Five key players missing out on the ICC World Cup 2023

Representing your nation at a World Cup is a dream of every cricketer. They put in all the hard work in training to prepare themselves for the global sporting event that happens every four years. 

However, not every top player is able to make it to cricket’s biggest showpiece event due to circumstances not in their control. And that is exactly the case for the following five players who will unfortunately be missing out on the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. 

1- Naseem Shah 

Naseem Shah has been an important member of Pakistan’s recent bowling attack. Together with Shaheen Shah Afridi, the duo formed a lethal bowling partnership. 

But the Green Shirts suffered a big blow when Shah picked a major shoulder injury during the recently concluded Asia Cup. And so the 20-year-old hasn’t travelled with the squad to India for the ICC World Cup 2023. 

2- Jofra Archer 

Jofra Archer played a key role for England at the 2019 World Cup. But injuries have mostly kept him sidelined since then. The 28-year-old has travelled to India but he is not part of the 15-member squad. 

Archer has been picked up as a reserve option for the Three Lions, which means he can only play if any other squad member is unable to participate due to injury or illness. So most likely, we will not see the hugely talented seamer in action at the ICC World Cup 2023. 

3- Jason Roy 

Jason Roy was a key member of the England team that won their first World Cup in 2019. He was named in the Three Lions’ provisional squad for the showpiece event only to miss out from the final 15 in the end. 

Roy will be hugely disappointed but England had to make the hard decision. The 33-year-old couldn’t make a strong case for his inclusion as injury issues prevented him from participating in the recent ODI series against New Zealand. 

4- Tamim Iqbal 

Tamim Iqbal has been one of the best batsmen for Bangladesh over the years. In 243 ODIs, the 34-year-old has registered over 8000 runs with the help of 14 centuries. 

However, the Tigers omitted his name from the 15-member squad they announced last month. It looked like they didn’t want to take a risk given Tamim’s persistent injury issues. 

5- Rishabh Pant 

Rishabh Pant is regarded as one of the most talented players in the world. However, the 25-year-old suffered an accident last year while driving to his hometown. 

Since then, Rishabh hasn’t played any cricket. Although he has reportedly made significant progress in his rehabilitation, the wicket-keeper batsman will miss the ICC World Cup 2023. 

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