Players Who Have Disappointed So Far In World Cup 2023: The 2023 World Cup is an amalgamation of superstars from all teams. There is immense expectation riding on each side to bring home the cup. A lot of proven stars carried the burden of expectations. These players no matter what conditions or opposition have always found a way to succeed. Fans expected nothing different from them this time around too. But a few top players have found the proceedings difficult. The game seems to have marched ahead as compared to their own evolution.
These players have let their respective teams down with their sub-par performances. Their failing reflects in the points table where the teams have fallen behind the pack.
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We look at players who have disappointed so far in World Cup 2023:
#3 Babar Azam
The Pakistani captain is the world’s number 1 ranked ODI batter. He is the side’s batting lynchpin. If Babar Azam gets going more than half of Pakistan’s issues will be taken care of. But Babar has not found his groove yet in the World Cup. He struggled against Netherlands spinners in the first game. Babar couldn’t make a valuable contribution in the run-chase against Sri Lanka. He scored 50 against India but lost his wicket at an inopportune time.
Babar once again failed in the game against Australia. There were several questions regarding his credibility as the best ODI batter owing to his average numbers against the top sides. He hasn’t taken great captaincy decisions too. Time might run out for Babar the leader, if Babar the batsman doesn’t lend him support.
#2 Steve Smith
He is regarded as the greatest clutch player of the current generation alongside Ben Stokes in ICC events. Steve Smith has excellent numbers in crunch games. He is someone who sets the tone for Australia in the middle overs. But Smith has looked a pale shadow of himself in this World Cup. Apart from a fighting knock against India, he has done little of note in the remaining 3 games. He failed to score even on a flat track like the Chinnaswamy in Bengaluru. Smith’s presence in white ball cricket no longer has the aura. He needs to reinvent himself and find ways to get going.
#1 Jos Buttler
Many cricketing experts label Jos Buttler as the finest white ball player in world cricket. His stature grew further when he led England to a T20 World Cup win in 2022. It was believed that England just need to turn up in the ODI World Cup to pocket the tournament. The defending champions are credited for taking the game ahead several notches. But England’s present seems to have caught up with their chequered recent past.
After an alarming defeat in the opening game, England still appear to be in a slumber. They lost innocuously to Afghanistan. The game against South Africa was expected to be the turning point. But South Africa hammered them to push England to the ninth position in the table. A lot of England’s misery can be attributed to their captain’s failures. Jos Buttler has not stepped up, both as a batter and as a leader in this World Cup. He is easily the biggest disappointment of the World Cup so far!
