Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali was tipped for the top long before he won his Test debut at the start of 2014. But, after building a reputation as an elegant batsman, it was his off-spin bowling that earned him the call-up when England were left reeling from the surprise retirement of Graeme Swann. While many critics dismissed him as a "part-time" bowler, Moeen had a record to compare with the best in county cricket over recent seasons. He had also developed a doosra after working with his friend and sometimes Worcestershire teammate, Saeed Ajmal.

Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak

Current ODI Ranking:  57
Highest Ranking:  56 - (01/02/2015)
Highest score: 108* (Tests) 128 (ODIs) 36 (T20Is)
Best bowling: 8/129 (Tests) 2/34 (ODIs) 1/31 (T20Is)
Last three performances: 128 runs – 2/47, 20 runs, 10 runs – 0/60

Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan hits a shot to the boundary for four runs to make his 150 runs during his Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh at the MCG in Melbourne, February 26, 2015 Photo taken from Reuters

Tillakaratne Dilshan

With his relentless aggression, strong wrists and natural timing, Tillakaratne Dilshan is one of the most exciting batsmen in the game today. He is technically sound, but, much like Virender Sehwag, he uses the defensive option only as a last resort, after all the attacking alternatives have been explored. He loves to make room and thrash the ball through the off side, but the stroke that bears his signature more than any other is the one he developed for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 - the eponymously named "Dilscoop" shot over his head, which confounded bowlers and experts alike.

Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper

Current ODI Ranking: 5
Highest Ranking: 3
Highest score: 193 (Tests) 160* (ODIs) 104* (T20Is)
Best bowling: 4/10 (Tests) 4/4 (ODIs) 2/4 (T20Is)
Last three performances: 161* runs – 2/35, 24 runs – 0/35, 1/27

Zimbabwe's Hamilton Masakadza plays a shot during the Pool B 2015 Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and Zimbabwe at Seddon Park in Hamilton on February 15, 2015 Photo taken from AFP

Hamilton Masakadza

Hamilton Masakadza is a name that features prominently in Zimbabwe’s batting order. He burst on to the scene in the most spectacular fashion when he scored a century on his Test debut while studying at Churchill High School in Harare. Known for his aggressive play on the front foot, Masakadza is also quite adept at handling the short-pitch stuff as he matures with age and experience. Coming into this World Cup, Masakadza is showing impressive form with an unbeaten 117 against Sri Lanka in the warm up game and 80 from 74 balls against South Africa. Zimbabwe will hope he can carry such form throughout the competition.

Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium

Current ODI Ranking: 113
Highest Ranking: 87 - (20/07/2014)
Highest score: 158 (Tests) 178* (ODIs) 79 (T20Is)
Best bowling: 3/24 (Tests) 3/39 (ODIs)  1/4 (T20Is)
Last three performances: 5 runs – 1/39, 1 run – 0/9, 80 runs – 0/6

Pakistan batsman Shahid Afridi plays a shot against India during their Cricket World Cup match in Adelaide, February 15, 2015. Photo taken from Reuters

Shahid Afridi

Of Shahid Afridi it can safely be said that cricket never has and never will see another like him. To say he is an allrounder is to say Albert Einstein was a scientist; it tells a criminally bare story. For a start, the slant of his all-round skills only became clear ten years into his career; he is a leg-spinning allrounder. Variety is his calling and as well as a traditional leg-break, he has two googlies, a conventional offie and a lethal faster one, though this is increasingly rare. All come with the threat of considerable, late drift. He fairly hustles through overs, which in limited-over formats is a weapon in itself and the package is dangerous.

Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Legbreak googly

Current ODI Ranking: 16
Highest Ranking: 6 - ( 03/06/2010 )
Highest score: 156 (Tests) 124 (ODIs) 54* (T20Is)
Best bowling: 5/43 (Tests) 7/12 (ODIs)  4/11 (T20Is)
Last three performances: 28 runs – 0/48, 22 runs – 0/50, 8* runs – 1/59