What if? Wednesday

A weekly thread for posing hypothetical questions and discussion about "what if" cricket scenarios that could happen in future, or would've changed history in the past.

Some examples to help with the concept:

• What if a player hadn't been injured before a big match?
• What might happen in future if a player decides to retire early, or change formats/specialties?
• What would've happened to the course of historic match if an umpiring decision had gone the other way?
• Any cruel twists of fate or freakish occurrences that ended up changing the destiny of a player or team?
• What directions could a player's career go in (and how does that impact the team), based on how they perform in an upcoming series or match?
• What differences would it make (or did it make) by selecting one player to be the captain of a side over another?

Submit some thought-provoking what if scenarios or discuss those that others come up with here.