Shakib Al Hasan

A talented left-hand batsman and left-arm spinner, Shakib Al Hasan is unarguably the best cricketer that Bangladesh have ever had. As a bowler, he is accurate, consistent, and canny; and his aggression and a wide range of strokes are the keys to his batting. Even more importantly, he has self-belief an excellent temperament, unflustered by the big occasion and ready to do battle against the top teams.

Playing role: Allrounder
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox

Current ODI Ranking: 34
Highest Ranking: 10 - ( 31/07/2012 )
Highest score: 144 (Tests) 134* (ODIs) 84 (T20Is)
Best bowling: 10/124 (Tests) 4/16 (ODIs) 4/21 (T20Is)
Last three performances: 2 runs – 0/41, 52* runs – 1/46, 46 runs – 0/55

Brendon McCullum

Brash, brutal and brilliant to watch, Brendon McCullum can bruise bowling attacks like few other men in international cricket. A wicketkeeper-batsman, McCullum has been used throughout the New Zealand batting order, but whenever he arrives at the crease it's impossible to look away. He muscles balls over both sides of the field and was responsible for getting the IPL off to an electrifying start, lighting up the tournament's first match with 158 and showing what the format had to offer.

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

Current ODI Ranking: 30
Highest Ranking:  9 - ( 23/02/2013 )
Highest score: 302 (Tests) 166 (ODIs) 123 (T20Is)
Best bowling: 1/13 (Tests)
Last three performances: 42 runs, 50 runs, 77 runs

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: 19 runs – 1/44, 15 runs – 1/50, 128 runs – 2/47

Mohammad Nabi

Mohammad Nabi hails from a well-to-do family that moved to Peshawar in Pakistan, seeking a safe haven from the Soviet War in Afghanistan. An efficient allrounder - a strong middle-order batsman who can bowl flighted offspin - Nabi's rise, like Afghanistan's, has been staggering. He has been at the centre of the side since their time in the ICC's World Cricket League Division Five, from where Afghanistan began their rise to the international stage.

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

Current ODI Ranking: 31
Highest Ranking: 30 - ( 10/01/2015 )
Highest score: 7 77 (ODIs) 46 (T20Is)
Best bowling: 4/31 (ODIs) 3/23 (T20Is)
Last three performances: 6 runs – 1/39, 2 runs – 0/84, 1 run – 1/38