ICC Cricket World Cup: 5 contenders to win the event
The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup is just around the corner and all 10 participating teams are gearing up to clinch the title in India. The global event will get underway on October 5 and fans must have marked their calendars. England will take the field as defending champions. India are also among the favorites. Here are the top-five contenders to taste the glory.
India have all their bases covered
Team India would be high on confidence, having clinched the recently-concluded 2023 Asia Cup. Moreover, the home conditions will favor them. All of India's top-six batters recorded at least one 50-plus score in the Asia Cup. Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav were sensational with the ball. All-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya are nothing but a captain's deligt in white-ball cricket.
Pakistan cannot be taken lightly
Besides the 'unpredictable' tag, Pakistan will take the field with a strong team. Though the team could not use their resources efficiently in the Asia Cup, they should not be taken lightly. While their skipper Babar Azam is among the best ODI batters going around, Shaheen Afridi's thunderbolts have troubled many players. Notably, Pakistan reached the knock-out stage of the last two T20 WCs.
England will be a team to beat
England's attacking brand of cricket has certainly revolutionized the ODI format. In Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Jonny Bairstow, England boast many batters who can change the course of the game in a jiffy. While Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are the spin twins, Mark Wood is arguably the fastest bowler going around. All these aforementioned names were instrumental to England's 2019 WC triumph.
Australia eye their sixth title
You just cannot write off Australia in an ICC event. Lately, the Men in Yellow have been endorsing an ultra-aggressive approach, which can take many line-ups by storm. In Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, and Glenn Maxwell, the Aussies boast experienced and swashbuckling middle-order batters. Their bowling attack is pretty formidable as well. The presence of multiple all-rounders mean balance isn't an issue for Australia.
South Africa can be the dark horses
Though South Africa are no longer the force they used to be a decade ago, their WC squad is formidable, to say the least. While Quinton de Kock and David Miller are well versed with the Indian conditions, Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen have been sensational in ODIs lately. Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Tabraiz Shamsi would form a solid bowling attack.
