Players with best all-round skills

DHAKA: The importance of allrounders in one-day cricket and World Cups cannot be undermined. Most teams in the modern era give particular emphasis on having more players who can do well with both bat and ball. While giving depth to the batting and bringing in variety to bowling attack, allrounders make a huge difference to the balance of a team.

So saying that allrounders will hold key to their respective team's success at the ICC World Cup will be an understatement. Cutting the long story short, let's look at the men with best all-round skills, who can make the 11th edition of the showpiece event their own.

Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh): A talented left-arm spinner and a dependable middle-order bat, Shakib is undoubtedly the best cricketer Bangladesh has ever produced. Unflustered by big occasions, it's his never-say-die attitude, both as a bowler and batsman, that brings out the best in him. Shakib has been a central figure in the Bangladesh squad and became the first from his country to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets which pushed him to the top of charts in ICC rankings for allrounders. He also became the first batsman from Bangladesh to score five hundreds, despite mostly batting at No.5 with an average of 34.58 and strike rate of 79.41 in 141 ODIs. He has taken 182 wickets at 27.92 with an economy rate of 4.26

Stuart Binny (India): Binny's selection in India's World Cup squad might have raised a few eyebrows but his all-round capabilities may prove his critics wrong and be an asset to the team in Australia and New Zealand. Binny is the lone seam-up allrounder in the 15-man squad and expectations will be high from him. Son of former India allrounder and 1983 World Cup winner Roger Binny, Stuart easily fits in the place of Irfan Pathan, probably the last medium-pace allrounder for India. Although Binny does not generate a lot of pace, he frustrates batsmen with his accuracy. The Karnataka man is also a reliable batsman who provides strength to India's often shaky lower order. In a short career, Binny has an average of 21 with a strike-rate of 71.18 in 8 ODIs. He has also taken 10 wickets at 15.10 at an economy rate of 4.62.

Shahid Afridi (Pakistan): One of the most spectacular hitters of a cricket ball the game has ever seen, Pakistan's mercurial allrounder Afridi - nicknamed 'Boom Boom' for his dynamism with the bat - has been playing for his country for more than a decade. Renowned for his rapid run-scoring, Afridi is no stranger to World Cups, having played in the past four editions of the mega event in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. His best World Cup performance was against Kenya in 2011 when he took 5 for 16. Afridi has an average of 23.49 and a strike-rate of 116.29 in ODIs, and has also taken 391 wickets at 33.89 with an economy rate of 4.62, which makes him a threat to any team.

Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka): The Sri Lankan captain is one of the most dependable allrounders playing his trade today. Apart from strong batting, consistent bowling and sheer athleticism, Mathews also comes with a cool head, which makes him Sri Lanka's most prized asset to pull the team out of any situation. Often underrated, Mathews' skills make him indispensable to his team. Supporting that is his batting average of 40.31 and a strike rate of 84.78 in 149 ODIs. To go with those impressive numbers with the bat, Mathews has also taken 91 wickets at 34.79 with an economy rate of 4.52.

Corey Anderson (New Zealand): A brutal basher with the bat, the New Zealander also has a golden arm to get wickets at crucial junctures. A ferocious striker, Anderson turned the world's attention towards him by breaking Afridi's 17-year record for the fastest ODI hundred. In 25 ODIs, Anderson has an average of 36.15 and strikes the ball at 129.37. He has also taken 34 wickets at 28.23 but on the expensive side at an economy rate of 6.22. The attacking allrounder completes a lot of missing links to make New Zealand a real threat this World Cup.

James Faulkner (Australia): Since making his ODI debut in early 2013, Faulkner has continued to rise and with some memorable performances has become one of the most exciting allrounders to watch out for. The Aussie is an accurate left-arm pacer who has the ability to move the ball both ways. The Tasmanian also has a deceiving slower ball to fox his opponents, which makes him a highly lethal bowling allrounder in limited-overs cricket. At a staggering average of 45 with a strike-rate of 107.62 in 37 ODIs, he is no mug with the bat and has also taken 49 wickets at 32.79 with an economy rate of 5.65.

Shane Watson (Australia): While his prolonged stretch of poor form might be a worry for Australia, nobody can take
away the fact that Watson is one of the best allrounders Australia has seen, with an ability to turn the tide single-handedly. A decade of international outings, often marred with career-threatening injuries and a largely unfulfilled bucket-list of promise, Watson would look to do justice to his reputation at this year's World Cup. Watson has an average of 40.57 at a strike-rate of 89.87 in 180 ODIs. Though used as bowler very selectively his skipper these days, Watson has 164 wickets in ODIs at an average of 31.21 with an impressive economy rate of 4.91.

Andre Russell (West Indies): The big man from Jamaica made his first class debut at the age of 19 and went on to become a useful seamer and a dangerous lower-order dasher. With the typical flair of Caribbean men, Russell can display a thrilling burst of hitting on any given day. He is also a terrific fielder, capable of producing some stunners at the ropes. His batting average in 43 ODIs is a decent 28.96 but the strike rate is ever impressive at 124.81. He has taken 53 wickets at an average of 32.16 with an economy rate of 5.70.

Darren Sammy (West Indies): A name call upon the images of leadership, Darren Sammy is the first international cricketer from St. Lucia. In the limited-overs format, Sammy remains a key figure in the West Indies camp. With plenty of flair, Sammy is a resourceful lower middle-order batsman and a canny right-arm medium pacer who can be an asset to any team. Sammy has an average of 24.20 with the bat in 119 ODIs and strikes the ball at 100.05. He 80 wickets to his name, bagging them at an average of 45.98 and an economy rate of 4.61.

Kevin O'Brien (Ireland): The talented red-headed allrounder from Ireland wrote his name in the history books with an exquisite innings against England in the 2011 World Cup. Entering the fray when his team was doomed to lose, Kevin scored a fiery 50-ball century - the fastest in World Cup. An aggressive batsman, the Irishman is also a crafty medium pacer with variations up his sleeve. And he must be hoping to repeat the feat his team achieved in 2011 and once again upset one of the big wigs. His batting average is 33.50 and strike-rate 83.32. He has played 84 ODIs and taken 68 wickets at an average of 28.30 and a noteworthy economy rate of 4.86.