

At WICB, the reasons for players selection or rejection are often beyond their cricketing skills. While the selectors have cited that they wanted to have younger cricketers, fans are certain that the former captain was victimized for his rift with the WICB. According to the legendary West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding, Bravo (along with Kieron Pollard) was being punishedby the WICB for instigating the strike during the recent Indian tour.

Bravos form can be summarized by the fact that he was selected for theICC ODI Team of the Yearfor 2014. He had a good year with the ball, picking up 20 wickets at an average of 24including a 4-wicket haul against Bangladesh. He had been in good batting form for the first half of 2014, scoring a hundred and a fifty against New Zealand. However, his scores dried upin the latter half when he managed only 41 runs in 6 innings against Bangladesh and India.

#2 Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka)

Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis has failed to make the cut for the World Cup as Sri Lanka have chosen Rangana Herath and Sachithra Senanayake whose action was recently cleared by the ICC as the only specialist spinners for the quadrennial event.

Even though Mendis hasnt lived up to the hype he created in his initial years in international cricket, his performances in limited-overs cricket remain brilliant, illustrated by his bowling average of 21.17 and strike-rate of 27 in ODIs. Furthermore, Mendis was the highest wicket-taker in 2014 picking up 38 wickets in only 17 matches at an average of 21.63 and was also picked as the sole spinner in the ICC ODI Team of the Yearfor 2014.

Despite his wicket-taking ability, Mendis expensive returns might have cost him a place. Mendis went at over 6 runs per over on as many as nine occasions in his last sixteen matches, and leaked runs at 10 and 9.35 per over against India in Kolkata and England in Hambantota, respectively, in the last couple of months.

#3 Stuart Binny (India)

The selection which has attracted maximum attention is that of Stuart Binnys. Fans and followers from across India have suggested names of an opener, a wicket-keeper, an all-rounder and a pace bowler as an alternative tothe seam bowling all-rounder for the Indian squad which has seven batsmen, four seamers and three spin bowling all-rounders, besides Binny.

Given the number of options at Indias disposal, it is unlikely that hell get too many games in Australia and New Zealand.

Yuvraj Singh, the Man-of-the-Tournament in the 2011 World Cup, was the favourite among fans for Binnys spot, even though the southpaw was neither named in the preliminary 30-man squad norgiven a contract. His three back-to-back hundreds in the last three Ranji Trophy matches led to fans believing thathe had an outside chance.

The other players who could consider themselves a tad unfortunate to be left out were opener Murali Vijay, wicketkeeper-batsman Robin Uthappa and seamer Mohit Sharma.

The highlight of Binnys ODI career so far has been his match-winning effort of 6 for 4 against Bangladesh, the best bowling figures by an Indian in an ODI. Besides this, though, he has picked up only 3 more wickets at an average of 38and scored 40 runs at an average of 13 in ODIs.

#4 Matt Henry (New Zealand)

New Zealand had a very productive year in 2014. While the Test team became the first Kiwi outfit to win 5 matches in a calendar year, they performed admirably in ODIs as well. One of the key performers for New Zealand in ODIs was Matt Henry, whose bowling action has an uncanny resemblance to that ofShane Bond.

Henry made his ODI debut against India in January 2014. He returned with figures of 4 for 38, derailing Indias run chase in the process. He has performed admirably since and became a regular in the first XI during New Zealands series win against Pakistan in the UAE recently. Henry ended the year as New Zealands highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 19 wickets at only 15.26 per wicket. However, the 23-year-old Canterbury pacer failed to make the final cut for the World Cup.

In the marquee event, the Kiwi pace attack will be led by the trusted new ball pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult and backed up by the experience of Kyle Mills, the extra pace of Adam Milne and Mitchell McClenaghan, the fastest New Zealander to 50 ODI wickets.

Even though one cant fault the selection of the pacemen in the squad, New Zealand supporters the right to feel aggrieved over the exclusion of Henry.

#5 Farhaan Behardien (South Africa)

Perhaps the only controversial inclusion who is likely to feature in the playing XI, Farhaan Behardien was a horses-for-courses choice made by the South African selectors.

While eleven blokes (six batsmen, four fast bowlers and Imran Tahir) picking themselves, the selection panel would have had a hard task picking the last four. Logically, one extra batsman, a back-up spinner and two fast bowlers should have been picked for a World Cup to be played Down Under.

However, only one in the South African top six can bowl and none of the first-choice bowlers can bat. This created a need for a batting all-rounder, and Behardien consequently pipped bowling all-rounder Ryan McLaren and rejuvenated pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the squad. He is expected to bat at No.7 behind Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock/Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and David Miller., and will also contribute a few overs with his medium-pace.

However, he averages only 22 with the bat and has bowled less than 4 overs per match in ODIs. His performances in the ODI series in Australia last November were also unimpressive.

#6 Kieron Pollard (West Indies)

When you talk about West Indies cricket, expecting the unexpected has almost become the norm. So when it emerged that all-rounder Kieron Pollard had been excluded from their 15-man World Cup squad which includes as many as five all-rounders, it wasnt that much of a surprise.

Even though Clive Lloyd, the chairman of the selection committee, did not give any explanations on why Pollard was dropped, fans and experts are certain that the Trinidadian was being punishedby the WICB for instigating the strike during the Indian tour.

Pollard, who made his debut in the 2007 World Cup on home soil, has been one of the vital members of the West Indian team for a long time now and has even captained the side for two matches. However, the recent rift between a few senior players, including Pollard, and the WICB means that the 27-year-old could not get a place in the team which includes similar seam bowlingall-rounders like Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Dwayne Smith and the newly appointed captain Jason Holder.

#7 Grant Elliott (New Zealand)

Before featuring in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, Grant Elliott last played an ODI for New Zealand way back in November 2013. He was dropped after a string of low scores against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka when New Zealand discovered younger batting all-rounders in the form of Corey Anderson and James Neesham.

Having not played a single ODI in the year 2014 a very successful year for New Zealand cricket - his subsequent selection inthe final fifteen was a major talking point when the New Zealand squad for the World Cup was announced.

The 35-year olds selection ahead of Neesham may have been due to his decent showing in the recent List A games andhis performances in Australia in 2009, where he scored his only ODI hundred. However, he is unlikely to get a berth in the final XI with Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi likely to formthe core of the Kiwi batting line-up.

#8 Lonwabo Tsotsobe (South Africa)

Left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe failed to make it to the final fifteen of the South African squad for the 2015 World Cup.

Lopsy hasntplayed for South Africa since March 2014, but his recovery from an ankle surgery (which made him miss South Africas tour to Sri Lanka and the Tri-Series in Zimbabwe) and subsequent strong performances in the domestic one-day cup made him a strong contender for a spot in the squad.

The South African selectors, however, decided to pick Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell as the back-up seamers to their potent pace attack of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander.

Proteas fans were most critical of Parnells selection ahead of Tsotsobe as the 25-year old is known to blow hot and cold. Despite being the former No.1 ranked ODI bowler,Tsotsobes inability with the bat and poor fielding skills might have gone against him as South Africa are desperately trying to fix an already long tail.

#9 Sohail Khan (Pakistan)

Thirty-year-old fast bowlerSohail Khanhas been picked in Pakistans final squad for the 2015 World Cup. Sohail has played only 5 ODIs 4 of them against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and picked up 6 wickets including 3 for 30 against Bangladesh in Multan. He had played his last ODI in Zimbabwe in 2011.

In regards to Sohails inclusion, chief selector Moin Khan mentioned thatdomestic performances were given preference, clarifying that Sohails recent showing in the Quaid-e-Azam Gold League and the six-wicket haul in his last List A matchtilted the balance in his favour.

Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Ehsan Adil and Wahab Riaz are the other fast bowlers in the squad while Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul missed the cut.

#10 Alastair Cook (England)

Most people seem to agreewith Alastair Cooks sacking as England ODI captain and subsequent exclusion from the World Cup squad. However, when a captain is dropped from the side altogether so close to a marquee event, it does raise a few eyebrows.

Cook, undoubtedly, has struggled for a long time in ODI cricket, scoring only one half-century in his last 22 innings. However, dropping the captain barely two months before the tournament seems baffling especially after Paul Downton, the managing director of England cricket, had said that he would be very surprised if Cookwas not the captain at the World Cup only a week before the final squad was announced.

Cooks exit meant that the in-form Gary Ballance was recalled into the squad, where he and Alex Hales would be the backup options to the likely batting line-up of Ian, Moeen Ali, James Taylor, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara and Jos Buttler.

#11 Yuvraj Singh (India) (Honourable Mention)

Yuvraj Singh, understandably, was the fans favourite to make the Indian World Cup squad, considering his exploits in the previous edition in the subcontinentand overall record in limited-overs cricket.

Yuvraj, along with other senior players such as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, however, was not even named in the preliminary 30-man squad for India which was announced last month. A few days later, his name was also struck off from the list of contracted players for the upcoming season.