The ICC World Cup 2019 will be played in England and Wales from May 30 to July 14. The world’s 10 best One Day International (ODI) teams will be competing against one another to lift the prestigious trophy. Each of these teams will have up its sleeve a gem or two that will shine in the World Cup and make the greatest impact.
The 10 participating teams — defending champions Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, England (host), South Africa, and Windies — have already announced their 15-member squads. And some have even made last-minute changes to add more solidity to their mix for conditions in England and Wales, where the World Cuyp will be played this time.
Here is look at the top 10 players from various teams who could make the biggest impact in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Shikhar Dawan, India
Often referred to as ‘the man of ICC tournaments’, Shikhar Dhawan loves the big stage and preforms better than expected. He had a fabulous run in the 2015 World Cup, where he scored 412 runs, averaging 51. In fact, it was his brilliance that helped India make the semi-finals. Besides, Dhawan has been in a good form. The opening pair of Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, with their great chemistry on the field, could give India a formidable start in World Cup matches. If he clicks in England, he will brighten India's chances significantly.
Quinton de Kock, South Africa
The prolific South African opener will play a crucial role and help decide his team’s chances in the World Cup. Although he averaged just 20.71 in the previous World Cup, he has been in a much better form lately, and his recent performance at Indian Premier League bears that fact. With his batting at the top of the order, he could inflict a lot of pain upon the opposition.
Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan
Zaman has the potential of being the most impactful player for Pakistan in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. With a stunning average of 50.97 in ODIs, he is the only Pakistani player to have scored a double century in the 50-over format. He will be opening the innings and a lot for Pakistan will hinge on his performance. Though he has not played in World Cups before, he should be crucial in taking Pakistan ahead this time.
Eoin Morgan, England
The England middle-order batsman brings with him a lot of experience and skills to take the game away from the opposition. An important part of the England batting line-up, especially when it comes to chasing huge targets, Morgan has a decent World Cup record, too. Moreover, given that the 2019 World Cup is being played in his home country, he is expected to be more menacing for bowlers than others. With his recent performance against Pakistan and West Indies, he might have shown glimpses of what he could achieve for England in the all-important championship.
Kusal Perera, Sri Lanka
Kusal Perera is the player to watch out for in the Sri Lankan squad. So far as World Cup record is concerned, the present Lankan team is not one of the most experienced. However, the considerable of amount of ODI experience that Kusal Perera brings to the table makes him the biggest attraction in his team. His average of 29.05 notwithstanding, Perera’s ability to see the match through is something Sri Lanka would be counting on.
Asghar Afghan, Afghanistan
Aghar Afghan might prove to be Afghanistan’s Man Friday on several occasions in the coming days. Having featured in 100 ODIs and scored over 2,000 runs, Afghan has the capability to bat with patience and anchor the innings. While Afghanistan rely heavily on their bowling, the onus of putting up decent defendable targets on the board will be on Asghar.
Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies
In a team full of stars like Chris Gayle, Jason Holder and Dwayne Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer could prove a dark horse for the Windies. He has not played many ODIs yet, but he has been very impactful for his team in the few that he has played. He averages over 40 and has been playing well since the Windies’ tour of India in October 2018. His power-hitting game has often come to his team’s rescue and gives depth to the batting line-up.
Ross Taylor, New Zealand
The good old Ross Taylor has done it in the past and can do again. He could again prove to be the one man in the New Zealand squad who could a match in his team’s favour. With a lot of ODI experience, including that of 23 world cup matches, he could be for his team the anchor any team would want in its middle order. He has scored over 600 runs in World Cups at an average of 36.22. His formidable attitude and ability to rotate the strike give New Zealand an edge over the opposition. In terms of runs, too, his ODI record is stellar — he is inching close to the 10,000 run mark at an average of 48.32.
Aaron Finch, Australia
After hitting a rather long dark patch, Finch has now started finding the middle of the bat. And he showed some form recently against Pakistan, scoring 451 runs in 5 matches at an average of 112.75. He is a key member of the Australian squad, and he understands the importance of staying fit and firing for his team. No wonder he gave IPL a miss and stayed back to prepare for the World Cup. If he clicks on the top of the order for Australia, we might just see them defending the cup.
Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh
This wicket-keeper batsman has been the man of big games for Bangladesh. He has been prolific in his batting and is known to take a game to the very end. With over 5,500 runs under his belt, Rahim gives his team the confidence that, if he clicks, this would well be one World Cup where Bangladesh could make it large.