In the razzmatazz of modern cricket, where sixes fly high and strike rates dominate conversations, there exists a contrasting world, the realm of the World Test Championship (WTC). Here, it’s not about who can hit the longest ball, but who can survive the longest battle. Patience, resilience, and mental fortitude take centre stage as the best red-ball cricketers etch their names in Test history.
Yet, despite their staggering contributions, some of these warriors remain curiously underutilised in limited-overs formats. Their skills, often built on technique, control, and consistency, are presumed incompatible with the fast-paced world of ODIs and T20s. But the truth is more layered. In a cricketing landscape obsessed with innovation and aggression, these players are overlooked not because of a lack of talent, but due to a misplaced belief that classic cannot coexist with contemporary.
Here’s a deep dive into five such WTC performers who have excelled in the purest form of cricket but remain surprisingly absent from their national white-ball squads.
5. Ollie Robinson (England)
WTC Stats (2021–2025):
- Matches: 20
- Wickets: 76
- Average: 22.92
- Economy: 2.8
Ollie Robinson brings a unique blend of classical seam bowling and relentless discipline. In the WTC cycles, he has often outshone more celebrated names like Anderson and Broad with his impeccable line and length. His success across conditions from the green tops of Headingley to flat decks in Pakistan proves his adaptability.
Yet, England’s white-ball setup, driven by aggressive pace and funky variations, hasn’t given Robinson much thought. He has never played a single ODI or T20I for England. With economy and control being vital in the middle overs of ODIs and even during powerplay build-up in T20s, Robinson could serve as a quiet assassin, something England may desperately need as their white-ball golden generation starts to fade.
4. Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan)
WTC Stats (2021–2025):
- Matches: 14
- Runs: 1052
- Average: 43.83
- Centuries: 3
Abdullah Shafique is a player who combines timing, technique, and temperament with elegance. Pakistan has long struggled to find consistent openers in Tests, but Shafique has brought much-needed stability. His unbeaten 160* during the record fourth-innings chase against Sri Lanka in Galle became an instant classic, a masterclass in red-ball application.
Despite these credentials, his opportunities in ODIs and T20Is have been severely limited. While Pakistan’s selectors lean towards explosive options like Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, Shafique’s presence as a stabiliser could enhance the lineup’s balance. In ODIs, especially in the subcontinent, his ability to rotate strike and absorb pressure is an undervalued asset.
3. Dean Elgar (South Africa)
WTC Stats (2021–2025):
- Matches: 20
- Runs: 1273
- Average: 37.44
- Centuries: 3
Dean Elgar doesn’t believe in flair; he believes in the fight. A throwback to the days of Steve Waugh and Graham Gooch, Elgar’s batting is defined by defiance. Whether facing Jasprit Bumrah on a spicy Wanderers pitch or enduring a spell of spin in Colombo, Elgar digs in, sometimes bruised but never broken.
He captained South Africa through one of their toughest transitions and led from the front with hard-earned fifties and hundreds. Yet, when it comes to limited-overs, Elgar hasn’t played an ODI since 2018, and never even made it to the T20I setup. Perhaps selectors found him too slow or too “Test-like,” but in doing so, they may have ignored a player who could provide composure amidst the chaos of collapsing innings.
2. Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand)
WTC Stats (2021–2025):
- Matches: 13
- Wickets: 72
- Average: 21.76
- Best Figures: 6/48
Towering at 6’8″, Kyle Jamieson burst onto the Test scene like a force of nature. In the inaugural WTC Final against India, his 5-wicket haul was the difference-maker. Seam movement, awkward bounce, and precise control became his trademark. At one point, he had the best strike rate among all Test bowlers with over 50 wickets in the WTC.
Despite this red-ball dominance and his ability to swing the white ball too, Jamieson hasn’t been a regular in New Zealand’s ODI or T20 sides. Injuries did play a part, but even when fit, he was rarely prioritised over Boult, Southee, or Ferguson. In formats where middle-over breakthroughs are gold dust, Jamieson’s combination of height, skill, and discipline makes him a criminally underused asset.
1. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)
WTC Stats (2021–2025):
- Matches: 21
- Runs: 1763
- Average: 48.97
- Centuries: 6
Dimuth Karunaratne is the kind of opener every Test team dreams of: steady, watchful, and unwavering under pressure. Whether facing the new ball under gloomy English skies or navigating a turn on a crumbling Galle surface, Karunaratne exudes calm. He was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s away win in South Africa and played multiple defining knocks during the WTC cycles.
Yet, despite being a former ODI captain and a proven anchor, Karunaratne has been completely left out of Sri Lanka’s white-ball plans post-2019. His strike rate may not break records, but his presence could bring balance to an unstable batting order. In an era where power-hitters frequently fail chasing tricky targets, someone like Karunaratne could hold an innings together, a role teams often forget until it’s too late.
READ MORE:
