In February 2015, the cricket stadiums of Australia will fill up with those looking to witness the sport being played at its greatest stage. Fourteen teams will battle it out for the game’s greatest prize, as a group of players will rise above the rest to have their names written down in the history books along with the legends of cricket. Listed below are the team profiles for the major participants of this world cup:
Australia:
Serving as the host nation for the 2015 Cricket Worldcup, Australia will be all geared up to achieve success. They are the most successful nation one the game’s international stage, winning the world cup a record 4 times. Currently ranked as 4th in the world, the Australian team is going through a new phase with quite a few young players joining the team. Great things are expected of them in this world cup, as the experienced players like Michael Hussey, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson are blended together with promising talents like Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith.
England
England files into the 2015 world cup with high hopes. They have a relatively young team looking to win its country the prestigious tournament for the first time in its history. Their captain, Alastair Cook, is looking forward to the tournament after a successful test tournament against world champions, India. England has a strong squad with notable batsmen like Cook, Ian Bell and Joe Root and some exceptional pacers like James Anderson and Stuart Broad. One thing is for certain, this young England team is one to look out for.
South Africa
It’s hard to believe that such a great cricketing nation as South Africa has never been able to contest for the big prize in a world cup final. But all that could change this time around, seeing as the Proteas boast arguably the strongest ODI squad in the world right now. With batsmen like Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis, All-rounders like JP Duminy and Albie Morkel and pacers like Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, all playing under the captaincy of the great AB De Villiers, South Africa definitely are a team to be revered.
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India
World Cup defending champions India head into the world cup on the back of an unsuccessful tour against England. However captain MS Dhoni is still confident of success and many don’t doubt him at that, seeing as India holds one of the strongest batting lineups in the world. It is this deep batting order that has won them so much success in recent years. Players like Virat Kohli, Shikar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkiya Rahane and Suresh Raina will be looking to retrieve the form of 2011 and bring the cup home again.
Pakistan
The Pakistani cricket team has the reputation of being the most unpredictable international team right now. They are always full of surprises. One day they will be knocked down under a score of 100 and the next day they will come back by bowling the opposition team out on the same score. They’ve won the world cup once, in 1992 under the captaincy of Imran Khan. Misbah ul Haq will be looking to emulate that success, with his formidable bowling attack of Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul.
Sri Lanka
With legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara most probably playing in their last world cup, the Sri Lankan team will be looking to match the success of the 1996 world cup winning team. In 2011 Sri Lanka came very close to victory but even Mahela’s spirited century could not get them the achievement. This time, they’re expected to cross the final hurdle as their team comprises of impressive world class players like Mahela, Sangakkara, Dilshan, Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga.
West Indies
Once the revered and admired team of the ‘80s, West Indies are now going through a rebuilding phase. With the T20 success of 2012 fairly behind them, the Caribbean side has their eyes firmly set on the grand prize. Their matches are thought of entertaining events, with players like Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard threatening opposition bowlers to hit sixers out of the pavilion.
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