Usually, teams plan in length for an ODI World Cup. There are four years time to prepare for the next edition and the coaches make use of this time to develop cricketers. However, in recent times, we have also seen that if there is talent, a few players could straightaway get chances. There are a few who just made their debut but would play in the World Cup. Along similar lines, a few players came up only last year during the 2022 U19 World Cup. Some of these cricketers would now play in the 2023 ODI World Cup. On that note, here, we take a look at four cricketers who played in the 2022 U19 World Cup and are playing in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
1) Noor Ahmed – Afghanistan
Noor Ahmed is one of the cricketers who played in the 2022 U19 World Cup and is playing in the 2023 ODI World Cup. One of the brightest young spinners in the game right now is Noor Ahmed. The teenager left a mark in IPL 2023.
Now, he is one of the important players for the Afghans. The speciality of the player lies in his variety. He is a left-arm wrist spinner, a type that is very rare. On top of this, he has plenty of variations and also bowls with good pace. All of this makes him a tough bowler to face. For the batters, it is usually Rashid Khan who bowls from the other end and that further makes things difficult for them.
2) Tanzim Hasan Sakib – Bangladesh
Bangladesh has unearthed a good pacer in the form of Tanzim Hasan Sakib. He was brilliant in the 2022 U19 World Cup and has climbed heights since then.
Bangladesh would need some young blood to plan for the future. Tanzim is a right-arm pacer who could play for the team for a very long time.
3) Dunith Wellalage – Sri Lanka
Dunith Wellalage is also one of the cricketers who played in the 2022 U19 World Cup and is playing in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The captain of the Sri Lankan Team in the 2022 U19 World Cup, he holds a vital role for the squad in the ongoing World Cup.
The young all-rounder is playing in the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. Essentially, he is leading the spin attack. In the Asia Cup, he surprised many with his strong performances. Not just with the ball but even with the ball, as well, Dunith was in fine form. Hence, it needs to be seen how he will do in the next couple of weeks.
4) Matheesha Pathirana – Sri Lanka
Just like Noor, even Pathirana had an excellent IPL 2023. In fact, the Sri Lankan pacer went on to win the championship.
A number of Sri Lankan cricketers are injured right now. Hence, the onus will be on Pathirana to do well for the team. His USP is bowling at the death and Sri Lanka will want to use him to his strengths. That said, it would be a challenge for the cricketer, especially because there are already a lot of analysts working on him to decode his bowling.
