T20 World Cup 2022: Five players guaranteed to make a splash in Australia

In the absence of these star players, certain young players have been in great form lately and are most likely to leave an impact at the T20 World Cup.

Harry Brook (England)

Due to his performance in domestic cricket, the youngest entry in the World Cup squad is turning out to be a masterstroke for England. Harry Brook has been adding consistent value to England's batting with his batting skills.

Naseer Hussain said, "for me, he's absolutely nailed on for that No 5 spot for the first game in that World Cup."

Batting in 5th position, he played an average of 80 with a strike rate of over 160 against Pakistan in the recently concluded T20I series.

England white-ball coach Matthew Potts said, "To me, batting at No. 5 is about as hard as it gets." 

He added, "Whatever the situation was, he always looked like he had a plan. That came out quite clearly and for a young player to be so clear in such a tricky role showed a lot.".

Tim David (Australia)

The player for whom the Australian cricket board went out of the way to get its nationality documents prepared at the earliest to acquire his services is a statement of what this player means to the team and how much value he adds. 

"Now he's in our team and our set-up; it's a godsend," said David Warner.

Playing 20 T20I matches, he has a strike rate of 159.33 and an average of 37.44, which is quite good considering that Australia is looking to find an attacking finisher in him.

"If he can get some confidence playing this role, he's someone that can play a big role for us to win a World Cup. He can take a score from 160 to 180-190," said Brad Haddin.

Naseem Shah (Pakistan)

The 19-year-old pacer, which debuted in T20I just a few games before Asia Cup, gave such a powerful performance in the tournament that it nearly filled the void left by Shaheen Shah Afridi's injury in the powerplay.

He bowled attacking to contribute and take Pakistan to the Asia Cup finals. He even displayed his power-hitting skills to make his name prominent in the squad. 

"Hats off to you Naseem Shah, you're the greatest asset to this country", said Shoaib Akhtar.

Having played just 6 T20Is so far, pneumonia followed by Covid-19 prevented him from featuring in the home series against England. His return to the squad for the World Cup will strengthen the team further.   

Arshdeep Singh (India)

Ever since India's spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action, the left-arm seamer was quick enough to secure his spot in the Indian team on the back of his consistent IPL performances, followed by his impressive death over bowling in the Asia Cup. 

"In Australia, left-armers normally do a good job. There is bounce and the angle that he creates. He (Arshdeep) will be an ideal foil when you look at the Indian attack," said Ravi Shastri.

Apart from death bowling, he fared decently well with the new ball, leaving a positive sign for the team. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, not only will his performance be crucial to India, but if he does well, he will become a part of the regular squad for Men in Blue. 

Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan)

The 22-year-old youngster is Afghanistan's leading wicket-taker in T20Is this year, taking 17 wickets in 13 matches with an economy of 6.83. 

In Asia Cup 2022, he also played a pivotal role, scalping six wickets in 5 matches with an economy of 8.36. The left-arm pacer left everyone impressed with his bowling, inviting gigs in domestic franchise cricket for the bowler worldwide. 

His contribution can be game-changing for the team on fast and bouncy Australian pitches. Until now, Rashid Khan, as the prime bowler, used to carry responsibility, and now the youngster has a good chance to contribute.