South Africa and New Zealand are two other countries including England who haven’t laid their hands on the World Cup since its inception in the home of cricket England in 1975. So have Bangladesh.
The ‘cup’ has so far eluded them. They have been so close and yet so far. But such are the vicissitudes of the game and there is nothing that anyone could do about it.
South Africa, New Zealand, England, and Bangladesh have picked their best warriors for this style of game, provided them with enough exposure and everything that is needed to make a strong bid for the trophy. All their supporters will be praying to cricketing gods to look benignly on them this time around.
First to South Africa. They have a clever leader in right-hand hard-hitting batsman Faf du Plessis who could be a scourge of the bowlers when he gets going. He has strokes all round the wicket and has the rare knack of finding the open space on the field to score his runs.
He is a good one day captain, but the same cannot be said of him in the established game. In the Test series against Sri Lanka where they lost both Tests to Sri Lanka, his weakness was established. South Africa better look for another captain when the next Test series draws near.
Among all the teams the Proteas will be showcasing the best pace attack that any team will love to field. The pace terror boys will be led by Dale Steyn with Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi for support. But at the time of writing Steyn and Rabada are under an injury cloud. They also have Andile Phehlukwayo another paceman and left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
Their medical team will be working furiously to get them into playing fitness so that they can direct their pace missiles on all opposing batsmen and give their team the early breakthroughs so that leg spinning/googly bowling magician Imran Thahir can rip through the rest of the batting.
SA would have loved to have that mauler A.B. de Villiers with them. But sadly he has long retired. Had he been around he sure would have been an invaluable asset. They have a strong line of other batsmen who could rip apart any threatening attack.
To pile on the runs in addition to the captain they have Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, David Miller, Jean-Paul Duminy and Dwaine Pretorius for props.
Pretorious we are sure is no relation of blade runner Oscar Pretorius who was a good athlete, but now lingering behind bars for allegedly shooting his wife.
Veteran Amla who has been in poor form recently was lucky to find a slot. De Kock has been in the runs in the IPL in India and is expected to carry that form into the WC. Duminy the left handed batting all rounder will be another player who will be worth watching.
With all teams working hard on their fielding and they also have some fine fielders who can cling on to the half chances and have throwers with bullseye accuracy.
The South Africans will sure huff and puff and stretch every nerve and sinew to grab the World Cup that has been eluding them since its inception I975. We wish them luck.
New Zealand no easy beats
Last times World Cup runners up New Zealand led this time around by the heavy scoring right-hander Kane Williamson will be attempting to better the performance of Brendon McCallum led team and lay their hands on the World Cup this time around.
They did exceedingly well to enter the final in 2015, but up against the mighty Australians led by Michael Clarke, they lost their basher and captain and heavy scoring Brendon McCullum early and from that moment they were struggling and were poor losers.
Williamson has been given a well-balanced side and if fortune favours them, then they will be delighted to have their name scripted on the elusive Cup for the first time. They sure will have that over the moon feeling if they can jet back to Kiwiland with the Cup.
While Williamson will have to show the way being always in the runs, the experienced Ross Taylor who is a stylish batsman and who is in possession of a repertoire of strokes must make it his business to score and be an example for batsmen following to get in the run making groove.
New Zealand will be pinning hopes on another experienced batter in opener Martin Guptill to give them a flying start. He is a hard hitter of the ball and has it in him the power to clear the boundary boards with ease. He is a bit of a nervous starter and if he can settle down could be one of the batting stars of the tournament.
Others expected to prop the batting are Tom Latham, Jimmy Neesham, Colin Grandhomme, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell and Colin Munro. They too can score quickly and the Kiwis will depend a lot on them to keep flying high.
Their bowling will be well served especially in pace with Tim Southee to direct operations with the new ball. Southee is a trier and will unleash every swing delivery he has in his bowling cupboard to dismiss opposing batsmen.
Left-arm seamer Trent Boult is another who will be looking to leave his mark this time around. He has the ability to make the ball talk with his two-way swing and clever change of pace. Early opposing batsmen will not find it easy negotiating him.
The Kiwis too are blessed with a marvelous set of safe fielders. With fielding going to play a vital role in the coming World Cup, the Kiwis will be yearning for success.
Bangladesh too cannot be written off. They have some threatening performers and are showing what they are capable of playing in a triangular tournament in Dublin and entering the final.
In Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Mustafizur Rahman, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hassan they have some attacking batsmen and in Rahman and Mortaza they have bowlers who could tease any batsmen. They certainly will be not `also playeds’.
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