2019 gave the audience plenty to cheer for. The ODI format wasn’t short of excitement as there were some nail-biters throughout. As many as 150 matches took place, most of which kept the viewers at the edge of their seats. The pendulum of luck kept swinging at regular intervals.

It was also the year when the World Cup in England and Wales took centrestage from May to mid-July. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Pat Cummins and many others showed why they are regarded as the best in the business.

But the year wasn’t a happy ride for a few cricketers, who are otherwise some of the colossal names in the cricket world. Their national teams pinned hopes on them a number of times. Unfortunately, they couldn’t quite live up to the standards they have set over the time period.

In the article, let’s look at the Flop ODI XI of 2019: –

Tamim Iqbal

Tamim Iqbal is Bangladesh’s all-time leading run-scorer in the ODI format, nearing the 7,000-run mark after debuting in 2007. The southpaw has tasted loads of success at the highest level, but the year 2019 hasn’t been kind to him. In 18 ODIs, the left-hander scored 442 runs at a dismal average of 24.55.

The Chittagong-born played at a strike-rate of 72.34, depicting his travails over the time. He got three fifties against West Indies, Ireland and Australia, but was far from his best. The fact that he developed a wrist injury prior to the Tigers’ campaign in the World Cup didn’t help his cause.

To add to his miseries, as a skipper, he lost the ODI series versus Sri Lanka 3-0. In the same series, Tamim scored a mere 21 runs. The away series back in July marked the end of his journey in 2019.

Colin Munro

Colin Munro’s ODI average of 24.92 is equal to his career average, pretty abysmal numbers to say the least. In 2019, he could manage only 324 runs and was in and out of the side. There were clouds over his participation in the World Cup, but he eventually made the cut.

In 2019, Munro took a liking to the Sri Lanka bowling, scoring 87* and 58* in Mount Maunganui and Cardiff respectively. He got quite a few scores in the 20s and 30s, but couldn’t convert the starts. Even in the World Cup, he was dropped after six matches.

A strike-rate of 101.88 was the only positive from Munro’s perspective. Though the Durban-born is a part of the New Zealand setup in the T20 format, it won’t be a cakewalk for him to cement his spot in the One Day setup, especially at the age of 32.

Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali hasn’t had the best of ODI careers, having scored 1,766 runs at an average of 25.59. Even compared to his overall numbers, the year 2019 turned out to be even more disastrous. The all-rounder flattered to deceive with both bat and ball. In 14 games, Moeen crawled to 145 runs at an average of 18.12.

His top score of an unbeaten 46* came versus Pakistan in the bilateral series. In the same series, he bagged a couple of ducks in Nottingham and Leeds. With the leather, Moeen picked up six wickets, three of which came against Pakistan during the World Cup.

In as many as eight matches, the tweaker couldn’t make a breakthrough. Moeen was unable to stem the run-flow as well, leaking runs at 6.39, the most among his teammates, who played more than 10 matches.

Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis has been pretty effective in the ODI format after making his debut in 2015. However, the rub of the green didn’t quite go in his favour in 2019. The Perth-born scored 329 runs in 20 matches at an average of 23.50, much lower than his career average of 33.87.

He started the year with some pretty useful scores down the order, both in the home and away ODI series versus India. It was from the January to March, but since then, his form dipped. In the ODI series against Pakistan, Stoinis got 16 runs in three games.

In the World Cup, he scored 87 runs at an average of 14.50. Marcus failed to convert starts on four occasions in the mega event. He didn’t have the best of outings with the ball either, having picked 15 wickets at an expensive economy rate of 6.23.

Shoaib Malik

2019 was supposed to be Shoaib Malik’s last as the Pakistan batter had already announced his retirement. The veteran last plied his trade in the 2019 World Cup before bidding adieu to the format. But unlike his glory days, Malik had a pretty rough ending as in 2019 he could manage 250 runs in 13 ODIs at an average of 20.83.

He notched a half-century against Australia in Sharjah back in March and turned up with a few 30s and 40s. To his agony, the World Cup turned out to be a disastrous one for him. He started with a crucial 41 versus England in Nottingham before his campaign started going haywire.

In his last four ODIs, Malik scored 12 runs. The right-hander scored a couple of ducks and the match against India at the Old Trafford in Manchester marked his final appearance in ODIs.

Rishabh Pant (wk)

Rishabh Pant has bundles of talent on his shoulders and is being deemed to have a bright career. The 22-year-old hasn’t been able to translate the promise though. 2019 was a pretty indifferent one for the Uttarakhand-born keeper. In the 12 ODIs in 2019, Pant racked up 305 runs at a poor average of 27.72.

On quite a few instances, the southpaw played rash strokes and threw his wicket away. It was in December 15 when Pant scored his maiden ODI fifty versus the West Indies at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The Young Turk followed it up with a quick-fire 39.

Nevertheless, overall, Pant wouldn’t be much happy of his performance. The left-hander was also lacklustre with the keeping gloves owing to which the netizens have even chanted MS Dhoni’s name from the stands.

Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera made a thunderous start to 2019. The Sri Lanka all-rounder plundered New Zealand with scores of 140 and 80, though they came in losing causes. But from there on, his ODI journey in the year went completely pear-shaped.

Parking aside the two knocks, the left-hander managed 123 runs in 14 matches at an average of 8.79. Overall, Perera batted with an average of 21.43 in 2019. In his last nine ODI innings, the 30-year-old could cross the double-digit mark only twice. Perera faltered with the ball as well.

He picked eight wickets, averaging 70.62 as compared to his career average of 32.49. In the World Cup, Thisara got 63 runs at an average of nine and got the only wicket of Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi. He hasn’t donned the national colours for the last five months.

Jason Holder

Jason Holder is arguably a dependable figure and is someone, who brings a sense of calmness in the West Indies lineup. However, the Barbados-born had his troubles in 2019. In 27 matches, Holder scored 375 runs at an average of 22.05 with a top score of 62 against Bangladesh in Malahide.

He also churned out 51 runs versus Aaron Finch’s Australia in the World Cup at the Trent Bridge. But it’s with the ball in hand that Holder floundered the most. Holder has 133 ODI wickets at an average of 35.91. In 2019, the average shot up to 51.19.

The speedster could muster only 21 wickets. As a skipper, he guided the Caribbean side to two wins out of nine games in the World Cup. The national selectors then axed him as the captain and appointed Kieron Pollard for the role.

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has come leaps and bounds after making his debut four years ago. He has dominated the ODI format as well, having picked 133 wickets in 71 matches at an incredible economy of 4.16. Somehow, in 2019, he seemed to succumb under pressure.

In 19 ODIs this year, the 21-year-old could get 15 wickets at an average of 50.60, a country mile less than his overall average of 18.54. His best figures of 2/17 came against Sri Lanka in Cardiff during the 2019 World Cup. In the same mega event, Rashid had figures of 9-0-110-0.

It was after England skipper Eoin Morgan, who picked the bones out of the Young Turk. With the bat in hand, the 21-year-old scored 229 runs at 14.31, also lower than his career average of 19.25. His top-score this year came against Ireland in Dehradun.

Mashrafe Mortaza (C)

Mashrafe Mortaza has been a torchbearer of Bangladesh cricket for the last 18 years. The Narail Express inspired many to take up fast bowling in the country. The 36-year-old is currently the Tigers’ leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 265 wickets from 215 matches.

He has undergone quite a few surgeries on his knees, but despite that, has continued serving his nation with all his dedication. 2019 wasn’t kind enough for him though. In May, the veteran picked up a couple of three-wicket hauls against the West Indies and looked in good rhythm.

The World Cup turned out to be disastrous for Mashrafe, who got only the solitary wicket of Jonny Bairstow. In fact, in the last 10 ODIs, Mortaza went wicketless in nine matches. He hasn’t played international cricket ever since the World Cup.

Hasan Ali

In 2017, Hasan Ali was named as the Emerging Player of the Year after his sterling shows in the Champions Trophy. The Punjab-born also became ICC’s number-one ranked bowler in ODIs. The 25-year-old has strained to show enough consistency, much to his agony. 2019 gave him absolute nightmare courtesy injuries and poor form.

In 12 ODIs this year, Hasan got only seven wickets. On no occasion could he get more than one wicket in an ODI inning. In the 2019 World Cup, the opposition batting laid into him as Hasan gave away in excess of six rpo ever other time.

After the match versus India in Manchester, the speedster was dropped. To add insult to injury, Hasan has played only one competitive game after the World Cup due to a back injury and rib fracture.