India is also set to host the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup and a total of 10 will face off against each other for the chance to claim cricket’s greatest prize.
Traditionally, the teams were sorted into multiple groups of four, but like 2019, when there were just 10 teams, it will be a round-robin league stage, with the top four going through to the semi-finals.
The Matches will be played across 10 Venues:
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Capacity: 134,000
Embed from Getty ImagesM. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore Capacity: 40,000
Embed from Getty ImagesMA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Capacity: 38,175.
Embed from Getty ImagesArun Jaitley Stadium, New Dehli Capacity: 41,842
Embed from Getty ImagesEden Gardens, Kolkata Capacity: 68,000
Embed from Getty ImagesHPCA Stadium, Dharamsala Capacity: 23,000
Embed from Getty ImagesWankhede Stadium, Mumbai Capacity: 33,006
Embed from Getty ImagesMCA Stadium, Pune Capacity: 37,406
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, Capacity 55,000
BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Capacity 50,000
5. England
Embed from Getty ImagesWe start off with the defending champions, and It was Eoin Morgan’s England who won the Cop against New Zealand via a dramatic Super Over at Lord’s.
Ben Stokes was the star of the show with an 84 not out, to help England reach New Zealand’s first-innings score of 241.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe also played a critical role in the last over, after Martin Guptill’s throw deflected of his bat and went toward the boundary.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd this led to England winning the Super Over by a boundary count after New Zealand could only level the hosts first innings score of 15.
This will also be Jos Buttler’s first 50-Over tournament as Captain, and he will be eager to help The Three Lions defend their Title.
“We’re building nicely and we’re not trying to defend anything. “We’re trying to go there and win a World Cup, and we’re in the same position as every other team. “It’s an exciting time to be a player and to look forward to those world events.”
Buttler: Sky Sports
Here is England’s Schedule at the World Cup:
Thursday 5th October: England vs. New Zealand Ahmedabad: 9:30 GMT
Tuesday 10th October: England vs Bangladesh: Dharamsala: 6:00 GMT
Sunday 15th October: England vs Afghanistan: Dehli: 9:30 GMT
Saturday 21st October: England vs South Africa: Mumbai: 9:30 GMT
Thursday 26th October: England vs Sri Lanka: Bangalore: 9:30 GMT
Sunday 29th October: England vs India: Lucknow: 09:30 GMT
Saturday 4th November: England vs Australia: Ahmedabad: 09:30
Wednesday 8th November: England vs Netherlands Pune: 09:30
Saturday 11th November England vs Pakistan: Kolkata: 09:30
Squad
This is England’s 15-man squad for the World Cup:
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
One To Watch: Harry Brook
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland will have their share of superstars such as Buttler, Stokes, and Joe Root, however, Yorkshire’s Harry Brook is a star of the future. The middle-order batter who was not in the squad had been called up as a replacement for Jason Roy, who was axed from the squad due to missing the three ODIs against New Zealand.
Though Roy assured everyone that it was just a minor injury, Buttler and the selectors decided not to take the risk, and have called up Brook instead.
Brook has a total of 123 runs at an average of 20.5, and a strike rate of 79.3 from just six One Day Internationals, he would surely want to improve on that stat
Given that the Yorkshire superstar has already made a name for himself not just in international cricket, but in franchise leagues around the world, can he deliver on the biggest stage of all?
Predictions
Given that England’s white-ball form has gotten better and better since the 2015 World Cup, you would expect them to be amongst the favourites to win the tournament.
1. India
Embed from Getty ImagesNothing is as good as home advantage, and the Men in Blue will certainly have that, especially now that winning their eighth Asia Cup has given them a boost of confidence heading into a home tournament.
Here is India’s full schedule for the World Cup BST:
Sunday 8th October: India vs Australia: Chennai 9:30 am
Wednesday 11th October: India vs Afghanistan New Delhi 9:30 am
Saturday 14th October: India vs Pakistan: Ahmedabad 9:30 am
Thursday 19th October: India vs Bangladesh: Pune 9:30 am
Sunday 22nd October: India vs. New Zealand: Dharamsala: 9:30 am
Sunday 29th October: India vs England: Lucknow: 8;30 am
Thursday 2nd November 2023: India vs Sri Lanka: Mumbai: 8:30 am
Sunday 5th November 2023: India vs South Africa: Kolkata: 8:30 am
Sunday 12th November 2023: India vs Netherlands Bangalore: 8:30 am
‘The World Cup is anyone’s to win. All the teams are strong, everyone will bring their A-game, so we we also need to be at our best at every moment and that’s what I will aim for.’
Rohit Sharma: Onmanorama
The hosts will attempt to be the second nation after Australia to win three ODI World Cups, after lifting it in 1983, and 2011.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty ImagesThe BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket of India) has announced a 15-member squad for this tournament:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
However, there is a fitness concern for Axar Patel, who has a tear on his left hamstring, although the BCCI has said that he should be fine for India’s opening game on 8th October.
One To Watch: Shubman Gill
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile Virat Kohli and Captain Sharma have been the two stalwarts of India’s batting in ODI cricket, the 24-year-old is quickly becoming the next star of Indian cricket.
1,739 runs from 33 ODIs is an incredible effort and he is already the fastest Indian batsman to reach the 1,000-run mark and the joint second overall along with Pakistani batsmen Fakhar Zaman and Imam Ul Haq.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe also became the eighth male player to score a double century in ODI cricket, and the fourth fastest to do so in 145 balls.
He will be eager to announce himself on the big stage come October.
Predictions
As the tournament is in India, you would expect the hosts to make a strong case for winning the tournament.
3. Australia
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Baggy Greens are the most successful team at this tournament winning it five times, with the fifth Title coming in 2015.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter claiming the World Test Championship Mace against India in the WTC Final, Pat Cummins’s side will be hoping to make it back-to-back ICC Trophy wins by lifting the World Cup this year.
However, there is a slight concern regarding his hand injury, which he picked up in the final Ashes Test at The Oval.
“It shouldn’t be too bad. Another few weeks and it’ll be right,” “The captaincy for the ODIs, we’ve kind of shared around a little bit. We’ll get over there, and have a look at that,”
Cummins: Sportstar
Here is Australia’s schedule for the World Cup:
8th October India VS Australia: Chennai 09:30
12th October Australia VS South Africa: Lucknow 09:30
16th October Australia VS Sri Lanka: Luknow 09:30
20th October Australia VS Pakistan: Bangalore 09:30
25th October Australia VS Netherlands: Dehli 09:30
28th October Australia VS New Zealand: Dharamsala 06:30
4th November: England VS Australia: Ahmedabad: 08:30
7th November: Australia VS Afghanistan: Mumbai: 08:30
11th November: Australia VS Bangladesh: Pune: 05:00
This is the full Australian squad for the World Cup:
Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
One To Warch: David Warner
Embed from Getty ImagesThe New South Wales Opening Batsman is regarded as one of the most destructive opening batsmen in white ball cricket. Warner has 6236 runs in 147 ODI’s, with a strike rate of 95.8, and an average of 44.9.
He was the highest run-scorer in the 2019 edition with 647 with an average of 71.88 and a strike rate of 89.36.
Embed from Getty ImagesHis best innings of that tournament came against Bangladesh, where he scored 166 off 146 balls.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe will be eager to spark light into Australia’s World Cup hopes.
Predictions
Given the fact that Australia has been such a competitive side in this tournament, it wouldn’t surprise fans if they reach the sem-finals, and possibly go on to win it, given the quality of players in their squad.
6. New Zealand
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite being World Test Champions in 2021, the Kiwis have been runners-up in the 50-Over World Cup in 2015 and 2019, and they certainly do not want a hat-trick of runners-up medals.
The most painful World Cup Final defeat came in 2019 when they lost to England via a boundary count in that dramatic Super Over at Lords’s.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Blackcaps also fell short in the 2015 final, losing to Australia by seven wickets.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd it was more heartbreak for Kane Williamson’s side to lose the 2021 World T20 Final against the same opposition by eight wickets.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, according to Head Coach Gary Stead Kiwis Skipper Kane Williamson is stil determined to get his hands on the greatest prize in cricket, despite having some concerns about his fitness.
“We haven’t put a date on whether he will be available for that first game or not,” “That’s still three or four weeks away and time will tell a little bit closer, but he is doing everything in his powers to make that happen.”
Stead: Scroll.in
Here is the New Zealand squad in full:
Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
One major update from the squad concerns the fitness of pace bowler Tim Southee, who dislocated his thumb while attempting to take a catch in the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday.
Embed from Getty ImagesNew Zealand Cricket will wait another week before deciding whether or not the veteran right-arm seamer will be participating in this tournament.
This is New Zealand’s schedule for the World Cup:
Thursday 5th October: New Zealand vs England: Ahmedabad: 09:30
Monday 9th October: New Zealand vs Netherlands: Hyderabad: 09:30
Friday 13th October: New Zealand vs Bangladesh: Chennai: 09:30
Wednesday 18th October: New Zealand vs Afghanistan: Chennai: 09:30
Sunday 22nd October: India vs New Zealand: Dharamsala: 09:30
Saturday 28th October: Australia vs New Zealand: Dharamsala: 06:30
Wednesday 1st November: New Zealand vs South Africa: Pune: 08:30
Saturday 4th November: New Zealand vs Pakistan: Bangalore: 05:00
Thursday 9th November: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: Bangalore: 08:30
One To Watch: Trent Boult
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile Williamson weaves his magic with the bat and his captaincy, one of the stand-out performers with the ball, has been the Left-arm speedster from Rotorua.
With 195 wickets at a strike rate of 28.5, Boult is one of the most lethal bowlers with the New ball, especially when conditions favour swing bowling.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn 2019, he became the first New Zealander to take a World Cup hat-trick against Australia at Lord’s.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe also was the joint-highest wicket-taker at the 2015 World Cup alongside Mitchell Starc, with 22 wickets, and is the fifth fastest to 150 ODI wickets.
He will certainly want to get amongst the wickets in India.
Predictions
Since 2015, the Kiwis have always made it to the latter stage of ICC tournaments, so it would be foolish not to consider them as potential semi-finalists or even finalists if Williamson is fit enough to play.
2. Pakistan
Embed from Getty ImagesSince their triumph in 1992, Pakistan has always been inconsistent in the 50-over World Cup. Besides winning two Asia Cups, a World T20 in 2009, and a Champions Trophy in 2017, The Shaheens have reached the final of this competition once in 1999, and the semi-finals four times in 1979, ’83, ’87, and 2011.
The PCB(Pakistan Cricket Board) has selected a 15-member squad for the World Cup:
Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel,
Embed from Getty ImagesThis time, they will be captained by Babar Azam, who is the number one ODI batsman in the world.
Azam has 5,409 runs in 108 internationals and is eager to lead his country to a second World Cup victory.
But having had such a disappointing Asia Cup campaign, some reports suggest that questions are now being asked about Azam’s Captaincy, as well as the team spirit within the squad.
Former Pakistani Wicket-Keeper Moin Khan believes that this is becoming the biggest issue at the moment.
“The handling has not been right. If somebody has an issue with Babar or if he is not handling the issue in the right manner in the absence of the head coach or director of cricket, who is not with the team it very unfortunate. It’s their job to intervene to handle such situation. “We saw in the entire tournament, I’ve commented about it earlier as well… no player walked towards Babar. Neither Rizwan came to him, nor even the vice-captain was coming to him. No one was going to him. It felt everyone was scattered, there was no unity,”
Khan: NDTV Sports
Here is Pakistan’s schedule for the World Cup:
Friday: 6th October: Pakistan vs Netherlands, Hyderabad 7:30 am
Tuesday 10th October: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Hyderabad: 7:30 am
Saturday 14th October: India vs Pakistan Ahmedabad: 7:30 am
Friday 20th October: Pakistan vs Australia: Bangalore: 09:30 am
Monday 23rd October: Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Chennai: 09:30 am
Friday 27th October: Pakistan vs South Africa: Chennai; 09:30 am
Tuesday 31st October: Pakistan vs Bangladesh: Kolkata: 09:30 am
Saturday 4th November: England vs Pakistan: Kolkata: 09:30 am
Predictions
Given the current form of Azam’s side, it will be quite difficult for them to reach the semis, but this is a World Cup, so anything can happen, especially if they can get off to a good start, and their batsmen get enough runs on the board to help out their bowlers
4. South Africa
Embed from Getty ImagesSurprisingly the Proteas have never won a World Cup, given the number of top players they’ve had in the past.
They did, however, win the Champions Trophy under Hanse Cronje in 1998, beating the West Indies in the final by six wickets.
Embed from Getty ImagesSince their debut in 1992, South Africa has reached the semi-finals of this competition four times, with New Zealand knocking them out of the semis of the 2015 World Cup.
In 2019, they finished in seventh place in the Super 10s stage under Faf du Plessis winning just three out of nine games,
However, Skipper Temba Bavuma will be aiming for a better performance from his men this time around.
Even if we have our backs on the wall, we have the team to bounce back. We’ve created a nice momentum with World Cup in a couple of weeks,”
Bavuma: India Today
here is South Africa’s squad for the World Cup:
Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
One To Watch: Rassie van der dussen
Embed from Getty ImagesA player who could be crucial for the Proteas is the right-hander from Pretoria. With 1,874 runs at an average of 56.8 from 49 ODIs, Van De Dussen is the third-best batsman in ODI cricket.
What makes Van Der Dussen a great player, is his ability to attack different bowlers, especially spin, which could be crucial when the tournament begins.
According to ESPNcricinfo, he has the fourth-best batting average among full-member team players with a minimum of 1,000 ODI runs. And the second-highest batting average behind Shubman Gill in ODI cricket.
Here is South Africa’s schedule for the World Cup:
South Africa vs. Sri Lanka: 7th October: Delhi: 09:00 am
Australia vs. South Africa: 12th October: Lucknow: 09:30 am
South Africa vs. Netherlands: 17th October: Dharamsala: 09:30 am
England vs. South Africa: 21st October: Mumbai: 09:30 am
South Africa VS Bangladesh: 24th October: Mumbai: 09:30 am
Pakistan vs. South Africa: 27th October: Chennai: 09:30 am
New Zealand vs. South Africa: 1st November: Pune: 08:30 am
India vs. South Africa: 5th November: Kolkata: 08:30 am
South Africa VS Afghanistan: 10th November Ahmedabad: 08:30 am
prediction:
Due to the Proteas’s current form, you would say that they too have a chance of reaching the last four, particularly if their batsman score enough runs to help their quality bowling attack take wickets, particularly when they are defending a total.
9. Afghanistan
a id=’1tfYg4m4T3FzSQB2HaYxxQ’ class=’gie-single’ href=’http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1620449213′ target=’_blank’ style=’color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;’>Embed from Getty ImagesCricket in Afghanistan has had an interesting journey from being prohibited by the Taliban community in the late 1990s, to being approved by the Taliban in the early 21st century.
It was said that the community thought it was a waste of time and that they did not believe in the game.
However according to the ICC, in the late 2000s, the Afghanistan Cricket Federation was elected as an affiliate member of the ICC in 2008.
The nation’s first global tournament was the U19 World Cup. This was followed by achieving Associate membership status in 2014. In 2015,
Afghanistan qualified for the ICC World Cup, hosted in Australia and New Zealand. They have qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier on four consecutive occasions and participated in the ICC World Twenty20 three times.
Squad
The ACB(Afghanistan Cricket Board) has selected a 15-man squad for the World Cup.
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen ul Haq.
Ones To Watch: Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Embed from Getty ImagesBeware of the spin twins at your peril. These two mystery spinners can be a deadly duo, particularly if the pitch is a slow turner, and the Afghanis put enough runs on the board.
Rashid has 172 wickets from 94 ODIs with an economy rate of 4.21, while Mujeb has 93 from 66 at a rate of 4.15
What makes these two spinners hard to face, is their immaculacy of line and length, as well as their speed through the air. and on a pitch that is turning, this can be difficult to face, especially when you are trying to score them.
Given the fact that most of the pitches are conducive to spin, can they put on a show for Afghanistan in India?
Here is Afghnistan’s schedule for the World Cup:
7 OCT 2023: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Dharamsala: 06:00 am
11 OCT 2023: India vs Afghanistan: Dehli: 09:30 am
15th OCT 2023: England vs Afghanistan: Dehli: 09:am
18th OCT 2023: New Zealand vs Afghanistan: Chennai: 09:30 am
23 OCT 2023: Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Chennai: 09:30 am
30 OCT 2023: Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka: Pune: 09:30 am
3 NOV 2023: Netherlands vs Afghanistan: Lucknow: 08:30 am
7 NOV 2023: Australia vs Afghanistan: Mumbai: 08:30 am
10 NOV 2023: South Africa vs Afghanistan: Ahmedabad 08:30 am
Predictions:
If Afghanistan can consistently put runs on the board, they have the potential to beat anyone, however, due to the strength and depth of some of the other teams, you feel that it will be difficult for them to make it to the semi-finals.
14. Netherlands
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Netherlands had a memoreable time whilst qualifying for this tournament, including beating the West Indies in a Super Over by 22 runs.
This is the fifth time they have qualiified for the 50-Over World Cup. Their last appearance was the 2011 World Cup in Indi, where they finished bottom of Group B in the first round.
This is the Netherlands’s squad for the World Cup:
Scott Edwards (c), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Dutch Captain could be the player to watch on the Netherlands side. Currently ranked 41st in the world, Edwards has 1,212 runs in 38 One Day Internationals, at an average of 40.40, and a strike rate of 92.73. He will be crucial for the Netherlands with the bat.
Schedule:
October 6: Pakistan vs Netherlands, Hyderabad,
October 9: New Zealand vs Netherlands, Hyderabad,
October 17: South Africa vs Netherlands, Dharamsala,
October 21: Netherlands vs Sri Lanka, Lucknow,
October 25: Australia vs Netherlands, Delhi
October 28: Netherlands vs Bangladesh, Kolkata,
November 3: Netherlands vs Afghanistan, Lucknow,
November 8: England vs Netherlands, Pune,
November 12: India vs Netherlands, Bengaluru
Predictions
The Dutch have no outstanding player in their squad, but as this is a World Cup, it wouldn’t be surprising if they spring one or two upsets in this tournament.
So this is World in Sport’s ICC World Cup preview, who will take home the trophy?
