Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: October 06, 2023 | 
| 中文
All the captains pose with the tournament's trophy
The defending champions, England, played against the runners-up of the ODI World Cup 2019, New Zealand, in the opening game of the World Cup 2023 on the 5th of October. ODI World Cup (WC) is certainly the biggest, most exciting and most followed cricketing event, played in the intervals of four years. The 13th edition of the ODI World Cup is scheduled in different cities of India from October 5 to November 19, where ten teams will be participating to clinch the biggest trophy in cricket. All the teams: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and the Netherland, will be playing against each other, and the top four teams in the group stage will qualify for the semi-finals.
World Cup 2023 trophy in front of the Taj Mahal, Agra, India
India, the host country, looks to be the strongest team on paper with all the bases covered. Its batting is in form and has the capability to destroy any bowling lineup, which has an in-form opening pair like Rohit and Shubman Gill, followed by Kohli, Iyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya. Thinking that someone of Surya Kumar Yadav's caliber and talent won't find a place in the starting XI is mind-boggling. Their bowling lineup is even more threatening, with Bumrah firing thunderbolts, Muhammad Siraj nailing both in and out swingers, and Shami with his nippy line and length and ability to swing the ball both ways, will be a handy customer for the Indian team. It is startling that even Shami is not confirmed in the Indian starting XI, who has 191 ODI wickets at an average of 25.5 and 31 wickets in 11 World Cup games, at an astonishing average of 15. The spin department is headed by Kuldeep Yadav, who is supported by experienced Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin. However, the issue with India has been their inability to handle pressure during high-voltage encounters, as they have never won an ICC event since 2013.
Team India
Pakistan, India's arch-rival, was the number one ranked ODI team just a fortnight ago, and was tipped to be the favorite to lift the coveted trophy. However, after a crushing defeat at the hands of India in the Super Four round of the Asia Cup, and the subsequent defeat against Sri Lanka, has dashed all hopes of Pakistan’s supporters. Pakistan's batting is in safe hands, as the in-form Babar, Imam and Rizwan can guide the team to a respectable total, however, it will be hard for our bowling department to contain oppositions to low scores in high-scoring venues, where most of Pakistan's games are scheduled. Saud Shakeel, Aga Salman and Iftikhar will be occupying the middle-order positions, and the classy Saud can be a surprise revelation in the WC. Shadab and Nawaz have been ineffective with the ball, which is a big headache going into the WC, while Usama Mir has been on the sidelines. It is hoped that the trio find form on the spinning tracks of India. Fast bowling is not that bad, but Naseem Shah’s injury is a big blow. As an ESPNCricinfo headline aptly summarized: “Naseem-less Pakistan look up to Shaheen Afridi for lift-off”, who will be supported by Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Wasim Jn.
Team Pakistan. (L to R) Muhammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman and Muhammad Nawaz
The defending champions, England, has the most destructive batting unit in the tournament, as the likes of Butler, Bairstow, Livingstone, Root, Malan, Brook and Stokes can pile up runs at a brisk pace. Their bowling, however, will not be that effective, barring Mark Wood, Reece Topley and Adil Rashid. One of the teams that don't look threatening at the start of the tournaments but always finish at the top is New Zealand, which lost the last World Cup final to England on the boundary count in the super over. Fit-again Williamson, and in-form batters like Latham, Mitchel and Conway will lift the burden of batting. The bowling line-up will be headed by the nightmare of righthand batters, Trent Boult, who will be supported by Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi and Mitch Santner.
England versus New Zealand WC 2019 final, when Eng won the WC on boundary count
The most successful team in ODI cricket, Australia, is not to be taken lightly when it comes to ODI World Cups. With five trophies in its cabin, the Aussies will be eager for the sixth, as they have the resources and talent to win the trophy. In-form top-order consisting of Marsh, Head, Warner, Marnus and Smith is followed by Maxwell, Carey, Stonis and Green, which is a scary team sheet for the opponents. Their bowling will be spearheaded by one of the successful bowlers in ODI World Cups, Mitch Starc, who will be supported by Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins. Spin is an area of concern for Australia, as they are going with only one specialist spinner in Zampa, which will haunt them going forward in the WC.
South Africa has turned out to be a formidable side as the WC approached, emerging from the abyss of wilderness. Arguably, it has the most in-form top six in the WC, as the swashbuckling De Cock is supported by composed Temba Bavuma at the top, followed by the powerful Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Klassen and David Miller. Their bowling is equally threatening, as the likes of Rabada, Ngidi, Shamsi and Maharaj are capable enough to bundle out any opposition on a low score.
Team South Africa. (L to R) Aiden Markram, Reza Hendricks, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada
Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands are the other teams competing, who all have good enough squads to upset the pundits. The Sri Lanka team is depleted by injuries to its main players, but it still has players like Asalanka and Nissanka, who can shine at the global stage. Bangladesh's team has been marred with controversies going into the WC, but it has exciting newcomers supported by experienced players like Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah. In the spinning tracks, one should not be surprised if Afghanistan's premium spin bowlers, Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi, create upsets. Netherlands will be eager to cement its place as an upcoming cricketing powerhouse in the world, with its performances in this WC.
Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis plays a shot against Afghanistan during the warm-up game, October 3, 2023
Henrich Klassen, Devon Conway, Virat Kohli, Trent Boult, Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mitchel Starc and Kuldeep Yadav are the most exciting players to watch out for in this WC. Klassen, termed as the best striker of the ball by AB de Villiers, has been in a beast mode in the last couple of years and can leave bowlers dumbfounded with his power-hitting, especially against spinners. Pakistan's iconic duo, Shaheen and Babar, are in their prime form, and they will be crucial for Pakistan's chances in the WC. Australia's Starc, the highest wicket-taker in the last two ODI WCs and the player of the tournament in 2015 WC, has announced his arrival in India with a hat-trick in the warm-up game against the Netherlands. Boult, known for his inswing deliveries and rattling the stumps, is back in the team after a hiatus of over a year, and will be eager to perform in his last ODI WC. The player of the Asia Cup 2023, Kuldeep Yadav, will be troubling batters with his gullible bowling, while New Zealand’s calm and composed opener, Conway, will be making it count in this WC.
India's Kuldeep Yadav after getting Mitchell Marsh out on the 27th of September
The potential semi-finalists, according to my analysis, are India, Australia, Pakistan and England. If not pitted against each other in the semi-final, the Asian arch-rivals will be the strongest contenders for finalists, with the Indian team being the favorites.
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