With the opening game of the T20 CWC only a matter of days away it's time to delve into GDS Bowler Rankings. These rankings are based upon the players performance in T20Is over the last 12 months and a little narrative. In this blog we will identify some bowlers that GDS coaches should be targeting and some that should be let go through to the keeper. Let us know your thoughts on who we have down below on all of our social channels: twitter, facebook, instagram, discord.
Risers
Gudakesh Motie (West Indies)
GDS Average 50 points (7 matches)
For the last couple of years, Motie has been part of the West Indies squad for T20Is but has only really played in matches at home. In the recent three game series against South Africa, he was the pick of the West Indian bowlers as he took a total of eight wickets. He proved to be difficult to face for the South African batsmen and he had an economy of 6.25 runs per over across the eleven overs that he bowled. However, Motie might not have too many opportunities to start as Akeal Hosein seems to be the main spin bowler for the West Indies. I have him ranked high in the below rankings due to the upside that I believe he can offer coaches if the opportunity arises. If he does get a start, I don't see any reason why he can't continue taking 2+ wickets a match if the surface suits him. He will likely be considered as a player of difference, and I would look at adding him to your squad as I think he is a player that offers a very high ceiling.
Aryan Dutt (Netherlands)
GDS Average 15 points (5 matches)
At only 21 years old, I think Dutt is a fantastic dynasty option in GDS and I believe he can be a very relevant player in the future. His best bowling in a T20I is 3/20 against Sri Lanka only a matter of days ago. I don't think his name will be on a lot of coaches' lips for this World Cup and he might just fly under the radar for many coaches. However, looking ahead to round 4 when we have England vs Scotland and Netherlands vs Nepal, I think he can be seriously considered as a starting option for your squad. I was a fan of how he performed in last year's Cricket World Cup, and he was ranked 15th in the bowler rankings with an average of 75 points. If he plays on some spin friendly surfaces, I think we will see many GDS coaches trying to acquire him off the transfer market. I would be looking to add him to your squad as soon as possible, as we may see his value increase.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
GDS Average 65 points (12 matches)
In my opinion, Afridi has every chance to be the best bowler at the World Cup. Afridi has been in great form over the last 12 months and on seven occasions he has taken 3+ wickets. If he can do this in the World Cup, we will likely see him near the top of the bowler rankings. Afridi is still quite young and is only 24 years old. This makes his card even more valuable as coaches will likely be able to play him for the next 5+ years in GDS. He is one of the few bowlers that I would be comfortable starting against any opposition. Afridi is a must start.
Hold
Jasprit Bumrah (India)
GDS Average 70 points (1 match)
Bumrah has been one of the best bowlers in the world for some time and I think we will see him take quite a few wickets this World Cup. To be honest, he can be a frustrating player to have in your team, well he was at times during the IPL. He played 13 matches in the IPL and made the squad of the round on five occasions in GDS. I was a little disappointed by this, but he is the sort of player that is very hard for coaches to bench as he offers a very high ceiling. He has only had one appearance for India in T20Is over the last year and that was against Ireland last August. Even though he is now 30 years old, I still believe he still has a number of years left on the international cricket stage and is a hold for the foreseeable future. I'm not going to argue with anyone that decides to bench Bumrah when India play due to his lack of consistency he has shown GDS coaches in the past. However, I'll just remind you that he is the sort of bowler that can rip through a batting line up and pick up 5+ wickets against any opposition.
Nuwan Thushara (Sri Lanka)
GDS Average 64 points (4 matches)
Thushara hasn't played many matches in the last year and when he has, his performances have either been rocks or diamonds. In two of his matches, he failed to take any wickets and in the other two he took four and five wickets. He can swing the ball both ways and is surprisingly fast which makes him a dangerous bowler. He usually opens the bowling and has the ability to bowl in the death overs. This gives him the opportunity to take a number of wickets as I'm expecting him to bowl close to his full complement of overs in most matches. Even though he can be inconsistent, he is a hold in my opinion. I believe Thushara will score 100+ points in one of his matches and I'd like to have him in my starting squad if he does.
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
GDS Average N/A (0 matches)
Rababa hasn't played any T20Is in the last year, but I still believe he can put in some solid performances for GDS coaches at the World Cup. He may not take 3+ wickets as regularly as some like Bumrah but I think Rabada has been a bit more consistent in recent times. Through his first seven matches of the IPL, Rababa took at least one wicket. However, his form did fade over the closing stages of the tournament and he only picked up one wicket in his last four matches. Rababa might not offer a high ceiling like some bowlers do but if you have him in your squad, I would be holding as he might be able to surprise us in some matches. He might even pull out a 100+ point performance.
Fallers
Mitchell Starc (Australia)
GDS Average 28 points (2 matches)
Starc has been a very good bowler for a long time but at the age of 34 years old, time is not on his side in the dynasty sense. Since the start of the last T20 World Cup, Starc has only played five T20Is. He took four wickets over these matches and would not have scored more than 50 points in any match if we applied the GDS scoring to his stats. He is coming off a successful IPL campaign with KKR where he averaged 39 points in GDS, and he took 17 wickets across these 13 matches. Starc can still be relevant in the upcoming World Cup, but I'd honestly look to sell or trade to a younger up and coming player before it is too late.
Trent Boult (New Zealand)
GDS Average 15 points (2 matches)
Boult has had a fantasy international career and has played 249 matches for New Zealand, taking 602 wickets across the three different formats. Boult has been in and out of the New Zealand T20 squad in recent times and only played two matches since the last T20 Cricket World Cup. He is now 34 years old and still a very good bowler but now is a good time to sell. He will continue to pick up odd wicket here or there, but I believe that there will likely be better starting options for coaches in the rounds that New Zealand play in. It seems that his value is quite low in GDS at the moment, and it might be worth holding his card for a match or two to see if he puts in a good performance. You still might have a chance to sell high.
Adil Rashid (England)
GDS Average 37 points (10 matches)
Rashid is a very experienced campaigner and has nearly played 300 T20 matches, 105 of these have been for England. He does a great job for England but that doesn't always translate into great GDS scores. In his last 20 matches he has failed to take more than two wickets in any of these matches and has taken less than two wickets on 13 occasions. I just don't see him being a consistent high scoring bowler at the World Cup and this limits his upside. He is now 37 years old and due to his age and limited ceiling; he is a faller for me.
All-Rounders Rankings
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
Jasprit Bumrah (India)
Jofra Archer (England)
Kuldeep Yadav (India)
Pat Cummins (Australia)
Gudakesh Motie (West Indies)
Josh Hazlewood (Australia)
Adam Zampa (Australia)
Reece Topley (England)
Mitchell Starc (Australia)
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
Mohammed Siraj (India)
Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand)
Haris Rauf (Pakistan)
Maheesh Theekshana (Sri Lanka)
Tim Southee (New Zealand)
Gerald Coetzee (South Africa)
Alzarri Joseph (West Indies)
Adil Rashid (England)
Bradley Currie (Scotland)
Abbas Afridi (Pakistan)
Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka)
Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh)
Ish Sodhi (New Zealand)
Keshav Maharaj (South Africa)
Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
Mujeeb ur Rahman (Afghanistan)
Trent Boult (New Zealand)
Mark Wood (England)
Shamar Joseph (West Indies)
Aryan Dutt (Netherlands)
Nuwan Thushara (Sri Lanka)
Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)
Kaleem Sana (Canada)
Anrich Nortje (South Africa)
Kabua Morea (PNG)
Mark Watt (Scotland)
Josh Little (Ireland)
Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands)
Abinash Bohara (Nepal)
Ali Khan (USA)
Nikhil Dutta (Canada)
Bernard Scholtz (Namibia)
Juma Miyagi (Uganda)
Jessy Singh (USA)
Barry McCarthy (Ireland)
John Kariko (PNG)
Bilal Khan (Oman)
Karan KC (Nepal)
Henry Ssenyondo (Uganda)