W2W4 this week: Top teams in action at ICC Cricket World Cup
Ten teams. Forty-eight matches. Forty-six days. The 12th ICC Cricket World Cup is here. The tournament is going to be held in the form of a group-stage round robin (akin to the format followed in the 1992 World Cup), where the 10 teams will play each other once and the top four teams will qualify for the semifinals.
Tournament start: May 30, 2019
Final: July 14, 2019
Venues: 11 venues in 10 cities in England and Wales
Teams: England, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies
Start time: 5:30 a.m. ET; 10:30 a.m. BST
Format: round robin
England: The hosts — ranked No. 1 this year — will hope to end their World Cup drought this year with a home-field advantage. The team, which includes a good mix of experience (captain Eoin Morgan and batsmen Ben Stokes and Joe Root) and fresh energy (bowlers Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer), are best positioned to make it to the semifinals. History could be on England’s side as well. The hosts have won the past World Cups (India and Australia). ,
India: The 1983 and 2011 champions are coming off a strong year, led by Virat Kohli, beating West Indies, Australia and New Zealand in bilateral ODI series. The team also includes 2011 World Cup-winning captain, MS Dhoni and some big hitters such as Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. Also, don’t forget that India previously won a World Cup in England, in 1983.
Australia: The team might be peaking at the right time leading up to the World Cup. They had smashing success in Pakistan, winning 5-0 and registered its first ODI series win in India earlier this year for the first time in 10 years. It looks like it’s all coming together for the defending champions after Deflategate-esq scandal that rocked the core of the group two years ago.
England vs. South Africa
Thursday, May 30; 5:30 a.m. ET
These two teams are two of the biggest powerhouses in the tournament. South Africa batsmen Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy will make sure you want to tune in to the sixes and fours. Combine that with England stars such as Joe Root and Jos Butler, this will be nothing less than a party. We understand it’s a week day, but if you have the day off, we highly recommend watching this in one of at select expat pubs in the U.S. The Australian in Manhattan is pulling an all-nighter preparing for this opener.
West Indies vs. Pakistan
Friday, May 31, 5:30 a.m. ET
If there’s one team you should make an attempt to watch, it’s West Indies. This isn’t the best team by any stretch, but win or lose, West Indies will be a part of some of the most scintillating moments of the tournament. Big hitters such as Chris Gayle (with the record for the most sixes) and Kieron Pollard will be part of a show-stopping batting lineup, while bowlers like Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach will have us biting our nails with their pace and speed. Looking for a team that’s geographically close to you and will give you the best entertainment in the next seven weeks? West Indies is your team.
Australia vs. Afghanistan
Saturday, June 1, 8:30 a.m. ET
The defending champions will kick off their campaign against the Afghans, who amid war and turmoil in their country, have surprised the cricketing world with their qualification into this event. How could you not root for the underdogs, especially against a team that includes two players — Steven Smith and David Warner — who were banned for cheating? It is a long shot that Australia actually loses to Afghanistan. The underdogs have come together pretty well in the past six months, with consistent performances both with the bat and the ball in the sub-continent. But if there’s one team that can put up a fight, it’s Afghanistan.