There are a number of top young players looking to make their mark on the game in the coming months. Some of these names will be familiar.
Top Talented Young Cricketers in 2022, Here’s the list
The young cricketers have come up with some great domestic numbers at the moment, as of many top young players and they have performed up to the expectations in international stages at present.
They have shown that they got the potential to deliver in the big stages and they have got the requirements to become one of the greats.
These cricketers have got a lot of years in their kitty and they will certainly see the highs and lows of their careers in the next 10 years in world cricket. Here’s the list,
Rishabh Pant (India)
In a short space of time, Rishabh Pant, a top young player prose through the ranks to become India’s first choice wicket keeper in all three formats.
He is known for his positive and innovative approach to batting and his power hitting has been effective in red ball and white ball cricket.
Pant’s first 30 test matches have produced four hundreds and a highest score of 159. He also has two centuries in domestic T20 cricket and his maturity has been rewarded with the captaincy of Delhi Daredevils.
He’s already been around for a while but, at the age of just 24, there will be much more to come from Rishabh Pant in 2022 and beyond.
Naseem Shah (Pakistan)
One of a number of young Pakistan bowlers capable of delivering at high speeds, Naseem Shah may just be the quickest of them all. He’s also the youngest player on this list, having turned 19 in February 2022.
Naseem made his debut for Pakistan at the age of just 16. He was the ninth youngest player to appear in a test match and he bowled with pace and hostility in that opening game against Australia.
The bowler has since gone on to claim 26 wickets in his first eleven tests. He has yet to be used by Pakistan in limited overs cricket but 2022 could be the year for Naseem Shah to prove himself in all forms of the game.
Sam Curran (England)
Injuries robbed England of Sam Curran’s services in 2021 and the team could have really used his talents in what was a difficult year for the national set up.
A genuine all-rounder, capable of turning a game with bat and ball, the left hander was named Player of the Series against India in 2018 when he was just 20 years of age.
He’ll be 24 in 2022 and hoping for an injury free year which will allow him to establish himself in the national set up once again.
Sam Curran has impressive statistics in all formats but it’s felt that he will be most effective in limited overs cricket moving forward.
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
A man who needs no introduction, Rashid Khan, top young player, burst onto the scene as a teenage leg spinner and has been at the height of his powers ever since. The leg spinner turns 24 in 2022 and he should be looking forward to many more years at the top.
It could even be said that Rashid’s quality may have been a catalyst for Afghanistan to be granted full test status. Without him in the team, it’s debatable whether they would have had the quality needed to be admitted by the ICC.
As for his figures, Rashid will be looking to pass the milestone of 300 international wickets in 2022. He’s already taken 7-fors in a test match and in ODI cricket while he’s a player in huge demand for T20 franchises all over the world.
Ollie Pope (England)
He has impressive statistics in first class cricket and already has a test hundred but has yet to fully deliver in an England shirt.
There is no doubting his talent: At the age of 24, Pope averages over 50 in first class cricket with 13 centuries and a best of 274. In test matches, that figure drops to 28.66 at the start of 2022 and that’s something he will need to address.
With a new regime moving into the English national set up, we may well see Ollie Pope get an extended run in the test team. It may be a last chance to prove himself, but he’ll certainly be a force for his county team Surrey for many more years to come.
Zak Crawley (England)
Like his international teammate Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley has yet to consistently hold down a place in England’s test side but he’s another batter with some serious talent.
Following England’s tour of the West Indies in March 2022, the opener was averaging just 28.60 in test cricket, but many feel he’s a far better player than his numbers suggest.
In 2020, Crawley made a brilliant 267 against Pakistan and that’s why the England selectors have kept faith in him for so long. While on that tour of the West Indies in 2022, the Kent batter finally added a second test hundred and maybe that will be the catalyst for more consistency moving forward.
Zak Crawley has also appeared in three ODIs for England and could be an option in the shorter formats in the future. He’s another player who turns 24 in 2022 and will be anxious to finally deliver on his huge potential.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)
Like his compatriot and teammate Rashid Khan, top young player ,Mujeeb Ur Rahman is an effective mystery spinner for Afghanistan at international level. He’s still very young, having passed his 21st birthday in 2022 but he’s already featured in a number of high profile tournaments, including the Indian Premier League.
Mujeeb is a versatile bowler. He is technically classed as an off spinner, but he is equally adept at sending down leg breaks and fast turning googlies. In his first 73 matches for Afghanistan, he claimed 111 wickets and that return includes two five-fors in limited overs games.
He was the youngest player to take five wickets in an ODI at the age of just 16 years and 325 days. Injuries have affected his young career at times but, if he can stay fit, Mujeeb will have a big future ahead of him.
Aiden Markram ( South Africa )
Aiden Markram, one of the most talented batsmen and top young player to come out of South Africa in over a decade.
He is extremely elegant when he plays the cover drive and is a really good puller of the ball as well. He recently scored a fabulous Test century in Pakistan – his first overseas. His home record is also solid – averaging nearly 47 with the bat in tough conditions.
Ideally, Markram would like to develop into a more consistent ODI player. He has the game for it, as shown by his list A average of 44.
He currently only averages 28 in ODI cricket and an improvement could mean that he also takes the captaincy, since he’s thrived at this at Under-19 level. Markram helped South Africa win the U-19 Cricket World Cup in 2014 as captain. He was also player of the tournament.
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