The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) has redefined the landscape of red-ball cricket by turning bilateral series into high-stakes global events. Under this format, Test cricket has seen a resurgence in competitiveness, and several players have risen to prominence with exceptional performances under pressure. However, not every Test hero has been able to replicate that magic in the white-ball arena.
While some players thrive across formats, a select few seem to be tailor-made for the rigours of Test cricket, producing match-winning spells or innings in the WTC but falling short when tasked with the dynamics of ODI or T20 formats. This piece dives into the careers of five such cricketers who were WTC giants but struggled to cement their place or perform consistently in shorter formats.
5. Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan)
WTC Stats:
- Matches: 15
- Wickets: 51
- Average: 22.76
- Economy: 2.31
Mohammad Abbas is the epitome of Test match discipline. With his relentless accuracy and subtle movement, he terrorised batters on seaming decks, especially in England and the UAE. His ability to bowl long spells at miserly economy rates made him Pakistan’s go-to red-ball workhorse.
Limited-Overs Struggles:
Abbas’s gentle pace and lack of variation have made him unsuitable for modern white-ball cricket. In ODIs, he’s found it hard to contain or take wickets during middle and death overs, and he has barely featured in T20Is or franchise cricket. The white-ball format has simply moved too fast for his style.
4. Dean Elgar (South Africa)
WTC Stats:
- Matches: 23
- Runs: 1437
- Average: 35.92
- Notable: Match-saving knocks vs India and New Zealand
Dean Elgar’s grit and tenacity were instrumental during South Africa’s transitions in the WTC. His fearless leadership and ability to face the new ball in tough conditions made him indispensable in red-ball cricket. He was known for blunting out world-class pace attacks in hostile territories.
Limited-Overs Struggles:
Elgar never really fit into South Africa’s white-ball plans. His conservative approach and lack of acceleration at the top made him a misfit in ODIs and T20Is, where explosiveness is often prioritised. He last played an ODI in 2018 and never truly got going in T20s.
3. Ajaz Patel (New Zealand)
WTC Stats:
- Matches: 8
- Wickets: 41
- Average: 27.51
- Notable: 10/119 vs India in Mumbai
Ajaz Patel etched his name in cricketing folklore by becoming only the third bowler to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings, and that too against India in India. A key figure in New Zealand’s spin department during their away WTC fixtures, Patel often delivered when the conditions offered a turn.
Limited-Overs Struggles:
Despite his Test exploits, Patel has played just a handful of ODIs and T20Is for New Zealand. His lack of variations, quicker pace, and ability to adapt to flat batting decks have limited his effectiveness in white-ball cricket. New Zealand has preferred Santner and Sodhi in the shorter formats.
2. Josh Hazlewood (Australia)
WTC Stats:
- Matches: 18
- Wickets: 70
- Average: 23.26
- Economy: 2.61
Hazlewood has been one of the most consistent seamers in the WTC. His metronomic accuracy and ability to exploit bounce and seam movement made him lethal in both home and away conditions. His spells in the 2023 WTC Final and the Ashes were textbook examples of red-ball mastery.
Limited-Overs Struggles:
Despite brief success in ODIs and IPL (notably with RCB and CSK), Hazlewood has often been outshone by Australia’s more dynamic white-ball options like Starc, Cummins, and Zampa. His conservative pace variations and preference for traditional lines have sometimes made him predictable in T20s.
1. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
WTC Stats:
- Matches: 25
- Runs: 1966
- Average: 47.95
- 100s/50s: 5/11
Dimuth Karunaratne has been the rock of Sri Lanka’s Test batting lineup. His ability to weather storms against the new ball and anchor innings was crucial during the WTC cycle. Against South Africa, West Indies, and Bangladesh, he produced gritty hundreds that often set the platform for victories or strong draws.
Limited-Overs Struggles:
Karunaratne’s ODI career never quite took off, often criticised for his slow strike rate and inability to adapt to modern white-ball pacing. He led Sri Lanka during the 2019 World Cup but was eventually sidelined due to a lack of fluency and power-hitting in ODIs. His T20I appearances have been almost non-existent.
READ MORE:
