Who will be the ace performer?

AB de Villiers

A batsman of breathtaking chutzpah and enterprise, as well as the skills and the temperament required to back up his creative intent. A fielder able to leap tall buildings and still come up with the catch. A wicketkeeper who is perfectly at ease donning pads and gloves. A fine rugby player, golfer, and tennis player. All AB de Villiers needs to show off his abundant gifts is a ball. Just about any ball.

Playing role: Wicketkeeper batsman
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper

Current ODI Ranking:  1
Highest Ranking:  1 - (30/05/2010)
Highest score: 278* (Tests) 162* (ODIs) 79* (T20Is)
Best bowling: 2/49 (Tests) 2/28 (ODIs)
Last three performances: 24 runs – 1/7, 162* runs, 30 runs

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: 21* runs – 2/35, 0 run – 0/53, 28 runs – 0/48

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: 29 runs – 0/14, 5 runs – 1/39, 1 run – 0/9

Kevin O'Brien

Kevin O'Brien wrote his name into Irish cricketing lore with a magical innings against England on a balmy March evening in Bangalore. Entering the fray with his team 106-4 - and soon 111-5 - in pursuit of England's 327, he hit six huge sixes in a 50-ball century - the fastest in World Cup history - to set up a historic three-wicket win. It was the highest successful run chase in World Cup history and imbued new urgency into Ireland's claims for greater opportunities against Test-playing sides.

Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast

Current ODI Ranking:  43
Highest Ranking:  28
Highest score: 142 (ODIs) 42* (T20Is)
Best bowling: 4/13 (ODIs) 3/35 (T20Is)
Last three performances: 48 runs – 1/95, 50 runs – 2/61, 0 run – 1/71