Yesterday I created a league for Scorum users on the ICC's official fantasy game for the World Cup
JOIN HERE
Private League Code: SL4DYNFE2SX2DA
With 100 credits to spend on 11 players, competitors have to make some savvy buys if they are to afford some of the bigger names who are going at between 10 and 11 credits a piece. While I won't reveal my own team yet, here are a few value buys that I believe may be worth considering for your team and which could allow you to splurge on some star signings.
Wicket Keepers Under 9.0 credits
Kusal Mendis of Sri Lanka (8.5 credits) is a high-quality batsman who seems never to have quite built on his immense early promise. However, he comes into the tournament off the back of some more consistent form against South Africa earlier in the year as well as a half-century against Scotland last week. He is likely to bat at number 4 for Sri Lanka and I would advise that for the most part you look for players who are batting in the top order as that is where the bulk of the runs are going to come from for every team. Whether he actually keeps wicket for Sri Lanka or just plays as a specialist batsman is irrelevant to the balance of your team on Dream 11 but the later scenario makes him even more appealing at that price.
While it would be going against my advice of selecting players that aren't likely to bat in the top 4, Alex Carey of Australia (7.0 credits) could be a really good pick if he gets sufficient time at the crease to show what he is capable of. For one thing, Australia haven't selected a back-up keeper for the tournament so you know that Carey will be playing every game! Anyone who has watched the Big Bash over the last couple of seasons will know that Carey is an inventive stroke-maker who will score quickly wherever he bats. When you consider his price against other keepers who will bat in the middle and lower order then he looks an absolute bargain and he may help free up funds to be spent on other positions.
Batsmen Under 9.0 Credits
Colin Munro of New Zealand (8.0 credits) is not likely to win many awards for the most stylish player of the tournament but he has shown on plenty of occasions if bowlers miss their line and length then he will be ready to punish them. Look out for matches being played on grounds where the boundaries are shorter square of the wicket as Munro has a propensity for hitting long over the mid-wicket to deep-square leg area.
Slightly higher risk pick but at an attractive price would be Aiden Makram of South Africa (7.5 credits). He hasn't been able to bring his Test Match form into the ODI arena just yet and he is by no means an automatic pick for South Africa. However, he has made 11 appearances in the last 10 months and gotten starts in most of those innings. He opened the batting in the recent warm-up game against Sri-Lanka and he comes into this tournament off the back of some very good form playing for Hampshire meaning he knows the English conditions well.
Another top-order player who might be worth a punt is Soumya Sarkar of Bangladesh (8.5 credits). He is likely to open the batting with the much better known Tamim Iqbal and he comes into this tournament off the back of 3 consectuive 50s against the West Indies in the recent series played in Ireland. In general, his form since 2018 has been good with an average of 41 but that followed on from a terrible Champions Trophy in which he averaged just 8.5 with the bat so we wait to see which player turns up this time. He also bowls some handy medium pace so he could pick up a few additional points there too.
All-Rounders Under 8.5 Credits
Moeen Ali of England (8.0 Credits) has been a vital part of the England side in recent years. He is likely to bat number 7 but with the way England attack throughout their innings he will get chances to score runs in this tournament. With the ball, he has formed a good partnership with Adil Rashid and will be tasked with taking wickets throughout the middle period. It's been a dry late-Spring in England and if that extends into the early summer then expect the pitches to wear and spin as the tournament goes on. Moeen is something of a mercurial cricketer, if you get him in the side at the right time he can deliver some monster points!
I have to say that I didn't think much of Andile Phehlukwayo of South Africa (7.5 credits) when he came to tour England in 2017 but his form of the last 12 months suggest a much-improved cricketer who could be a real value buy at that price. Since July last year he has taken 36 ODI wickets at an average of 25 and strike-rate of 28. Bowling alongside the likes of Rabada, Tahir and Steyn it's understandable that sides might look to target the lesser name of Phehlukwayo and perhaps that is where his advantage lies as batsmen take more risks against his change-ups.
Bowlers Under 8.5 Credits
Kuldeep Yadav of India (8.0 credits) took the world of white ball cricket by storm in 2018 bamboozling many a batsman with his left-arm Chinamen and looking like a certain pick for India's 11 during this World Cup. However, this year's IPL saw the youngster struggle with form and confidence and he is by no means an automatic pick for India who could go for the more experienced and conservative option of Ravi Jadeja in their 11. Personally, I think that India have enough control in their bowling line-up already to take a risk on picking Yadav who can win games single-handedly when on form.
Shadab Khan of Pakistan (8.0 credits) offers another value selection for a wrist spinner. He missed the recent series with England due to illness and might be struggling for a bit of form early on in the tournament which is perhaps the reason that he is relatively cheap. Just 20-years-old, he has 47 ODI wickets at an average of 27 and he has also scored 3 half centuries in his 16 innings at this level which begs the question why he isn't listed as an all-rounder?
Nathan Lyon of Australia (7.0 credits) is probably one of the most underrated cricketers on the planet. He debuted for the Aussie ODI team back in 2012 but has only made 25 appearances since then with almost half of those caps being won in the last 12months. He outbowled rival Adam Zampa (who might also be a decent pick @ 8.0) in yesterday's warm-up match and was particularly effective against the left-handers in that innings. As the tournament progresses who is to say that the pair of them might not start for Australia? Definitely, one to watch at that price!
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