WTC is also known as World Test Championship. It is a new tournament organized by ICC. Its motive is to regain the popularity of the test format and make it lively again. All test-playing nations participate, and the best, according to the standing pool table, face each other in finals. Matches comprise home and away matches for all teams. New Zealand is the first WTC winner; the second season will be held in June 2023. India has managed to qualify for both the season. This article will discuss the 2021-2023 cycle of WTC.
1. Joe Root
Joe Root is the first player on our list. He is a former English skipper and had a golden time with the bat during this cycle. He scored around eight centuries in this period. That includes double a hundred too. He batted at a good average and scored runs in almost all matches. Before WTC’s 2nd cycle, he quit test captaincy and focused only on his batting. He primarily batted at the third position in the batting order. He has eight centuries under his name.
2. Usman Khawaja
Usman is our next player of discussion. He belongs to the Australian cricket team and is a left-handed opener in the playing eleven. Usman even batted in the middle order as per requirement. Since the last matches, he was the partner of David or Travis while opening. Usman is one of the batsmen who play spin well. He is well acquainted with the Asian condition and had scored well against teams like India. Usman will be playing against India again during the WTC final. He has six centuries under his name.
3. Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow is another English player on our list. He has been a regular opener for his side for a few matches. Otherwise, Jonny plays in the middle order. Apart from Jos, he also keeps wickets and is good at keeping them. Jonny can switch his mode from defensive to aggressive whenever it is required. Hence, he is a versatile player. This player plays all formats. He is good on his home soil mainly. He has six centuries under his name.
4. Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus is another Australian batsman on our list. He often plays in the fourth position in the batting order. He is primarily a batsman but he often part-time bowls. He debuted against England in the test. He faced a deadly bouncer on his debut ball. But he batted and played well in upcoming times. He and Smith have stitched so many crucial partnerships. He has scored centuries during this cycle. Marnus is a good player against spin and can be helpful against India in the finals. He has four centuries under his name.
5. Babar Azam
Babar is the all-format skipper of the Pakistan cricket team. He is a young guy who has done wonders for his nation. Babar became a skipper early and won against teams like Australia and India. He even leads his team to Asia Cup final and the t20 world cup knockout stages. His achievements at an early age give a glimpse of Virat Kohli, and often cricket experts compare him with this legend. Babar is yet to perform and shine in difficult swinging pitches of England and Australia. He scored many runs only on his home soil. He has three centuries under his name.
6. Steven Smith
Steve Smith is a legend in the test format. He is another player from Australia. Smith is a good middle-order batsman. Although he was out of action for a year for suspension he made a great comeback to cricket. He is an okayish player in the limited-over format, but his skills upgrade when he plays the test format. He is a great leader apart from it. For the finals of WTC, he is an excellent player for the Aussies as he knows the Indian line very well, and his performance will decide Australia’s efforts to win the cup. He has three centuries under his name.
7. Travis Head
Travis Head is another Australian player on the list. He is known for his quick cameos and aggressive starts in an inning. He played in different positions for his national side. He is a three-format player and has also left his impression in the longer format as well. He is another to-look player in the finals of WTC where he will play a crucial role if included in the playing eleven. He has 3 centuries under his name.
8. Dimuth Karunaratne
Another player from Associate Country has been featured in the list. Sri Lanka improved its cricket for a few months and was visible during the WTC cycle. They gave a tough fight to defending champions on their home soil. For this, players like Dimuth, are praised a lot. He often plays in the opening position and has already played 84 red ball international matches for his nation. He has three centuries under his name.
9. Litton Das
Litton Das is an experienced batter from the Bangladesh side. He has improved his batting skills, played some crucial knocks, and helped his team to win. Interestingly, Litton performed well against SENA nations, which has boosted his confidence as a batsman. On his home soil, he has been a dangerous player as a batsman and scored many records. He can keep wickets that add a new dimension to a player in the playing eleven. He has three centuries under his name.
10. Carlos Brathwaite
It is a positive aspect of the West Indian side that a player from their nation is featured on the list. For decades Carribean side has been out of the league of playing excellent cricket. New players could not live up to the reputation. But Karlos is a lower-order batsman who took the responsibility on his shoulders and played exceptionally well as a batsman. He is a bowler apart from a batsman, and often his role in playing eleven is of the all-rounder. He has two centuries under his name.
