Jos Buttler, the captain of the England cricket team, has named his dream team of five One Day International players from around the world, just in time before the Cricket World Cup. The England skipper’s dream team includes his teammate, a rival wicket-keeper, and a fellow captain as an opening batter in his side. He announced his dream team during a commercial event.
England clinched the four-match ODI Series 3-1 on home soil and the defending champions will walk in as one of the favourites to win the ODI World Cup in India. Jos Buttler, who himself is known as one of the finest white-ball cricketers in the World has picked his choice of five dream players in ODI cricket at the moment.
Jos Buttler has picked Adil Rashid, Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Glenn Maxwell, and Anrich Nortje as the first five players in his dream ODI XI team going into the World Cup.
1. Adil Rashid
England’s dramatic progress in white-ball cricket is frequently attributed to their batting prowess. However, Adil Rashid, an experienced bowler, has continued to grow stronger and stronger and possesses the ability to excel in all conditions and phases of a match. The leg-spinner claimed 11 wickets in his first CWC four years ago and played an important role in the team’s victories campaign in the 2019 and 2022 World Cups.
Rashid could prove to be a crucial player for the Jos Buttler-led side in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The veteran leg spinner would look to use the Indian conditions to his favour to unleash his full potential in the forthcoming mega event.
2. Quinton de Kock
South African wicket-keeper batsman, Quinton de Kock, expressed his desire to end his ODI career by winning the World Cup this year. The Southpaw has already announced that he will retire from 50-over international cricket after the World Cup this year.
De Kock made his ODI debut in 2013 and has since had a fulfilling career, amassing 6176 runs in 145 matches at an impressive average of 44.75, including 17 centuries. The Left-handed opener retired from Test cricket in December 2021 after the first Test against India in that series, citing that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
3. Rohit Sharma
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma in ODIs is been an exceptional performer over the years. He has an average of 48.9 in 243 innings with 30 hundreds to his name and would walk into any team given sheer experience and aggressive intent at the top of the order. He will look to use his experience to deliver goods for the Indian team in the impending ODI World Cup.
The Indian captain gave the Men in Blue a much-needed start with his aggressive batting, scoring three straight half-centuries in the Asia Cup before lifting the title of the continental event and his form and fitness would be crucial for the Indian team in the marquee event.
4. Glenn Maxwell
Glen Maxwell is a hard-hitting middle-order batsman for Australia and an effective off-break bowler provides a nice balance with his all-around skills. With his all-round skills, he provides a perfect balance to the team and he will be looking to make a significant impact for Australia in the impending ODI World Cup.
The Veteran all-rounder has been a stalwart for Australia in the white-ball format of the game and would look to do well in the upcoming mega event. In the conditions of India, he will be useful with the ball and would look to make an impact for the team in the ODI World Cup.
5. Anrich Nortje
Anrich Nortje made his debut for South Africa in 2019 and has quickly become a key player for the Proteas in all formats. The right-arm pacer has a range of skills and likes to unsettle batters with more than just pace. Nortje has 36 wickets from 22 ODI games for the Proteas.
Unfortunately, the 29-year-old will miss his second consecutive ODI World Cup due to injury. His absence will be a big blow to South Africa’s chances in the mega event in India.