Cricket World Cup preview: England drawn back into the pack

CRICKET WORLD CUP PREVIEW
TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE

ENGLAND ICC ODI ranking 1

Coach Trevor Bayliss (since May 2015)

Squad Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Best performance Runners-up 1979, 1987, 1992

Recent ODI form LWWWWWLWWWWWLWLWLWWWWW (win % 77.27)

Hosts and favourites, England expects. This tournament represents the start of a huge summer of cricket which not only features a home World Cup but also a home Ashes series and a chance to regain the urn after the devastating defeat Down Under in 2017-18. But, while the Test team still produces some unconvincing results, the ODI outfit looks primed to reach the summit. The calm captaincy of Dublin-born Eoin Morgan could give another edge to the hosts who will otherwise rely largely on outscoring opponents with a flamboyant batting line-up. At their best, openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow never allow the opposition bowlers to settle while the likes of Morgan and Test skipper Joe Root are adept at controlling an innings. Undoubtedly, though, Jos Buttler is the special gem of the line-up, a player who has the talent to put his own personal stamp on the tournament - and, better still, England have enough ability throughout the squad to bat capably right through their XI. The bowlers have less of a fearsome reputation and the likes of Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett are injury-prone - but the big attention in the build-up has been the selection of 24-year-old Barbados-born Jofra Archer over David Willey. Archer has little experience at international level but he has raw pace which has already given him a mystical reputation. A lot of pressure has landed itself on young shoulders then but, he will be at least be helped out by the likes of Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid, the highest wicket-taker in ODIs since the last World Cup. Instead, the bigger worry is arguably over the batting which produces the occasional horror show, and so much in this respect depends on the timing. Thankfully, a forgiving format means four teams out of 10 qualify and there are only two tense knockout matches. But, if the collapse occurs in a semi final or the Final itself, there will be no way back for the best limited overs England team in history.

Prediction Winners

INDIA ICC ODI ranking 2

Coach Ravi Shastri (since July 2017)

Squad Virat Kohli (c), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, Rohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav

Best performance Winners 1983, 2011

Recent ODI form WLLWWWWTWWTLWWLWWWWWLWWWLLL (win % 62.96)

Strong second favourites India boast some phenomenal talent - openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are habitually backed up brilliantly by skipper Virat Kohli who bats imperiously at three. The trio is itself backed up by the world number one ODI bowler Jasprit Bumrah and his handy strike partner Kuldeep Yadav - but, and there is actually a but, the Indians have a soft underbelly. Sharma, Dhawan and Kohli are, in fact, responsible for around half of the team's total runs since the last World Cup - while Kohli himself averaged 59 in Test and 64 in the ODIs on the tour of England last summer but still lost both series. Meanwhile, the more recent 3-2 giveaway in the bilateral series against Australia - having been 2-0 up - did not look too clever either. As such, in conclusion, India are undoubtedly a bloody brilliant side but they can also be beaten, particularly if that flaky middle order becomes exposed.

Prediction Semi finals

SOUTH AFRICA ICC ODI ranking 3

Coach Ottis Gibson (since August 2017)

Squad Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Rassie van der Dussen

Best performance Semi finals 1992, 1999, 2007, 2015

Recent ODI form WWWLLWWWWLWLWWLWWWWWW (win % 76.19)

Just like England, South Africa have never won the World Cup - and, just like England, the South Africans have had their fair share of World Cup calamities. But, while England have tended to specialise in humiliations against Bangladesh, Ireland, and a chicken-farmer from Zimbabwe, the Proteas' specialism is tragicomedy with previous campaigns having ended on catastrophic run-out, a horrible miscalculation, an inconvenient rain delay, and a collective brain-freeze. It is no surprise then that the current South African team feels a pressure effectively caused by its predecessors - and this psychological concern will only be exasperated by injury worries to key bowlers Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. On a positive note, South Africa enter the tournament in excellent form and will fancy their chances of making the top four at least. But, while Faf du Plessis is one of the canniest captains out there, it would be far easier to back them if the irrepressible and retired AB de Villiers was still out there spanking the ball to all corners of the pitch. 

Prediction Group stage

NEW ZEALAND ICC ODI ranking 4

Coach Gary Stead (since August 2018)

Squad Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor

Best performance Runners-up 2015

Recent ODI form WLWWWLLLWLWWW (win % 61.54)

As co-hosts at the last edition of the tournament four years ago, New Zealand smashed through something of a glass ceiling by reaching the Final for the first time following six previous semi final heartbreaks. Unfortunately though, for the Black Caps, Trans-Tasman rivals Australia proved far too strong in the showpiece event, winning easily by seven wickets. Yet, despite the subsequent retirement of big-hitting former skipper Brendan McCullum, the defeat to the Aussies did not dampen Kiwi spirits for long, hence their still highly creditable ranking in the top four now. Indeed, experienced frontline bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult are two players who should find English conditions suit them. Meanwhile, if another experienced player - Ross Taylor - and current captain Kane Williamson are able to provide the runs for those bowlers to defend, it seems extremely likely that the Black Caps will be there or thereabouts once again.

Prediction Semi finals

AUSTRALIA ICC ODI ranking 5

Coach Justin Langer (since May 2018)

Squad Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Best performance Winners 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015

Recent ODI form LLLLLLWLWLLLLWWWWWWWW (win % 47.62)

Describing the last 18 months in Australian cricket as tumultuous surely would be considered a phenomenal understatement. At the start of this period, the Aussies regained the Ashes by thrashing the old enemy England 4-0. But, within weeks of the triumphant scenes in Sydney, the sport was rocked by a ball-tampering scandal when young opener Cameron Bancroft was seen on camera roughing up one side of the ball with sandpaper under the instructions of captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner during the third Test against South Africa. Smith and Warner were banned for a year while Bancroft was given nine months as the form of the team slumped in their absence. Bancroft has yet to be picked again - but, perhaps out of desperation more than anything, Smith and Warner have been restored, and the Baggy Greens' form has recovered considerably. The five-time winners and defending champions will undoubtedly be a threat then - but much will depend on just how well the Aussies cope with the hostile reception which they are bound to receive.

Prediction Runners-up

PAKISTAN ICC ODI ranking 6

Coach Mickey Arthur (since May 2016)

Squad Sarfaraz Ahmed (c)(wk), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz

Best performance Winners 1992

Recent ODI form WWWWWWLWLLLWWLLWLLLLLLLLLL (win % 38.46)

Pakistan arrived on this sceptred isle all the way back on 23 April so it would be fair to say the Falcons should have already acclimatised by now. However, the Pakistanis actually enter this World Cup on the back of their worst run of ODI form in decades having lost their last 10 completed matches, including a 4-0 defeat to hosts England - and that result prompted the Pakistani board to make a trio of changes to the provisionally-named squad which originally travelled to these shores. Wahab Riaz, Asif Ali, and controversial paceman Mohammad Amir, who was once banned for spot-fixing on no balls, have arrived with a focus on adding potency to the bowling attack - but they were still not enough to prevent Pakistan from suffering a shock warm-up defeat to Afghanistan. Of course, Pakistan are probably the most unpredictable team at this tournament and the long group phase may yet help them find some form. As it stands, though, it is difficult to see this team doing too well. 

Prediction Group stage

BANGLADESH ICC ODI ranking 7

Coach Steve Rhodes (since June 2018)

Squad Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Abu Jayed, Liton Das (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Mithun (wk), Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal

Best performance Quarter finals 2015

Recent ODI form WLWWLLWWLWWWWLWLLLWWWW (win % 63.64)

Bangladesh head into the World Cup on a high after winning their first ever trilateral ODI series on the eve of the tournament. That achievement, though, is tempered by the fact that it came against West Indies, who had to qualify for this tournament, and Ireland, who failed even to do that. Perhaps, instead, a better indication of the Tigers' chances can be derived from their form in bilateral ODI series whereby, at home, they have won seven of their eight but, away, have had far more mixed results, with only one series victory since the last World Cup. No longer quite the whipping boys of world cricket, as they once were, it would still nonetheless be considered a major surprise if Bangladesh took a top four place. 

Prediction Group stage

WEST INDIES ICC ODI ranking 8

Coach Floyd Reifer (since April 2019)

Squad Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas

Best performance Winners 1975, 1979

Recent ODI form LWLLTLLLWLLWLWWLWLL (win % 31.58)

West Indies won the first two World Cups, both also held in England, in 1975 and 1979 - and were then runners-up in the third edition in 1983. It therefore came as a considerable humiliation to the men from the Caribbean that they were forced to qualify for this tournament. In fairness, they dusted themselves down to do just that and have since enjoyed some good recent wins to leapfrog struggling Sri Lanka in the ODI rankings. The main problem now is that there is just no consistency of performance and they are regularly over-reliant on strong batting at the top of the order from the likes of Chris Gayle and Shai Hope to cover the runs lost through distinctly average fielding.

Prediction Group stage

SRI LANKA ICC ODI ranking 9

Coach Chandika Hathurusingha (since December 2017)

Squad Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Avishka Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Thisara Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Dhananjaya de Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay

Best performance Winners 1996

Recent ODI form LLLWWLLLLLWLLLLLLLLW (win % 20.00)

For Sri Lanka fans, this is the time for patience, something which is, after all, meant to be a virtue. The Lions enter the tournament with little form and less hope after losing all eight of ODI their matches on tours to New Zealand and South Africa, although they surprisingly beat the latter in the Test series. The general decline, however, should not come as much of a surprise - cricket nations with far more resources would struggle with the retirements over the last few years of Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and, latterly, Rangana Herath. Moreover, the next generation are being stymied by a revolving door policy towards selection - and, in unfamiliar conditions, this could be a tough experience for 15 players who have ended up being chosen.

Prediction Group stage

 

AFGHANISTAN ICC ODI ranking 10

Coach Phil Simmons (since December 2017)

Squad Gulbadin Naib (c), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Best performance Group stage 2015

Recent ODI form WLWWWLLTWLWLWLW (win % 53.33)

Afghanistan made it to back-to-back World Cup tournaments by finishing in the top two of the final qualifying group with wins over West Indies, United Arab Emirates and, most crucially of all, Zimbabwe. The Afghans are not complete patsies then - but this campaign still very much falls into the category of being about them gaining experience at the top level. At least this opportunity - and Test status - has been afforded them in what might still be considered to be the outfit's formative years in contrast to the harsh wait which was endured by Ireland. In particular, except plenty of wickets from leg-spinner Rashid Khan whose ODI tally since the last World Cup is bettered only by that of England's Adil Rashid.

Prediction Group stage

Recent ODI is based on all official matches played since 1 June 2018. All other statistics correct at the time of writing.