The IPL won’t do. The PSL’s, BBL’s or CPL’s can’t. No tri-series on any ground anywhere can capture the dizzying heights of once in a lifetime extravaganza. No amount of Test cricket excitement can reach it’s unmatchable heights either. Every four years there comes a tournament that is the magnum opus of cricket. If popular culture lens could be used to describe the all-important cricketing saga, then the The ICC Cricket World Cup could be called the Superbowl of world cricket.
Duration of the world cup
Cricket’s premier event shall be contested during 30 May to 14 July in 2019 and it will be hosted in England with a total of 48 matches slated to be held over a period of a month and a half of what will in all likelihood be a competition of epic proportions.
Each cricketing force will contest with nine others before the stage of knockout before the stage of knock-outs approaches that shall comprise of 2 semi-finals and 1 final encounter.
Venues
While the finals will take place the home of world cricket- Lord’s- the other venues for the ICC World Cup 2019 shall include revered grounds such as The Oval, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Headingly, Old Trafford, Taunton, Bristol, Chester-Le-Street, Southampton and, Cardiff.
India’s maiden game
The first match of the keenly anticipated contest shall include hosts England taking on South Africa while the Indian cricket team begins its journey against an AB De Villiers and Faf Du Plessis-powered South Africa on June 5 in Southampton.
Here’s, a quick word on the current form all ten teams competing in ICC World Cup 2019:
They might not be the reigning world champions having last secured the revered ICC World Cup in 2011. But India may start as favourites with Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and the newly reinvigorated MS Dhoni along with a sizeable bowling attack featuring spinners and pacers may just be the kind of set-up that a top ranked side in ODI cricket needs in a tournament like the World Cup.
June 5 vs South Africa at Southampton
June 9 vs Australia at The Oval
June 13 vs New Zealand at Nottingham
June 16 vs Pakistan at Manchester
June 22 vs Afghanistan at Southampton
June 27 vs West Indies at Manchester
June 30 vs England at Birmingham
July 2 vs Bangladesh at Birmingham
July 6 vs Sri Lanka at Leeds
The first thoughts about a side that has secured most World Cup cabinets in its cabinet than any other would be the pivotal question whether Smith and Warner would play or not. But while that is an issue that the Australian cricket board and time would reveal, what stands certain is that Australia might have to utilise a lot of their young players in the ranks, given they have the flair in guys like D’Arcy Short and Travis Head and experience in blokes like Marsh brothers and Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
June 1: vs Afghanistan
June 6 vs West Indies
June 9 vs India
June 12 vs Pakistan
June 15 vs Sri Lanka
June 20 vs Bangladesh
June 25 vs England
June 29 vs New Zealand
July 6 vs South Africa
A team that is in an onerous phase of restructuring, desperately looking for new talents to take centerstage, while Sri Lanka may not boast of a threatening mix of players, it is expected that the likes of Kusal Perera, Dickwella, Thirimanne, Akila Dhananjaya will look forward to the ICC World Cup 2019 as an opportunity to step up their game in a tournament that shall define the course of their future.
June 1 vs New Zealand
June 4 vs Afghanistan
June 7 vs Pakistan
June 11 vs Bangladesh
June 15 vs Australia
June 21 vs England
June 28 vs South Africa
July 1vs West Indies
July 6 vs India
Tired are the fans and tired are the critics of lambasting a truly magnificent cricketing force as the chokers. Not that South Africa- one of the sports- most respected sides isn’t aware of the dubious nickname that has haunted them for years together, they’ll be mindful of the fact that there could be no better time to dispel their past than the ICC World Cup 2019. Given they still have the likes of De Villiers, de Kock, a resurgent Faf and an Amla that could well be playing his final World Cup, South Africa will want the bowlers to step in and assist a batting heavy set up that’ll want perhaps the best of Dale Steyn- if it’s still possible.
May 30 vs England
June 2 vs Bangladesh
June 5 vs India
June 10 vs West Indies
June 15 vs Afghanistan
June 19 vs New Zealand
June 23 vs Pakistan
June 28 vs Sri Lanaka
July 6 vs Australia
New and fiery, blossoming with hope and new anticipation to make the most of a sport that unites the often crisis-ridden country, Pakistan may actually be entering the ICC World Cup 2019 with a belief of causing a few upsets, taking inspiration from their routing of India in what could be effectively called the mini world cup of 2017- where they surprised India. Teams that do not take Pakistan too seriously would be well off by considering their sudden rabidity that can jolt the best of sides. In batsmen like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, there’s hope as there is confidence in the abilities of a bowling arsenal that comprises Mohd. Amir, Imad Wasim and newfound talent- Hasan Ali.
May 31 vs West Indies
June 3 vs England
June 7 vs Sri Lanka
June 12 vs Australia
June 16 vs India
June 23 vs South Africa
June 26 vs New Zealand
June 29 vs Afghanistan
July 5 vs Bangladesh
A team that is as unpredictable on its day as it is surprisingly shocking on any other, England are surprisingly yet to clinch a maiden world cup crown. The only joy they have had the privilege of enjoying is a World T20 title. But boosted by the presence of one of the world’s best batters in Joe Root and the presence of a strong middle and lower order brimming on the confidence of Ben Stokes, Joss Buttler with Alex Hales at the top order, they’d need guys like Adil Rashid and Stuart Broad to up their game in a stage where everything matters.
May 30 vs South Africa
June 3 vs Pakistan
June 8 vs Bangladesh
June 14 vs West Indies
June 18 vs Afghanistan
June 21 vs Sri Lanka
June 25 vs Australia
June 30 vs India
July 3 vs New Zealand
A resurgent cricketing force and an extremely thrilling unit, apart from running into stronger sides here and there, there’s always that feeling that the ‘tigers’ are strongest when playing on their home turf. In talents like Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiqur and, Mortaza- there’s both experience and match-winning capability as there’s the promise of youth in Sabbir Rahman.
June 2 vs South Africa
June 5 vs New Zealand
June 8 vs England
June 11 vs Sri Lanka
June 17 vs West Indies
June 20 vs Australia
June 24 vs Afghanistan
July 2 vs India
July 5 vs Pakistan
When McCullum led his troops to the finals of ICC World Cup 2015, there were hopes that this was the occasion for New Zealand’s maiden world cup triumph. Then Watson, Clarke and Smith came in between. Now, New Zealand have only risen stronger and boast of arguably the most balanced ODI line up in talents like Latham, the experienced Guptill, one of the world’s best in Williamson and the ever reliable Ross Taylor. Even in their bowling department- Boult and Southee- are at their strongest and will be cushioned with the presence of a Sodhi and Santner. This may well be New Zealand’s best chance to triumph.
June 1 vs Sri Lanka
June 5 vs Bangladesh
June 8 vs Afghanistan
June 13 vs India
June 19 vs South Africa
June 22 vs West Indies
June 26 vs Pakistan
June 29 vs Australia
July 3 vs England
The prospects of competing with an Afghanistan powered by the best spin set-up thanks to Rashid Khan, the young and promising Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi is always threatening. Some of the best sides have already tasted the sting and it may just be the case when the central Asian side compete for the first time in a world cup in England.
June 1 vs Australia
June 4 vs Sri Lanka
June 8 vs New Zealand
June 15 vs South Africa
June 18 vs England
June 22 vs India
June 24 vs Bangladesh
June 29 vs Pakistan
July 4 vs West Indies
Never a pleasant feeling at languishing at nearly the bottom of the ICC ODI rankings but a team that has only just made it to the ICC World Cup 2019- the Windies will look to extract the maximum thrust from the likes of Gayle and Samuels- two of their leading run scorers in previous edition and shall be boosted by the return of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, both of whom are believed to have been cleared for contesting. But while the batting heavy Windies, also ever susceptible of collapsing suddenly may not make a pretty picture the onus will be on young guns- Shai Hope and Evin Lewis to steer them through.
May 31 vs Pakistan
June 6 vs Australia
June 10 vs South Africa
June 14 vs England
June 17 vs Bangladesh
June 22 vs New Zealand
June 27 vs India
July 1 vs Sri Lanka
July 4 vs Afghanistan
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