ICC cricket world cup 2019

The ICC World Cup 2019 is the 12^th edition of the Cricket World Cup which is being hosted by England and Wales this year. The matches are scheduled to start from 30^th May, which will be held in 11 different venues and the final will be held on 14^th July 2019.

The ICC Cricket World Cup happens in every 4 years, featuring 14 teams but this year there was a change, with the numbers being reduced to 10 teams. The teams are selected on the basis of ranks that the cricket teams of the countries get based on their One Day International (ODI) performance.

The host nation England along with top 7 nations qualified directly for the World Cup and the selection of the final two teams was decided by the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

Teams of ICC world cup 2019

• England (host nation),
• India (direct qualification),
• New Zealand (direct qualification),
• South Africa (direct qualification),
• Australia (direct qualification),
• Pakistan (direct qualification),
• Bangladesh (direct qualification),
• Sri Lanka (direct qualification),
• West Indies (qualified from 2018 Qualifiers),
• Afghanistan (qualified from 2018 Qualifiers).

Venues of ICC world cup 2019

Fixtures of ICC world cup 2019:

Group Stage

The group stage follows a round-robin format which means that every team will play each other once, in a single group. Thus there will be a total of 45 matches with each team playing a total of 9 matches. The four teams that will qualify the group stage will face each other in the knockout stage.

All the times are in British Summer Time (UTC +01:00)

Knockout of ICC world cup 2019

There will be two semi-final rounds in the knockout stage and the winners of each will progress to the final.

All the cricket fans know that we don’t only watch the World Cup to support our favorite teams but also to admire the brilliance of players of the opponent teams.  Also, who wouldn’t want to know about the players who might build the pressure during matches, right?

Top 5 bowlers to watch out for in ICC world cup 2019:-

Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)

At just 23 years of age, Kagiso Rabada has proved himself to be one of the most promising bowlers of his generation. Currently ranked fourth in the ODI rankings for bowlers, he has performed phenomenally since his arrival in International Cricket. With an average of 26.97, Rabada has picked 23 wickets from 14 games in 2018. His young blood fuels his aggression and desire for taking wickets which makes him an asset for his side and a threat against oppositions.

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Hailing from Afghanistan, Rashid Khan has already made his mark in the world of cricket even when the Afghanistan cricket team is yet to do so. He has been topping all bowling charts in the recent years and is ranked fourth in the ODI ranking of bowlers. He has surpassed the record of fastest 100 wickets in ODI in 44 innings, a record which was previously held by Mitchell Starc (52 Innings). His accurate googlies act as a deceptive and dangerous weapon, making him one of the most intimidating bowlers now. Oh did I mention that he is just 20?

Jasprit Bumrah (India)

One of the finest pacers in world cricket at the moment and the top-ranked ODI bowler, Jasprit Bumrah is the next rising star of the Indian Cricket team. With a slightly strange action and unusual releasing point, Bumrah is again one of the really deceptive bowlers. In 2018, he had picked 22 wickets from 13 games at an average of 16.63. He plays mostly in the beginning and death overs and has been successful in limiting runs and taking wickets, making him the death-over expert. If he is able to maintain this reputation while playing for his country then he’ll surely give the opponents a hard time.

Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Trent Boult is one of the most lethal new ball and death-bowlers at the moment and has the capability to dismantle the strongest of batting orders. His ability to swing the ball both ways and clock speeds of 145+ kph on a consistent basis have proved to be troublesome for the batsmen facing him. He has performed remarkably till date and the advantage of playing in English condition which offers the same bounce and carries as New Zealand tracks will presumably bring about the best him.

Mitchell Stark (Australia)

Australia has produced one of the most lethal bowlers and Mitchell Stark is one of them. He was one of the major contributors in Australia’s win in World Cup 2015 and it’s expected that he’ll be a threat for the opponents this time too. He has featured in 72 ODIs in which he has picked up 141 wickets at a strike rate of 25.5. In the bowler-friendly English conditions, this speedster is bound to breathe fire while bowling and give the batsmen a hard time.

Top 5 batsmen to beware of in ICC world cup 2019:-

Joe Root (England)

Joe Root is the most consistent batsmen in world cricket at the moment. He is often shadowed by other big batsmen but that doesn’t stop him from making a mark in every match he plays. Joe Root is capable of scoring runs in all formats and conditions which makes him a keeper. He has over 5700 runs in 114 innings at an impressive average of 51.52 and a decent strike rate of 86.44. Moreover, his return in form, as well as the home conditions, will prove to be advantageous for Root and he is expected to come good in the tournament.

Virat Kohli (India)

When we’re talking about best batsmen, how can we not mention Virat Kohli right? He is India’s leading and one of the best batsmen at home and away from it, and needless to say, it has been that way for the past 2-3 years. In 214 innings, Kohli has a prodigious 10533 runs to his credit at an outstanding average of 59.51 and a strike rate of 92.59. His aggression on the field, the fact that he can bat anywhere with ease and shift gears as and when the situation demands him to make him the absolute best and the backbone of the Indian line up.

Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

Kane Williamson is yet again one of the most consistent players and is one of the finest batsmen that the New Zealand team has seen. Even the greats such as Martin Crowe and Ian Chappel have ranked Kane among the top 4 cricketers in the world. Williamson’s batting is delightful to watch with his classy stroke play, blending nicely with his footwork and gritty temperament. Often underrated just like his team, Williamson’s consistency both as a captain and a batsman has led the team to be one of the most consistent teams in all the formats and particularly perform well in the overseas conditions.

Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen that Pakistan has produced in recent times. He has an average of 51.29 in the 57 innings that he has featured in and has a tally of 2462 runs. Babar is by far the most settled Pakistani batsman, with 8 centuries and 10 half-centuries and it is expected that Pakistan’s success will more or less, revolve around Babar’s form and performance.

Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh)

This batsman from Bangladesh is very promising and dedicated, which was proved when despite being injured, he had come out to support his partner Mushfiqur Rahim in the first match of Asia Cup 2018 at Dubai. His destructive batting performance has fetched him the 15^th rank in the ODI rank table for batsmen, and with his performance, he is likely to climb up the table soon. He was the third highest run-getter in the Champions Trophy in 2017 and he is very comfortable with English conditions.

Top 5 Fielders who can change the game:-

Ravindra Jadeja (India)

There can be no argument regarding the fact that Jadeja is by far one of the best Indian fielder and the best in the world at the moment. There are very few to no catches that he misses and his reflexes elevate when under pressure, which further elevates the enthusiasm and excitement of people watching his game. His fitness levels have improved tremendously and he has turned out to be a reliable all-rounder. He has the capability to surprise you whenever he steps in the field to play.

Ben Stokes (England)

This versatile all-rounder from England has provided the England team with the balance that they needed for a long time. Stokes is a very reliable player and the safest and most reliable fielder at any stage of the game. He is a really good ground fielder and a phenomenal catcher and seldom allows the ball to slip his hands. The biggest advantage is this that he performs well in every fielding position. So the opponents should better be careful while hitting for sixes.

Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies)

Brathwaite’s large and intimidating frame doesn’t stop him from being the best in fielding. The catches that he takes are something that only he can pull off and doesn’t shy away from throwing himself at the boundary ropes to stop those boundaries. His ability to jump high up in the air without any momentum to grab those one-handed catches is phenomenal. His commitment in the field is always a hundred percent making his game a visual treat.

Aiden Markram (South Africa)

The South African team has been hosting one of the best fielding units for a long time and has provided the cricketing world with gems in the fielding department. Aiden Markram is one of the most promising fielders now. He can pull off the most outrageous of catches possible and his strong reflexes and accuracy of direct hits have a great impact in initiating run-outs. He might be fairly new to the side but he shouldn’t better be underestimated for that.

Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)

The Sri Lankan team is not really known to have quality fielders; however, Kusal Mendis is one fielder who has always held his own in the team’s struggling fielding unit. He is quite athletic, which helps him do efficient fielding and has the safest pair of hands in Sri Lanka, which can be seen by his slip catching. His fantastic reflex catches at short leg and the silly point is something that the opponents should watch out for.

Now that World Cup is near you must be wondering that which are the teams that have the most chance of winning the tournament this year, right?

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Well here are the top 3 teams that have the most chance of winning the ICC World Cup 2019 this year:-

South Africa

The South African team have never lacked any attribute to be a successful side and played the highest grade of cricket in all three formats. Whether you call it luck or anything else, a team like this with such potentiality in terms of batting, bowling and fielding have never won any title. Their past though cannot be a judge of their presence because the 2019 World Cup is an opportunity for the Proteas to register themselves as a champion side. With Hashim Amla, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, and JP Duminy in the batting order and Rabada, Steyn, Morris, and Ngidi is the bowling order, this year might become the year when they’ll change history.

India

India is arguably the most balanced side in the limited overs formats now and is one of the strong contenders for the 2019 World Cup. Virat Kohli in any team makes that team a contender, add to that Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan who rule the match with their destructive batting. Bowlers like Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Jasprit Bumrah will also play an important role in the game, especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose swing play will prove to be beneficial in these conditions. The recently concluded Asia Cup, the ODI series with South Africa and the West Indies series have raised the hopes and expectations of millions of fan out there. Let’s see if they can win the cup for the third time.

England

England hosting the world cup this year gives them a big advantage of playing in their home conditions. The current form of Eoin Morgan’s team has been phenomenal, especially the batting line-up with batsmen like Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Jos Buttler. Their depth in batting has made them chase any score in the limited-over format. Despite featuring reasonably solid teams in all the ten editions of the tournament, the country that invented cricket has never won the 50-overs World Cup. An explosive batting line up paired with a promising bowling attack along with the favorable home-ground conditions will bring out the dangerous side of this team, making them one of the strongest contenders.

Conclusion

It is said that “Cricket is a game of uncertainties”. The big hits, the game-changing wickets, phenomenal fielding, unexpected comebacks and the phenomenal performances of some of the unexpected or underrated players and teams make the ICC World Cup 2019 tournament one of the most awaited and nail-biting tournaments. Fans from every nation are ready to wear the jerseys of their favorite teams and cheer and pray for them winning this prestigious cup.

Moreover, the game is such that it can bring even the most feudal families or people together, under the same roof, and you can see them heartily cheering for their nation. It is thus true that Cricket brings people together. So are you ready to cheer for your nation in this ICC World Cup 2019?