The 2023 ODI World Cup concluded with the triumph of Australia, who secured the trophy for the 6th time in the World Cup’s history. Though this tournament narrates the elaborately composed stories of success, it also marked the challenges faced by experienced players who fell short of expectations.
From remarkable displays of skills, fans also witnessed severe heartbreaks. This World Cup saw the emergence of new superstars, and some of them attained legendary status. However, not everyone managed to make a mark in the competition. Despite the anticipation that they would be game-changers for their teams, many ended up falling short and getting their names in the flop XI of the World Cup 2023.
Let’s explore in detail some of the seasoned players who couldn’t live up to the expectations of teams and fans.
Team’s Breakdown
Below is the list of players that scripted their names in the flop XI.
Top Order
Jonny Bairstow faced difficulties in scoring runs as an opener during this competition. He accumulated just 215 runs in 9 matches with a disappointing average of 23.88. The England team had anticipated impressive performances from him, but he couldn’t prove his role in the side.
England suffered their most substantial defeat against South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium, experiencing a 229-run loss. Bairstow, entrusted with providing a solid start alongside his opening partner Dawid Malan, was dismissed early after scoring only 10 runs off 12 balls.
Temba Bavuma performed admirably as a captain, but his batting performance was a complete disaster. The Proteas skipper had an average of 80 in ODI’s this year before the World Cup.
However, he managed only 145 runs in 8 matches and couldn’t achieve a score of 50 or more throughout the tournament. In a crucial semi-final, when the stakes were high, and the conditions were overcast, he chose to bat first and was dismissed for a duck in the very first over.
Joe Root came into the tournament with a significant reputation, carrying the defending champion tag, but he struggled to find his form. With only 276 runs in 9 matches, his performance fell short of expectations. His poor form proved costly for England on the grand stage, as the consistent failure of a number 3 batsman can disrupt the balance of any team.
- Jonny Bairstow
- Temba Bavuma
- Joe Root
Middle Order
Babar Azam is also in the flop XI of the World Cup 2023. The captain of Pakistan struggled to cope with the pressure on the grandest stage. He only managed to score 320 runs in 9 matches and failed to make a significant impact with the bat. He was considered the player to watch, but he fell short of expectations and couldn’t score a single winning innings in the tournament.
Jos Buttler will lead and keep the wickets in this flop XI of the World Cup 2023 because his performance was disappointing both as a batter and skipper. This is quite evident by the standing of the England team on the points table.
He managed to score 138 runs in 9 innings at a dismal average of 15.3. Buttler couldn’t register a single fifty throughout this mega event.
Team India emerged as one of the best teams in the World Cup, but Suryakumar Yadav somehow had a poor campaign. He had to perform a role in the middle order for India in the absence of Hardik Pandya.
The hard-hitting sensation of India just managed to score 106 runs in 7 matches he played. In the final against Australia, all the responsibility was on his shoulders to end the innings with a good total. But he failed and managed to accumulate just 18 runs.
- Babar Azam
- Jos Buttler
- Suryakumar Yadav
All- Rounders
Shakib-al-Hasan had a disappointing performance both with the bat and the ball. He made 186 runs with one half-century, which was his last match of the campaign. His poor performance was also witnessed in the bowling department as he took just 9 wickets.
With just 2 wins in the league stage, Shakib’s lack of form stood out as one of the major reasons behind Bangladesh’s tournament disaster. It was likely his last World Cup, but he couldn’t make it memorable.
The 2023 World Cup was a tournament to forget for Shadab Khan. His bowling performance was far from impressive, managing only 2 wickets in 6 games while conceding 237 runs at a dire average of 118.50.
He remained wicketless against South Africa and struggled against the batting line-ups of England, Afghanistan, and India. Additionally, with the bat, he contributed just 121 runs in 6 matches.
- Shakib al Hasan
- Shadab Khan
Bowlers
The flop XI of the World Cup 2023 includes another spinner of Pakistan, Muhammad Nawaz. The left-arm spinner couldn’t provide the performance expected from him. He took just 2 wickets in 5 of his appearances and didn’t live up to the expectations of the team and fans.
Mark Wood entered the World Cup after playing a crucial role for England in the Ashes 2023. Wood was carrying high expectations, but the fast bowler could only manage 6 wickets in 7 matches. The speedster conceded 349 runs in the 54 overs he bowled during the tournament.
In the absence of Naseem Shah, there was an expectation from Haris Rauf to perform for Pakistan in the tournament. Unfortunately, the right-arm fast bowler faced a tough time against opposition batsmen.
Despite taking 16 wickets in nine innings, Rauf struggled with his raw pace and lack of variations. He conceded a total of 533 runs, which were the highest runs conceded by a bowler in a single ODI World Cup edition.
- Muhammad Nawaz
- Mark Wood
- Haris Rauf
Flop XI of the World Cup 2023
Underneath is the Sportiqo’s flop XI of the World Cup 2023:
1. Jonny Bairstow
2. Temba Bavuma
3. Joe Root
4. Babar Azam
5. Jos Buttler (captain & wicket-keeper)
6. Suryakumar Yadav
7. Shakib al Hasan
8. Shadab Khan
9. Muhammad Nawaz
10. Mark Wood
11. Haris Rauf
Wind Up
Many of the seasoned players couldn’t perform well in the 2023 World Cup. The Sportiqo’s flop XI of the World Cup 2023 features 6 batters, 2 spin-bowling all-rounders, and 3 bowlers. This team has the batting options till #8 and has 5 bowling options.
The team has 4 players each from Pakistan and England, and 1 each from India, South Africa, and Bangladesh. Jos Buttler will lead this team, and he will also be the wicketkeeper.
