Cricket World Cup: Time to salute unfamiliar high-achievers who've lit up the Cup

Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne was touted as a player who would raise eyebrows. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Tomorrow will be a great time to nod to the players who largely operate away from centre stage, repertory rather than the West End, writes David Leggat

If you'd suggested 10 years ago that New Zealand would face Afghanistan in the World Cup, chances are you'd have been laughed out of the park.

But tomorrow it happens and even if the result seems a foregone conclusion, for all New Zealand's insisting on treating all opponents with the same level of respect, it will be a notable day.

And so what better time to nod to the players who largely operate away from centre stage, repertory rather than the West End.

How about saluting an XI you've not heard of, unless you're a complete cricket nuffy. Players who have, in their own way, lit up the World Cup, even if only briefly.

To a large degree, this means associate nation players. They, after all, are players who provoke curiosity.

They are also in the spotlight with the growing calls not to dispense with potentially all four for the next World Cup in 2019. That's looks a decision sure to change, judging by the groundswell of significant support, but that's for another day.

Let's start as we don't mean to carry on, with Lahiru Thirimanne. He plays for Sri Lanka, a gifted team but whose deeds tend to be dominated by names like Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Mathews, Dilshan and Malinga.

Before the cup began, former international, and now commentator, Russel Arnold nominated lefthander Thirimanne as the Sri Lankan player who would raise eyebrows.

He's been as good as Arnold's tip, with a fine century helping smother England in Wellington, and only five players - before India's game against the West Indies last night - have scored more runs. What's he doing here? Hands up who had Thirimanne in their dream team? Enough said.

The other opening spot goes to Scotland's Kyle Coetzer, whose 156 against Bangladesh was not only his country's highest ODI score, but gave them a real chance to topple a test-playing nation on Thursday.

Throw in the United Arab Emirates pair Shaiman Anwar and Khurram Khan, who have a touch of class about them. Anwar tops the batting aggregates. No one saw that coming.

Samiullah Shenwari got the Afghans to the brink of victory against Scotland, and is easily their best batsman. Zimbabwe's Sean Williams gets the allrounders' spot. A distinctly handy operator, averaging 64.33 in the tournament.

The wicketkeeper?

Let's go for Ireland's Gary Wilson by a nose from Scotland's Matthew Cross, and George Dockrell gets the spinners' job, the young Irishman having undermined the West Indies early to help set up that terrific win on day three of the cup in Nelson.

Which leaves the seamers. You cannot go past a Scotsman who is the cup's second top wicket taker. So welcome Josh Davey. Eleven wickets. Fine work. Afghanistan's big leftie with the mane of hair, Shapoor Zadran, and cartwheeling Hamid Hassan round it out.

You may not have heard of any of those players before the tournament. But you know them now. You might forget them in another month. But the here and now is what counts.

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