Top 5 contenders for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
The road to the world cup has begun and the preparations are in full flow. The mega event gets underway on May 30th, 2019 with the hosts England, taking on South Africa in a cracking contest at the Kia Oval.
Australia won the 2015 World Cup, beating New Zealand in the finals. So far, they have not shown us that they are ready to defend the title. They are expected to come back hard, no matter what.
The last two World Cups were won by a hosting nation and this time it's in England. Will England win? Or will the Aussies fight for the jewel?
Let's have a look at the possible champions who will be crowned on 14th July 2019.
5. Australia
With the squad undergoing a massive transition following the bans imposed on their stalwarts, Steve Smith and David Warner, times haven't been too great for the once great Aussies. Their present run of form is no good news for them but they are known to be a group of tough lads.
They are expected to find their groove sooner or later. Australia has an exciting batch of youngsters coming in and they ought to find a settled, winning combination in the next 2-3 months. With Aaron Finch at the top and an exciting prospect in the name of D'Arcy Short, they have Travis Head coming in at 3.
Tim Paine, the current captain of The Australian team, hasn't found great success and results. His wicketkeeping skills are good but doubts have been raised on his batting. Tim Paine is expected to lose his place, probably to Alex Carey or Peter Handscomb, subject to their performances.
Australia has lost matches which they could have finished and it's clear that they are looking for a finisher. The presence of Glenn Maxwell does a lot of good on paper but his consistency will be the key. Shaun Marsh has been brought into the ODI set-up and his experience will be key.
In their 2015 campaign, the Aussies had a tested and an experienced captain in Micheal Clarke. This time around, they are lacking an experienced captain. Their pace battery which consists of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Billy Stanlake, Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson, is one of the best pace attacks leading into the competition. With Nathan Lyon, the spin department seems to be in safe hands.
Their squad will be boosted further with the returns of Steven Smith and David Warner right before the world cup. An effective all-rounder in the form of Mitchell Marsh, only makes their batting strong and make no mistake, he can chip in with wickets every now and then.
Should they find a settled combination before the World Cup, they will be the side to beat once the mega event gets underway.