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Al Jazeera has selected the best young cricketers to star at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies.
The world’s biggest sporting event is known for shining the spotlight on the superstars who dominate the game, but it also serves as a platform to unearth the best young talent in the sport.
There are several cricketers who entered the ICC T20 World Cup as relative unknowns, but by the end of the tournament, they have dazzled experts and fans with their skill and potential.
Think Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammed Amir in the 2009 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli in the 2012 tournament and Wanindu Hasaranga in 2022.
Al Jazeera has named five young players who could excel in the 2024 tournament:
Yashasvi Jaiswal: India
Perhaps India’s most decorated young cricketer of the past one year, Jaiswal has proven himself in both the longest and shortest formats of cricket. The 23-year-old is loved by fans for his rags to riches story, but it is his batting and fearless approach to the game that has caught the attention.
Within a year of his T20 international debut, Jaiswal scored over 500 runs in 17 matches at an average of 33.4 and a good strike rate of 161. He also scored a T20I century in addition to four half-centuries.
The top-order batsman will surely be India’s opener along with experienced captain Rohit Sharma and a majority of the runs could come from Jaiswal’s bat if India are to win a second T20 title that has eluded them for 17 years.
Saim Ayub: Pakistan
In a country known for pushing its young players to the max, Saim is a relatively late arrival to international cricket. The left-handed batsman played his first T20I last year as a 21-year-old but is yet to establish himself in the squad. This is partly down to his form but also to Pakistan’s unwillingness to disrupt the opening batsmanship of Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan.
Syme comes to the T20 World Cup with plenty of experience playing for the West Indies having won the T20 Caribbean Premier League 2023 with his Guyana Amazon Warriors. Syme’s 52 was his highest individual score in a final and he finished the season second in the batting charts.
Though he has not been able to replicate his success as an opener at home, Saim has the ability to hit big unconventional shots and could form part of a left or right opening combination with captain Babar, and, most importantly, his experience playing in the region could make him a standout player for the 2009 champions.
Will Jacks: England
Jacks made his England debut as an off-spinner in 2022 but goes into the T20 World Cup better known for his power-hitting ability due to his recent batting success in the Indian Premier League.
The 25-year-old all-rounder scored an impressive 175 runs at an average of 33 in eight matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, before scoring 57 runs in two matches in England’s recent T20 series against Pakistan.
Jacks, who will bat in crucial one-out situations, will provide England with a more consistent and power-hitting option as they bid to win a record third T20 World Cup.
Matisha Pathirana: Sri Lanka
Pathirana comes from the Rashid Malinga school of low, sling-like fastballs and is backed by the guru.
“Matinee has no fear in the final stages of the innings,” Malinga told ESPN Cricinfo. “His greatest assets are his pace and his yorker but Matees’ biggest selling point is his open-mindedness.”
The 21-year-old has taken 28 wickets in 18 international matches for Sri Lanka but his recent form in the IPL has also made him stand out, with 13 wickets in six matches and a low economy, average and strike rate making him a standout performer.
The young star has the potential to become Sri Lanka’s main weapon with the ball.
Rishad Hossain: Bangladesh
Though Hossain is not a big name on the international cricket stage, he has quietly built a reputation as a leg-spinning all-rounder who can also lead his team to victory with the bat.
The tall leggie has taken 15 wickets in 17 T20s at an economy rate of seven, making him a rarity in a format that demands big hitters.
The 21-year-old from Rampur in northwest Bangladesh could find plenty of support on the slow Caribbean pitches and ultimately chart Bangladesh’s path to the knockout stages of the tournament.
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