When we talk about World cup winning teams, we always talk about the players who have contributed the most in the victory. But more often than not we miss talking about the ones who have been part of the squad but don’t end up playing any games for their team.
While the cricketers playing in the field plays a key role, the ones who are not a part of the playing XI are also a vital cog in a setup. They keep the dressing room light up and puts in all their efforts to keep off the pressure from their cricketers.
Let’s look at eight such cricketers who won the world cup without playing a single match in the world cup:
8. Marvan Atapattu (1996)
The Sri Lanka batsmen represented his country in over 268 ODI games but what is shocking to know that during the 1996 World cup, Atapattu warmed the bench for the entire tournament because of the presence of players like Jayasuriya, Ranatunga, Aravinda De Silva in the squad.
Despite scoring over 13000 runs for Sri Lanka, Atapattu failed to play a single game in that World Cup.
7. Upul Chandana (1996)
Just like Atapattu, Upul Chandana was also part of Sri Lanka squad during the 1996 World Cup. Chandana the leg-spinning all-rounder never made it to the XI due to the presence of Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan in the squad.
Although he didn’t play a part in that mega event, he played key roles for Sri Lanka in the years to come. He went on to play 16 Tests and 147 ODIs before hanging his boots.
6. Collis King (1975)
The former Caribbean cricketer, Collis was part of the West Indies squad during the 1975 World cup. But he never featured in the 5 matches his side played in the World Cup.
However, he played a key role in the final of 1979 World Cup, where he smashed 86 runs in 66 balls.
5. Liam Dawson (2019)
The left-arm spinner from Hampshire was part of the recently concluded 2019 World cup squad of England. Due to lack of experience & presence of players like Adil Rashid & Moeen Ali in the squad, he was never considered to be a part of the playing XI.
However, Liam Dawson had a good time in the warm-up games. Many consider him to be the future of England’s spin bowling.
4. Sunil Valson (1983)
Valson was part of the 1983 world cup winning side that changed the face of Indian cricket. But in this world cup, there was one player who was never a part of the playing XI and that was the Andra Pradesh born Sunil Valson.
What was even more shocking that Sunil Valson was never considered for selection after the World Cup. However, Valson admitted he had no regrets for not playing any game.
3. Nathan Bracken (2003)
The left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken replaced Jason Gillespie in the 2003 World Cup squad after the ace fast bowler was injured midway into the tournament. However, due to the presence of Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath, Bracken didn’t find a single game.
As a result, he is one of the cricketers who won the World Cup without playing a match. However, later on, Bracken went on to be the first-choice bowler in the limited-overs and served Australia cricket for almost a decade.
2. Tom Curran (2019)
Just like Liam Dawson, Tom Curran was also picked in the 2019 ICC World Cup squad of England ahead of David Willey. However, the youngster failed to get a single game as England went with Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes & Liam Plunkett in each game.
However, the fast bowler has a long journey ahead of him. With pace and ability in his strides, Curran is the future of England cricket. The 25-year-old has so far played two Tests, 20 ODIs and 18 T20Is for his country.
1. Nathan Hauritz (2003)
