Tag: Cricket World Cup

Match #12: Bangladesh v England Prediction.

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

Bangladesh Bowlers/All Rounders: Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Saifuddin, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Shakib al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan

England Bowlers/All Rounders: Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Liam Dawson

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better. If a player is marked out, Dale Steyn in this case, they are not included in the ranking, as they are not effecting the match.)

Bangladesh

  • Mustafizur Rahman: 11th
  • Shakib al Hasan: 19th
  • Mehidy Hasan: 23rd
  • Mashrafe Mortaza: 24th
  • Rubel Hossain: 63rd
  • Avg: 28th

England

  • Chris Woakes: 9th
  • Adil Rashid: 15th
  • Mark Wood: 31st
  • Liam Plunkett: 33rd
  • Moen Ali: 41st
  • Avg: 25th

Breakdown: Closer rankings than I expected! Bangladesh’s bowling attack has more than held their own in their opening two tournament matches. Nearly bowling out New Zealand after being greatly let down by their batters. England’s bowling attack is playing about as expected. They let up big scores against Pakistan in every practice match leading up to the tournament, so their previous match numbers shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Advantage: England. Look at these numbers! Here’s how many runs England and Bangladesh allowed after their first two matches:

England: 555 (207 v SA & 348 v Pak) Bangladesh: 557 (309 v SA & 248 v NZ).

Get this! Both teams played South Africa at Kennington Oval, so the ground was the same. The pitch condition may have been a bit different, but it wasn’t drastic. I think part of the South African low score against England has to do with it being the opening match of the tournament. That being said, thanks for briefly nerding out with me!

Batters:

Bangladesh Batters/All Rounders:

England Batters/All Rounders:

ICC Ranking Average: (See rules for bowlers above and replace that with batters. You got it!)

Bangladesh

  • Mushfiqur Rahim: 20th
  • Tamim Iqbal: 23rd
  • Soumya Sarkar: 32nd
  • Shakid al Hasan: 34th
  • Mahmudullah: 49th
  • Avg: 31st

England

  • Joe Root: 7th
  • Jos Buttler: 16th
  • Eoin Morgan: 17th
  • Jason Roy: 18th
  • Jonny Bairstow: 19
  • Avg: 15th

Breakdown: England has the advantage. It’s simple. They probably have the best batting attack in the tournament.

Advantage: England

A final bold and likely dumb take: England wins by more than 50 runs.

Final Prediction: England. It’s a blowout.

Match #11: Pakistan v Sri Lanka Prediction.

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

Pakistan Bowlers/All Rounders: Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan

Sri Lanka Bowlers/All Rounders: Jeffrey Vandersay, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Angelo Matthews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perara, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better. If a player is marked out, Dale Steyn in this case, they are not included in the ranking, as they are not effecting the match.)

Pakistan

  • Mohammad Amir: 27th
  • Hasan Ali: 28th
  • Shadab Khan: 29th
  • Imad Wasim: 30th
  • Shaheen Afridi: 55th
  • Avg: 33rd

Sri Lanka

  • Suranga Lakmal: 42nd
  • Lasith Malinga: 47th
  • Nuwan Pradeep: 61st
  • Angelo Matthews: 77th
  • Thisara Perara: 79th
  • Avg: 61st

Breakdown: Which Pakistan team is going to show up? The one that made the West Indies look like the greatest cricket team of all time, or the squad that upset England? The silver lining for Sri Lanka, is that it was their bowling attack that led them to victory over Afghanistan. Gosh that was an ugly match 🤢

Advantage: Pakistan. As much winning momentum Sri Lanka’s bowling attack has, Pakistan has that x100. They’re also more talented, which is important.

Batters:

Pakistan Batters/All Rounders: Sarfaraz Ahmed © (WK), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Imam ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan

Sri Lanka Batters/All Rounders: Dimuth Karunaratne, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Matthews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perara, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

ICC Ranking Average: (See rules for bowlers above and replace that with batters. You got it!)

Pakistan

  • Babar Azam: 8th
  • Fakhar Zaman: 10th
  • Imam-ul-Haq: 15th
  • Mohammad Hafeez: 44th
  • Sarfaraz Ahmed: 51st
  • Avg: 25th

Sri Lanka

  • Angelo Matthews: 40
  • Kusal Mendis: 57
  • Kusal Perera: 72
  • Thisara Perera: 74
  • Lahiru Thirimanne: 84
  • Avg: 65th

Breakdown: I mean, it can’t really go worse for Sri Lanka, can it? Folks, I have some potentially bad news.

Advantage: Pakistan. Here are Sri Lanka’s batting performances from the first and second match. That’s a lot of single digit efforts.

A final bold and likely dumb take:

No Sri Lankan player will go for 0 runs. Hey, that’s saying a lot so far this tournament!!

Final Prediction: Pakistan in an uneventful and fairly easy match.

Match #10: Australia vs West Indies Prediction.

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

Australia Bowlers/All Rounders: Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Kane Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis

West Indies Bowlers/All Rounders: Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Ashley Nurse, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas, Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Jason Holder ©

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better. If a player is marked out they are not included in the ranking, as they are not effecting the match.)

Australia

  • Pat Cummins: 6th
  • Mitchell Starc: 22nd
  • Adam Zampa: 43rd
  • Nathan Coulter-Nile: 47th
  • Nathan Lyon: 50th
  • Avg: 33rd

West Indies

  • Jason Holder: 39th
  • Ashley Nurse: 49th
  • Kemar Roach: 70th
  • Sheldon Cottrell: 73rd
  • Carlos Brathwaite: 75th
  • Avg: 61st

Breakdown: Okay, okay. The numbers don’t look great for either team, really. We can all agree that both teams have better attacks than what their numbers show, right? West Indies have momentum on their side, especially with the same Pakistan team they shut down, going on and beating World Cup favorites England. Australia is…well, Australia. Rankings mean nothing to them.

Advantage: Australia. But not as distant as the rankings make it seem.

Batters:

Australia Batters/All Rounders: Aaron Finch ©, Alex Carey (WK), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis

West Indies Batters/All Rounders: Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Jason Holder ©

ICC Ranking Average: (See rules for bowlers above and replace that with batters. You got it!)

Australia:

  • Aaron Finch: 11th
  • David Warner: 12th
  • Usman Khawaja: 22nd
  • Glenn Maxwell: 25th
  • Steve Smith: 31st
  • Avg: 20th

West Indies

  • Shai Hope: 5th
  • Shimron Hetmyer: 29th
  • Chris Gayle: 46th
  • Jason Holder: 73rd
  • Evin Lewis: 81st
  • Avg: 46th

Breakdown: Breaking down the batters is where we see that the rankings aren’t 100% reliable when looking at these teams. Gayle is far too low, while Andre Russel is not even listed (🤔) .

Advantage: Draw. Yea, okay that’s a copout, sure. But I can’t, in good conscience, pick against the West Indies here. They’re so much fun! *Fine it’s Australia, but that’s no fun*

A final bold and likely dumb take:

Andre Russel has a strike rate greater than 200. Don’t let me down Dre Russ!

Final Prediction: Australia in high scoring, high energy match.

Match #8: India v South Africa Prediction.

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

India Bowlers/All Rounders: Yuzendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav

South Africa Bowlers/All Rounders: Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phelukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Imran Tahir, JP Duminy

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better. If a player is marked out, Dale Steyn in this case, they are not included in the ranking, as they are not effecting the match.)

India

  • Jasprit Bumrah: 1st
  • Kuldeep Yadav: 7th
  • Yuzendra Chahal: 8th
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 17th
  • Ravindra Jadeja: 32nd
  • Avg: 13th

South Africa

  • Imran Tahir: 4th
  • Kagiso Rabada: 5th
  • Andile Phelukwayo: 20th
  • Dwaine Pretorius: 52nd
  • Tabraiz Shamsi: 74th
  • Avg: 31st

Breakdown: Losing both Dale Steyn (for the tournament) and Lungi Ngidi (for the next few matches at least) is devastating for the Proteas. Tack on the fact that they’re already two matches in, while India are coming in fresh and gearing to go. India, meanwhile, is stacked, while, in other news, water is clear.

Advantage: India. Injuries are key here. Tahir and Rabada are both world beaters, but India is simply too deep. Also, South Africa got rocked by Bangladesh, which, yea, doesn’t bode well here.

Batters:

India Batters/All Rounders: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni (WK), Dinesh Karthik (WK), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav

South Africa Batters/All Rounders: Faf Du Plessis ©, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (WK), Aiden Markram, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen, Beauran Hendricks, JP Duminy

ICC Ranking Average: (See rules for bowlers above and replace that with batters. You got it!)

India

  • Virat Kohli: 1st
  • Rohit Sharma: 2nd
  • Shikhar Dhawan: 14th
  • MS Dhoni: 24th
  • Kedar Jadhav: 28th
  • Avg: 13

South Africa

  • Quinton de Kock: 4th
  • Faf du Plessis: 6th
  • David Miller: 33rd
  • Rassie van der Dussen: 50th
  • JP Duminy: 64th
  • Avg: 31st

Breakdown: Tough to go against India here. Kohli is the best in the world. Sharma is coming off a championship run in the IPL. I can keep going…no? South Africa stumbled against England and found somewhat of a stride against Bangladesh, even if they came up short.

Advantage: India.

A final bold and likely dumb take:

Is Kohli hitting a century to start the tournament a dumb take or an obvious one? Is he actually more likely to hit one than not? Asking for a friend here… Okay, let’s go the other way and say Kohli struggles out the gate, continuing his IPL form. Kohli scores under 35 runs this match.

Final Prediction: South Africa.

Wait what!?!? Okay hear me out here. South Africa is better than they’ve been playing. India, for some incredibly dumb reason, is playing it’s first match one week into the tournament. The emotion, the rush of that first match catches up to India here. South Africa get’s a world class performance from their captain, to go along with a dominating performance from Kagiso Rabada. South Africa with the upset here.

Match #7: Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka Prediction

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

Afghanistan Bowlers/All Rounders: Gulbadin Naib ©, Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan , Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari

Sri Lanka Bowlers/All Rounders: Jeffrey Vandersay, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Angelo Matthews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perara, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better. If a player is marked out, Dale Steyn in this case, they are not included in the ranking, as they are not effecting the match.)

Afghanistan

  • Rashid Khan: 3
  • Mujeeb ur Rahmen: 10
  • Mohammad Nabi: 20
  • Dawlet Zadran: 55
  • Gulbadin Naib: 58
  • Avg: 29

Sri Lanka

  • Suranga Lakmal: 42
  • Lasith Malinga: 47
  • Nuwan Pradeep: 61
  • Angelo Matthews: 77
  • Thisara Perara: 79
  • Avg: 61

Breakdown: Not looking great for Sri Lanka 😬. Coming off a match against New Zealand where they failed to get a wicket, it’s not surprising that their bowling attack is ranked poorly. All things considered, even without the poor showing against a talented NZ batting duo, Afghanistan was always the choice here. Their spin attack is effective and sometimes lethal after a fairly strong performance against Australia, all things considered.

Advantage: Afghanistan. By quite a bit.

Batting:

Afghanistan Batters/All Rounders: Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad, Noor ali Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari

Sri Lanka Batters/All Rounders: Dimuth Karunaratne, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Matthews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perara, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

ICC Ranking Average: (See rules for bowlers above and replace that with batters. You got it!)

Afghanistan

  • Mohammad Shahzad: 38
  • Rahmat Shah: 40
  • Mohammad Nabi: 55
  • Najibullah Zadran: 68
  • Hashmatullah Shahidi: 80
  • Avg: 56

Sri Lanka

  • Angelo Matthews: 40
  • Kusal Mendis: 57
  • Kusal Perera: 72
  • Thisara Perera: 74
  • Lahiru Thirimanne: 84
  • Avg: 65

Breakdown: Honestly, not a great look for either side. Coming into the tournament it was known that Afghanistan would lean heavily on their bowling attack, and here’s why. Sri Lanka’s recent form speaks for itself.

Advantage: Afghanistan. Simply because they’re going up against a weaker bowling attack. This game is one of those that may be incredibly entertaining because both teams are struggling and need a big win. They both have a lot to prove.

A final bold and likely dumb take:

Rashid Khan takes 5 wickets and becomes the leading wicket taker of the tournament for a short time.

Final Prediction: Afghanistan in a surprisingly entertaining match.

Australia vs Afghanistan Prediction (Match #4)

Putting my picks out in public! This should end well and not embarrass me once, no, there’s no chance of that. (Prepares to delete entire site if I get three losses in a row.)

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

Australian Bowlers/All Rounders: Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Kane Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis

Afghanistan Bowlers/All Rounders: Gulbadin Naib ©, Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better.)

Australia:

  • Cummins: 6
  • Starc: 22
  • Zampa: 43
  • Coulter-Nile: 47
  • Lyon: 50
  • Avg: 33

Afghanistan:

  • Khan: 3
  • ur Rahmen: 10
  • Nabi: 20
  • Dawlet: 55
  • Naib: 58
  • Avg: 29

Breakdown: I see your rankings, ICC, but in this case, I’m still going to have to back Australia. Rashid Khan is the best in white ball cricket right now, there’s little room for debate there. Starc’s ranking comes from his lack of recent play due to injuries. I’d take him over anybody, outside of Khan, if in need of a bowler.

Advantage: Australia

Batting:

Australian Batters/All Rounders: Aaron Finch ©, Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis

Afghanistan Batters/All Rounders: Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad, Noor ali Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 batters in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better.)

Australia:

  • Finch: 11
  • Khawaja: 21
  • Maxwell: 24
  • Stonis: 37
  • Marsh: 44
  • Avg: 27

Afghanistan:

  • Shahzad: 38
  • Shah: 40
  • Nabi: 55
  • Najibullah Zadran: 68
  • Shahidi: 80
  • Avg: 56

Breakdown: The clearest of advantages for Australia. Even excluding Smith and Warner in the rankings because of their lack of play due to suspension, Australia dominates.

Advantage: Australia.

Final Prediction: Australia wins by a large margin.

A final bold and likely dumb call: David Warner goes for a half century (58, to be exact) in this World Cup debut. Why not? I don’t expect this match to be too interesting, so let’s try and have some fun with it.

Afghanistan Roster Breakdown

This team has some explosive bowlers, can their batters keep up?

Batters/Fielders: Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad, Noor ali Zadran

Bowlers: Gulbadin Naib ©, Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan

All Rounders: Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari

Don’t Sleep On

– Hamid Hassan: The wild boy of Afghan cricket certainly leads the team in edginess. With his headband and warpaint ready to go, Hassan’s play after three years away from the team could make the difference in a few matches.

– Hazratullah Zazai: At 21-years-old, Zazai’s youth and experience on the big stage could be a good thing. Hear me out, youthful bliss can go along way! There’s little pressure on this team as far as expectations go, so Zazai can go out and gain vital experience for future tournaments.

Needed to Make a Run

– Mohammad Nabi: The allrounder had a fairly uneventful IPL with Hyderabad, but look for him to kick off some of the rust during the opening match against Australia.  

–Gulbadin Naib: He’s the captain, that says it all. How he leads the team in the field is key. He’ll need to stay around his 5.5 economy rating and make sure to take his fair share of wickets to keep pressure off of Khan.

Key to the Cup

– Rashid Khan: The golden boy of bowling right now, Rashid Khan needs an otherworldly performance to push Afghanistan into anything more than a few group play wins. Look for him to be a game changer with both bat and ball this tournament.

Why Should I Watch?

On the international cricket stage, Afghanistan is still very young. This is an exciting time to make a splash on the international stage. While a semi-final run seems increasingly unlikely, they do have a match winner in Rashid Khan, who is one of the most electric players on the planet.

How Much Fun is this Team? (8/10)

Rashid Khan. That’s enough.

Best Case:

Major upsets! Afghanistan taking down giants such as England, Australia or India would become the stuff of legend. It doesn’t seem like a run to semis is possible, so one or two big wins will have to do!

Worst Case:

Injuries plague what is a really fun team. Being ranked 10th out of 10 teams means there’s very little in regards to expectations here. Afghanistan isn’t expected to win much, so the only thing worse than that would be those matches being lost due to injuries.

Sri Lanka Roster Breakdown

Expectations are low entering the tournament. Will this squad overcome those predictions?

Batters/Fielders: Dimuth Karunaratne, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis

Bowlers: Jeffrey Vandersay, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep

All Rounders: Angelo Matthews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perara, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

Don’t Sleep On

–Kusal Mendis: I expect a huge tournament for Mendis, who’s done nothing but quickly scale the Sri Lankan cricket ranks. With an ODI average of 28, there’s plenty of room for growth for the 24-year-old. He’s capable of high scores, as shown by his 102 against Bangladesh in 2017.

–Thisara Perara: A team with multiple all-rounders are sure to lean heavily on the experienced Perara. With a high bowling mark of 6/44, Perara is capable of taking wickets. How well he can control the run letting is something to watch.

–Avishka Fernando: Another young gun to look out for. While Kusal Mendis is the crown jewel of the future, Fernando made a huge splash making the roster as 21 years old and his 72 against Scotland shows great potential.

Needed to Make a Run

– Lasith Malinga: The old gun in his final run on the biggest stage. Malinga had a solid IPL with key wickets in an exciting final over in the championship match.

–Dimuth Karunaratne: Taking over as a new captain immediately before the biggest tournament in your sport can’t be an easy thing. How can Karunaratne hold up to that pressure?

Key to the Cup

– Angelo Matthews: The former captain. Averaging 42 runs at a strike rate of 80.73 makes Matthews one of Sri Lanka’s most explosive batters. If they’re going to make a surprise run deep into this tournament, his runs are greatly needed.

Why Should I Watch?

Sri Lanka is a proud cricket nation playing with little expectation. That’s a scary combination! This team mixes experience with youth, providing some wild card potential.

How Fun is This Team? (5/10)

Their form heading into the tournament leaves a great amount to be desired. They aren’t very flashy, aside from Malinga and his bowling theatrics.

Best Case:

A winning record in group play. I don’t see this team making much of a push towards the semi-finals. Finishing with a .500 record, or close to it, will be a successful tournament.  

Worst Case:

Zero wins. Which, unfortunately, isn’t too far out of the question. Sri Lanka is the underdog in every match expect possibly Afghanistan. Not that matches are played on paper, but that doesn’t bode well for them.  

South Africa Breakdown

It’s World Cup glory or heartbreak every tournament for the Proteas. Is this the roster that can break the curse?

Batters/Fielders: Faf Du Plessis ©, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (WK), Aiden Markram, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen

Bowlers: Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phelukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir

All Rounders: JP Duminy

Don’t Sleep On

– David Miller: He’s known for big run breakouts and may just be called upon to have an explosive innings to steal a match.

–Lungi Ngidi: Steyn and Rabada is the likely partnership to open up innings, with Ngidi, South Africa brings a third powerful pacer to the table. Not many other nations can say that. Ngidi catching fire and racking up wickets would only mean success for the Proteas.

–Rassie van der Dussen: His full name is Hendrick Erasmus van der Dussen. He’s in this spot on name alone! As far as actual cricket goes, van der Dussen is expected to be a reliable option behind Amla, de Kock and du Plessis. An average of 88.25, in a rather small sample size of 9 matches, shows what van der Dussen is capable of!

Needed to Make a Run

-Imran Tahir: The swan song for one of the most exciting bowlers in recent cricket history. Be on the lookout for the classic Tahir sprint, we’ll likely know how South Africa is performing based on how Tahir’s celebrations go. They need him to rack up the wickets this tournament.

-Faf du Plessis: His leadership is vital. He’s spoken in recent interviews about the pressure on this South African team to do what all others before them couldn’t and reach a World Cup final. Can he keep cool under pressure? A  semi-final/final trip may hang in the balance.

Key to the Cup

–Kagiso Rabada: He’s one of the best bowlers in the world, so there’s not much introduction needed here. In order for South Africa to make a run, Rabada needs to have a tournament similar to Trent Boult’s 2015 World Cup. My bet is Rabada leads the tournament in wickets after the group stage matches are settled.  

Why Should I Watch?

South Africa is your best friend who, when you are all out, is one step away from closing with his/her prospective mate, only to have it slip away in the most heartbreaking way possible. You never want to give up on that friend, they’re your best friend, but you’re constantly afraid of watching them get their heart broken again. South Africa boasts an experienced batting and bowling side, one that is capable of beating any team on any given day. They are 100% good enough to win this tournament but don’t get too attached because it will likely end in heartbreak.

How Fun is This Team? (9/10)

Tahir and his celebrations alone are enough to get them a high score in this category. Rabada has some attitude to him when he gets going, which is great to watch. Steyn isn’t afraid to talk his shit. Really their bowling attack is feisty and not afraid of anything or anyone.

Best Case:

World Cup glory! This version of the Proteas does what no other team before them could do and win the World Cup. Amla and de Kock lead from the front and put up huge numbers match after match allowing for the bowlers’ plenty of leeway to do their thing. They beat New Zealand in a rematch of the 2015 semi-final and take down host nation England in the final.

Worst Case:

I think you know where I’m going here. Although I can’t foresee a match ending in a more heartbreaking fashion than 2015’s semi-final. Unfortunately, this is the worst case section, so let’s come up with one! I’d say losing that exact way again in the semi-finals would be the worst possible outcome, yea? Okay, that’s it, another World Cup without making it to the finals after being so close.

Bangladesh Roster Breakdown

Can the Tigers hunt down enough wins to make a deep tournament run?

Batters/Fielders: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain

Bowlers: Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Saifuddin, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed

All Rounders: Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Shakib al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan

Don’t Sleep On:

–Mehidy Hasan, Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar. I’m putting the all-rounders together because this team is so dependent on them. If Bangladesh is to make a run or pull an upset or two, these guys to play a major role.

Needed to Make a Run:

– Tamim Iqbal: The veteran and calming hand at the top of the lineup, Iqbal needs to lead from the front every match.

– Mashrafe Mortaza: The captain! Aside from al Hasan, Mortaza is the biggest name in this squad. His leadership and decision making are key, especially dealing with the various grounds in England.

Key to The Cup:

– Shakib al Hasan: He’s the best all rounder in the world. Do I need to say much more? Bangladesh doesn’t get anywhere without al Hasan having put on a world-beating effort. There’s going to be a match where he wins it single-handedly. Sri Lanka, I’m looking at you, for some reason.

Why Should I Watch?

You never know when another 178 run partnership will pop up, but that’s exactly what happened the last time Bangladesh played in an ODI tournament in England. Al Hasan can turn a match with his bat or bowling, and veterans like Iqbal, Mahmudullah, and Mortaza can all win a match by themselves.  

How Much Fun is this Team? (6/10)

There’s not much flash here. As a neutral, this isn’t a team that jumps off the page. As noted previously in this post, al Hasan is the shining light of this squad. He’s enough to watch on his own. Other than him, the rest of the team plays great cricket, but this isn’t a category about just cricket.

Best Case:

Upsets, upsets, upsets!! Wins over either New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa would be quite the result! Pair those with 50/50 matchups with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and Bangladesh could make a push for a semi-final spot.

Worst Case:

Loses against the big teams are expected, however, those matches are expected to be close. Multiple blowouts against the elite teams and a poor showing against opponents they should beat is the worst case scenario for the Tigers.