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Cricket News

Cricket news in the midst of the self-quarantine. When can it start again?

Cricket update:

Unlike other sports affected by COVID-19, Cricket is different due to the complexity of set schedules, tours and players participating in tournaments outside of their country of residence.

The Hundred – Will we see it?

A brand new tournament is set to launch in the UK this July and finish in August which is set to continue the revolution of short-form Cricket. The name ‘Hundred’ is that as this form of Cricket is 100 balls per team. And the big question is ‘The Hundred’ the new tournament that the fans were excited with, will we see it?

Teams have been created from players from around the UK and with players due to come from around the world there is a lot of enthusiasm to see how this tournament is taken by the UK Cricket fans. Currently, the tournament is scheduled to take place, however with all the Cricket before that being pushed back, the tournament owners will want this to go ahead subject to the COVID19 allowing it.

Updates will be shared as we head in to April, but the aim is for this event to take place.

IPL 2020

Another big tournament to mention is the IPL. The biggest twenty over competition in the world was meant to get underway next week, but the tournament has been postponed and with the format of the competition which involves all the teams taking players from all over the world as well as homegrown players, this will have an effect on everyone’s schedule due to other commitments.

With the Cricket calendar having a very tight schedule any movement in dates will have a knock-on effect for other events.

IPL 2020 was going to be the biggest event yet with the best short-form Cricket players from around the around heading to India to take part in the two-month tournament. The IPL consists of 8 teams from different cities in India and the regular participants include the Mumbai Indians who are the record winners with 4 victories. Then there are the Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Dehli Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The current situation is there is a review to happen in mid-April, but depending on the continuation of the virus, this date will continue to push back but the aim is to deliver this event in 2020.

Vitality Blast – UK

The 20/20 competition involving all counties is set to start in May, but with the lockdown in the UK due to COVID19, this event may have to be postponed and pushed back. The one key point to note is that unless the tournament can be completed by mid-September, then this tournament will surely not take place, due to the weather in UK most September which doesn’t lend itself to Cricket.

Test Series

England are set to host a three-match summer test series against West Indies and Pakistan. These six matches are set to take place between June and August and form part of the ICC World Test Championship. With the tight schedule as outlined above, this test series may have to be reduced. However given the start date of June, there is still hope that this can be played.

Bangladesh are scheduled to host two test matches against Australia, while when the West Indies leave England, they are set to head home to face South Africa in a two-match test series.

One Day Internationals

There are many one day international series that are being reviewed due to COVID19. Starting with the next scheduled event which is Ireland’s tour of Zimbabwe in April. This is very unlikely to go ahead and will be reviewed to see if it’s cancelled.

Australia are scheduled to head over to England for three day/night internationals in July which currently are scheduled to go ahead.

One other key set of internationals which are scheduled for the summer are New Zealand heading over to West Indies for three matches in July. These are still scheduled to go ahead.

England County Cricket

The county Cricket season is due to start in mid-April and run all the way through to September. The start of the season is scheduled to be postponed which does put this season in doubt given the back lock of fixtures it will cause. There may have to be a decision made to void matches and just begin the season once COVID19 allows the season to start.

In summary, with the Cricket season just about to really ramp up, many tours will have to have to be cancelled due to the meticulous planning of them. Plus with IPL 2020 postponed, there could be a real doubt this goes ahead. Events in July-September are still scheduled so the hope is COVID19 allows these to go ahead.

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Cricket News

Kevin Pietersen: What the IPL means to me

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has spoken out on his experiences in the Indian Premier League.

Pietersen valued his time in the IPL and the unique learnings that came with it, saying it shaped him as a cricket.

IPL career was a great time for him that came with plenty of learning along the way and different experiences that helped him grow as a cricketer over the years and into the player he was.

He was made the highest-paid player in IPL history when he was bought for £1.1m in 2009 by Royal Challengers Bangalore before going on to represent Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiants.

Pietersen reflected on his IPL journey to Betway.

“You could learn from the greats of the game and understand how they practiced, how they approached games, how they were in team meetings, how thorough they were, how meticulous they were in everything that they did,” Pietersen said.

He noted the pressures that came with being the highest paid player at the time but also took it in his stride. Holding such a title meant there was a bit of a chip on his shoulder to perform better.

“It came with added responsibilities and added pressures.

“When you’re walking in there and the music is banging, everyone is shouting and jumping and ‘walking in for number 3 for RCB is the world’s most expensive buy in the IPL auction’ and you’re just there thinking sheesh okay, okay, okay, right you’re not just walking out to Lords or the MCG or in Barbados as England’s number 4, you’re now that iconic player.”

Pietersen captained both Bangalore and Delhi and scored over 1,000 runs in 37 IPL matches as one of the league’s most celebrated and decorated players. 

He said one of the highlights of his time in the IPL was playing alongside star Indian batsman Virender Sehwag.

“Batting with the likes of Sehwag, I mean, that was an eye opener. Just the careless, free spirit that he is.

“Seeing the bowlers run up to him and he just goes pinga, ponga, panga, he just whacks them all over the place and some of the most fun experiences on the cricket field were with Virender Sehwag. Just a super man.”

Pietersen said he something special in Indian captain Virat Kohli from a young age.

“Sitting on the bus and batting with Virat, I knew he was destined for greatness because of the way he approached the game, the way he learnt, the questions that he asked.

“His determination to be the best player he could possibly be was evident.

“You could see that youngster who was destined and determined to get his team over the line and he wasn’t going to just give his wicket away.

“It didn’t matter how many tests i had played or how much more senior i was in the game, we do have an incredible friendship because I think of maybe the way I treated him as a youngster and guided him at the start of his career.”

The Englishman said no other cricket experience compares to the IPL and its atmosphere

“Nothing compares to the IPL in India.

“There is nothing more spectacular. Nothing more gripping. Nothing more captivating. There is no greater entertainment in the game than coming to watch a bumping Wankhede Stadium or a full Feroz Shah Kotla, or Chenai when M.S Dohni comes out to bat.

“Those partnerships between De Villiers and Kohli down in the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, there is just nothing like it in the sport.”

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Cricket News

Latest on Pakistan’s Cricket

The ICC World Test Championship is currently in progress, with 72 matches to be played. The championship started in August 2019 and is predicted to finish in June 2021. The final game will take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. However, at the moment, all matches are on hold because of the current worldwide COVID-19 outbreak.

The last match played was on March 13, and Pakistan’s final game was at the beginning of February. Their next match was scheduled for the beginning of April against Bangladesh. Since the start date for all the matches is still to be determined, fans can keep track of live cricket scores online and patiently wait.

Last World Test Championship Game

Pakistan’s last played game in the ICC was against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on the fourth day of the first test. Pakistan managed to score their second win after a skillfully played match led by Babar Azam. With Naseem Shah as the player of the match, who is only 17 years old, Pakistan swiped the competition by an innings and 44 runs. Bangladesh started at 126 for 6 but ended up folding for 168.

Pakistan’s first hour in the game did not look good, especially when they struck on the sixth ball of the day. Mohammad Abbas removed Liton Das in the 58th over. Bangladesh started the game with an early strike when Bangladesh’s captain went in for a review, but there was no evidence the ball hit the bat first. Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi earned all three reds and a wicket.

Early in the game, it looked like Pakistan could get an innings win, especially after Bangladesh got 156 for 8 after losing another wicket. Pakistan’s Yasir Shah got one to pitch in line and trapped the opponent Liton Das in the front. That resulted in Pakistan being a wicket away from 60 World Test Championship points, leaving it with 140 points, just one point behind fourth-placed England.

Bangladesh showed some promise for future games with talented yet undisciplined batsmen. On the other hand, Pakistan has a relatively young team. Their batters and bowlers have great potential to climb up the Test rankings in a couple of years. Pakistan’s captain Azhar Ali admitted that it isn’t easy to win any Test game, which makes this win even more significant. Additionally, he praised the young Shah for managing a Test hat trick with such success.

What’s Next for Pakistan?

After their last win against Bangladesh, one win and one draw against Sri Lanka, and two lost matches to Australia, Pakistan is hoping for another win. Although that’s rarely the case, the schedule was set for a two-month pause between the two games against Bangladesh and Pakistan. Their next match was set for April in Karachi, but unfortunately, it has been further delayed.

Bangladesh was supposed to arrive in Karachi on March 29, scheduled to play an ODI on April 1 and their second World Test Championship game a couple of days later. Even though the streets are still not empty in Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board decided to take precautionary measures and suspend all matches. That means all ICC and PSL matches are postponed until further notice.

Pakistan’s young team is hoping to repeat the country’s success story from 2017 at the ICC Championship. That year, the team did not start well, losing to their arch-rivals India by 124 runs in the first game. However, they managed to get to the semi-finals and beat the favorite, England, and then win their re-match against India in the finals. A similar thing happened this year, with Australia winning the first match by an innings and 5 runs.

Pakistan’s team can only hope for the same outcome and to win the first trophy at the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship of Test cricket.

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Cricket Opinion

England rout means there will be no quick fix for Proteas

Cricket in South Africa is synonymous with the hot African summer. In fact, nothing says that the summer has arrived like sitting on the grass embankment under the oaks during the Boxing Day test match. The prevailing North Easterly off the Indian Ocean brings with it the chance to cool down but also serves as a reminder that the holidays are indeed here.

Despite how picturesque a setting South Africa can be over December, it doesn’t guarantee that the action on the park will match the serenity off it. All things considered, the 2019/2020 summer series against England has been a disaster for the Proteas after they suffered a 3-1 loss at the hands of an English team that exposed their glaring weaknesses.

The Proteas were outplayed in all departments and sadly so were their fans as the Barmy Army outnumbered and outsang them throughout the four-test series. It certainly was a series to forget with the biggest lesson being that there won’t be any quick fixes for the Proteas under new head coach Mark Boucher.

It looked like there may be after South Africa got off to a rip-roaring start at Centurion and ended up winning the first Test, but that feeling of euphoria quickly evaporated as the weeks went by. Instead, Boucher and his coaching staff have been left to pick up the pieces as they get acquainted with the size of the task at hand, it is no doubt much bigger than they initially expected with South African cricket reeling after years of mismanagement.

There was, however, a lot of goodwill around the appointment of Mark Boucher and that won’t dry up anytime soon with the cricketing public in South Africa convinced that he is the right man to bring back the days when the Proteas dominated world cricket. Boucher’s next challenge will be the T20 World Cup where his side are well behind favourites Australia, who are 11/4 to win in cricket betting. Indeed, at 13/2, no one is too sure what to expect from a South African team that is in a race against time to make up for a disastrous few years off the field of play.

The bottom line is that the T20 World Cup in October could once again be too soon for the Proteas but the nature of T20 cricket may assist a side that has to rely on a bit of luck from time to time. The news that AB de Villiers could return for the playing of the tournament will also be a massive bonus for the country. De Villiers has the ability to win a game on his own and there will be a certain trepidation amongst the opposition if he is indeed on the plane to Australia.

Whilst there won’t be any magic bullet for South African cricket, they are on the right road again after straying into the wilderness some years ago. The right man is in charge and the next time England arrive on South African shores in four years time, they will be sure to face a team that is unrecognisable from the one they just played.

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Cricket News

Will the Mumbai Indians Retain their IPL Title in 2020?

'Ishant Sharma' - Naparazzi via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The organisers of IPL 2019 really could not have wished for a better end to the tournament.

Sunrisers Hyderabad aside, these were arguably the two best teams in the competition when the pressure was really on, and in the final, they served up an instant classic – Mumbai just about defending their 149-8 total with a one-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings.

Rohit Sharma’s team will have a target on their back in 2020 then, and they will need to stand up and be counted given the unique challenges that the IPL champion faces – in 12 years of this competition, only once had the reigning victory successfully defended their crown.

The bookies have made Mumbai their favourites in the latest IPL 2020 cricket betting odds, and given the questionable history of defending champions maybe that is something of a surprise.

However, they have at least recruited well in the off-season, while retaining the services of their title-winning squad of 2019. Trent Boult has been signed from the Delhi Capitals, while the auction saw Aussie pair Chris Lynn and Nathan Coulter-Nile and Saurabh Tiwary, amongst others, join the boys in blue.

They join an already bustling roster that includes captain Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar Yadav, Lasith Malinga and the Pandya brothers.

All of the ingredients are in place for a title defence then, but there will be no shortage of rivals also vying for honours.

Delhi Ready to Dish Out Capital(s) Punishment

The cricket-mad fans in India’s capital are yet to see their local team win an edition of the IPL.

When we talk about off-season recruitment, surely the ‘winners’ in 2020 have been the Delhi Capitals.

They have splashed the cash to bring in not one but two eye-catching signings: Ravi Ashwin, from the Kings XI Punjab, and Ajinkya Rahane, who joins from the Rajasthan Royals.

They were incredibly active at the auction too, with Alex Carey, Jason Roy, Chris Woakes, Shimron Hetmyer and Marcus Stoinis all brought on board.

The Capitals finished third in the regular season with a 9-5 record and then kicked on in the elimination brackets, taking out the Sunrisers in the eliminator before going down to Chennai in Qualifier 2.

Agonisingly close in 2019, the Delhi Capitals will be looking to go at least one better this time around, and with an expansive batting line-up – Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer etc – backed by the likes of Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada and Amit Mishra and those new signings, the capital franchise will surely go close to claiming glory in 2020.

‘Ishant Sharma’ – Naparazzi via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson backed by Andre Russell and Kuldeep Yadav – now that’s a bowling attack!

The Kolkata Knight Riders finished agonisingly short of qualifying for the elimination stage last year, but that bowling line-up – aided by the signing of Eoin Morgan – adds to an impressive roster that already features Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik. KKR will have ambitions of a top-four finish in 2020.

Chennai will go with largely the same squad of players that took them to the final of the 2019 edition, which surely means they are a quality seam bowler or two shy, while the Sunrisers will be hoping that David Warner and Jonny Bairstow again flourish at the top of the innings, before Rashid Khan and Khaleel Ahmed bowl them to glory.

But, all of the above taken into consideration, the Mumbai Indians will once again take some stopping.

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Uncategorised

Approaching Cricket with a Gambler’s Mentality

https://www.facebook.com/BenStokes38Official/photos/a.692346837450259/2671627749522148/

One of the greatest cricketers of all time, Shane Warne, is also known to be a keen gambler and poker player. There could be a reason why the Australian legend made the switch to the cards after retiring, as the two pastimes share a lot of similarities. There are times during a cricket match when players need to display mental resilience and other occasions when they are required to make calculated risks. There is certainly something to be said for a winning streak bringing about more confidence and allowing players to push on to greater things.

Many young aspiring cricketers will have watched Ben Stokes’ heroic performance in the third Ashes test against Australia and decided they wanted to be just like the 28-year-old. Stokes singlehandedly pulled England back from an impossible situation to claim victory in that match, and he did it through gambling and riding his luck. There are only a select few players throughout history who spring to mind when thinking about who may be capable of such a feat. The likes of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff could have done the same, perhaps, but it could never have been done by a conservative batsman like Michael Atherton or Geoffrey Boycott.

During that incredible innings, Stokes had to go against the traditional form of test match batting which normally requires batsmen to play defensively and wait for the right moment to pull off strokes. Instead, he had to take risks to make sure he was on strike more often than the inexperienced and weaker batsmen, Jack Leach. That last wicket partnership between the two was 76, with Leach scoring one run.

Aggressive batsmen such as Stokes, AB De Villiers, and Chris Gayle tend to grow into the game and look to pull off more impressive shots as they go deeper into an innings. Gamblers play roulette, blackjack, and pokies in a similar way. Many players feel that when they are on a winning streak, the best way to continue to win pokies is to ride that luck and increase the bet sizing. When a batsman is settled at the crease and has scored at least fifty runs, they may feel that this is the time to go for the more ambitious drives and cuts.

Bowlers often need to gamble and take risks as well. When they aren’t having any luck at taking a wicket, the bowler often needs to mix up his choice of delivery. This is especially true for spin bowlers like Adil Rashid, who need to identify the right time to throw in a googly or a flipper.

Just like gamblers, cricketers can get into the zone when they are settled at the crease or after they have bowled a few successful overs. Sometimes, it seems that riding a winning streak is the best way to get good results.

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Cricket Opinion

What Makes Ben Stokes One of England’s Greatest Ever All-Rounders?

The world of English cricket has seen many marvellous talents over the years but, following his incredible test-winning innings at Headingley to level The Ashes, you have to ask the question of whether Ben Stokes is England’s greatest ever all-rounder. After producing a once-in-a-lifetime display in which he hit 135 not out, it would certainly be impossible to not put the 28-year-old’s name in the conversation.

As a result of that, we’re going to take a look at what makes Ben Stokes so special, along with also considering whether he is the greatest all-rounder to ever grace English cricket.

What’s Special About Stokes?

“DSC04088” (CC BY 2.0) by Ben Sutherland

Prior to his England debut in 2011, Stokes was catching the eye at youth level after hitting an 88-ball century against India in the 2010 Under-19s World Cup. Since then, and many years on, the all-rounder has continued to develop his game and, as a result, has since become an integral part of the England setup. However, what stands out most about the Englishman’s Headingley innings, and his batting in general, is his new-found ability to judge scenarios.

In his first 73 balls at the crease, he scored just three runs. Yet as the anticipation and pressure began to build, so did Stokes’ determination to win as he hit home 74 runs in his final 45 balls. The control of his display was there for all to see as it took him 83 balls to reach double figures, which is the slowest since Ian Salisbury in Calcutta some 26 years ago. Following his recent heroics, the Christchurch-born star has climbed to number two in the ICC Test all-rounder rankings and because of that good form, and although England failed to reclaim The Ashes, they are now 6/4 with cricket betting to win the fifth Test at The Oval.  

Where Does He Rank Among the All-Time Greats?

“Ben Stokes strides on his way back to hi” (CC BY 2.0) by Ben Sutherland

There can be no doubts that English cricket fans have been able to witness some phenomenal all-rounders with the likes of Sir Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff gracing the field in years gone by. Although their impacts on the sport will never be forgotten, there’s an argument to be made that Headingley has seen Stokes match, if not surpass, the legacy of those before him. Even though he may not statistically reach the same levels as those before him, no other all-rounder has delivered match-winning performances in games of such high importance.

While the 28-year-old demonstrated his batting prowess in his second international Test match by scoring a century in Perth back in 2013, Stokes’ fielding ability is also vital to his success in the modern game. Although Botham and Flintoff were both better bowlers, England’s latest cricketing hero has the edge in the fielding department. While it may be his batting that has most recently caught the eye, it mustn’t be forgotten that Stokes has amassed a total of 329 catches throughout his international career.

A Legacy-Defining Summer

It’s without debate that world-class all-rounders have been hard to come by within English cricket, but Botham, Flintoff, and Stokes have all produced unforgettable moments. While the debate will go on about the greatest ever, the magnitude of the 28-year-old’s most inspiring performances certainly places him in good stead to claim that title.

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The Ashes

Talk to include Jofra Archer in the Ashes squad is dangerously premature

Jofra Archer’s inclusion in the England World Cup squad has been incredibly fast-tracked after making his debut in May 2019 to then being thrust into the heat of battle against South Africa for England’s first World Cup game. It certainly has been a whirlwind ride for the 24-year-old but one that he has handled well, all things considered.

As far as the watching media and England supporters go, there is no question that Jofra Archer should be selected for the upcoming 2019 Ashes contest in England. This is despite only playing six ODI’s for England and never having bowled a ball in anger with the red Duke at international level. Now, whilst Archer is a talent and you can see why people like Nasser Hussain were calling for England to pick him for the World Cup back in February 2019, could the English media be doing what they are sometimes guilty of and hyping up a player beyond their actual abilities?

England are in desperate need of authentic fast bowlers after years of military medium has seen them bullied in the Ashes series, particularly away from home. The need to fight fire with fire is a very pressing one but at international level, throwing it down at over 90mph is still no guarantee for success, especially in the test arena. A look at Archer’s World Cup so far shows he has taken wickets but on closer inspection, how formidable have the opposition been?

Archer went well during England’s imposing win against an out-of-sorts South Africa by taking three wickets but then went the distance against Pakistan, ending with figures of 0/79. Three more wickets would follow against Bangladesh but then again, even with Bangladesh becoming a stronger force in world cricket, they still have a batting line up ready to be knocked over cheaply.

What may also be important to keep in mind is that Archer is still somewhat of an unknown quantity having just burst onto the scene. When teams have a bit longer to suss him out they could find the going a fair bit easier but on the other hand, they may not and still battle, the point is, it is far too early to include him in the Ashes squad as we don’t know yet either way.

With just James Anderson and Stuart Broad spearheading the attack, England are still the favourites at 3/4 in cricket betting to win the Ashes so there really is no need to disrupt this bowling partnership who have proved so effectively in England conditions. These elder statesmen use the conditions to get the best out of their line and length and the rewards speak for themselves.

The sensible option may be to hold Jofra Archer back in order to fine-tune his skills in time for the return Ashes series in Australia.

Speak to many of the lightning-quick bowlers who have failed on the international stage that now sit on the scrap heap, they will tell you that the faster you bowl, the quicker you can also go to the boundary. Archer could lose England a test match in one session should he lose his radar against some very uncompromising Australian batsmen.

At this stage, Archer doesn’t offer international cricket anything that would make him a world beater apart from pace. The only thing that can turn him into one of the world’s most feared bowlers is experience and time, if England throw him into the test arena too soon he may never recover.

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Cricket Betting

Analysis and Preview of Cricket World Cup 2019 teams and Betting

This year’s Cricket World Cup, the 12th edition of this tournament, is scheduled between May 30 and July 14. The competition is held after every four years. Ideally, ten teams will compete with a total of 45 matches being played in England while the finals will be held at Lord’s ground.

It is confirmed that the 2019 world cup will use the round-robin format tournament where every team will face each of the nine only once. At the end of the qualification stage, the top four teams will proceed to knockouts in which the first team will play the fourth, and the second team plays the third one. Finally, the winners in the two matches will face each other in the world cup finals on 14th July. From the start of the tournament, betting companies such as bet365 with odds of 8.00 for South Africa, will offer live betting and competitive odds on their markets. If one is not able to watch television, Bet365 offers online streaming of live games. This, however, requires that one fund a sports account or places a bet in the past 24 hours. Also, England has been assigned odds of 3.75 by Unibet, making it a potential winner.

Qualifying teams to the Tournament

England

The team plays as the hosts and has been preparing for this tournament since the 2015 campaign disaster. Therefore, the team has the best chance to win since it last lost to Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup. In an interview with BBC sport, Morgan says they are prepared enough from the performances that the team has done at home in the past two years. The team playing on the home grounds is a plus, leave alone the captaincy of Morgan Eoin attacker as well as the best and aggressive all-rounders such as Stokes Ben. Currently, England may be predicted to go home with the trophy at odds of 17/20, having, of the last 16 series of ODI, won 12 of them.

West Indies:

The team for the 2019 tournament has shown substantial signs of revival in the past years. However, it is ODI series has not been best despite the dominance of players. It should be noted that early this year, the team won against England 2-1 at home as well as drawing 2-2 with it. Betters on this team may find betting odds of 5/2 necessary.

Afghanistan

Of late, Afghanistan’s ability to climb the international ladder is remarkable. The team also boasts of an impressive track record, most recently, in India, the team drew a series 2-2- on Ireland. Coupled with the rising superstars, and if the impact that Khan Rashid is the thing to go by, Afghanistan may surprise many in the tournament. A price of 30/1 may be put on the team.

India

India is considered having been the most dominant team of the ODI series on both away, and home grounds despite its 2-3 lose to Australia on home grounds. Of the previous 16 series, India backed home 13 of them. The team that features Dohni and Kohli is a threat and especially from the fact that Kohli has gone behind enemy lines in preparation for clash with England. The team is favorite in joint second and may back up the trophy with the odds of 11/10.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has played well in the past two years since it has won 2-0 against West Indies and drawn against Sri Lanka and Australia at home. Also, in the year 218, it won against West Indies and Zimbabwe. Just like Afghanistan, Bangladesh best betting odds may stand at 30/1.

South Africa

South Africa has joined the tournament after winning 13 of the 17 series away and home. The team has however played in England two times. This means its players will have unfamiliar conditions to tackle for their first time. South Africa currently stands to win at 7/2 odds.

Sri Lanka

The team is a surprise winner for the 1995 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s team is ideally up to and down. It has won against South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. The best odds bookmarkers have put on it is 16/1.

Pakistan

Since it last reached the World Cup finals in the year 1999, the team has lost and won ODI series equally. For instance, in the last 18 months, Pakistan has lost to New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia although they later won in 2017 in England, it is rated at odds of 4/1 in this year’s World Cup. Furthermore, the fact that one can go for the free spins as well as no deposit free bet bonus offers gamblers a better chance to win big.

It can be argued that since its 2015 win of the World Cup, its form in the 50-over match is worse except for the few past months when it won against India 3-2 and 5-0 against Pakistan. Currently, the team stands at 11/10 of the odds to win the tournament again.

New Zealand

To be sincere, the best team to watch in the current world cricket is New Zealand. The team plays an exciting way and with a genuine spirit of sporting. The team plays in the English-style of conditions although it has not played in England since the year 2015. Bookmarkers suggest a 15/4 odds on New Zealand, do not be surprised.

References

Cricket World Cup: England begin bid to win the tournament for the first time. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/48447694

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Preview. (2019, May 28). Retrieved from https://blog.betvictor.com/en-gb/sports/cricket/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019-preview/

McCarthy, C. (2019, May 23). 2019 Cricket World Cup betting preview. Retrieved from https://www.pinnacle.com/en/betting-articles/More-Sports/cricket-world-cup-betting-preview/WWS2ET9ET3GXGTGW

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Cricket World Cup

Who will score most runs at the Cricket World Cup?

Virat Kohli

A mixed bag for Kohli leading into the World Cup. India’s form heading into the competition hasn’t been their finest but on paper, the side is arguably the most dangerous. An amazing 3-2 comeback series win by Australia proved this side had weaknesses and Kohli and co will need to overcome their recent battles to make it deep into the competition. Kohli is the clear favourite to finish the World Cup as the tournaments leading runs scorer (and deserving so) at $8.50, but his form tally will certainly depend on those around him in the top of the order to last out 50 overs. The World’s No.1 batsman will have both the weight and support of 1.3 billion people, and we expect him to deliver.

Jonny Bairstow

Home crowd advantage? Check. Top of the order? Check. Red-hot form? Check. Jonny Bairstow is just the underdog backing you need heading into the World Cup. A standout 128 runs from 93 balls in a high-scoring victory over Pakistan in Bristol is certainly hard to ignore coming into the competition. We’re expecting Bairstow to lift his 47.53 batting average by the end of the tournament and likely place himself on the podium for the top runners table. Bairstow sits as a second-overall favourite with a value of $10 to take out the honours. If he’s your man, be sure to use pointsbet 2019 for the best odds for the big hitter!

Kane Williamson

The 2019 World Cup will be New Zealand’s first under the reigns of Kane Williamson, and we expect him to lead with bat-in-hand. At a price of $17, Williamson is a top option with value-for-money. Heavily backed to sit atop the Kiwis’ run tally and outscore 2015’s leading runs champion Martin Guptill, Williamson will be expected to last 20-30 overs at the crease, guaranteeing a few half centuries at least.

David Warner

Warner will be one of the most watched batsmen in the competition as he returns from a 12-month ban for the sandpaper ball-tampering incident. While his time at the crease at an international level has stopped, the runs haven’t. Since returning to the Australian side, Warner picked up where he left off with record numbers at the top of Australia’s order as well as an impressive Indian Premier League for the Sunrisers. Expect Warner to start the tournament off with a bang, so jumping on his value at $11 now before it drops might be a smart call.

Jason Roy

Averaging 92.3 runs across his ODI series against Pakistan, Jason Roy is arguably the most in-form batter heading into the World Cup. His runs streak and a home backyard tournament certainly mix well for the 28-year-old who’s priced at $11 to finish as the leading runs scorer. The Three Lions will certainly look to impress at home and finish deep into the competition, and with more games to play, the more time at the crease for Jason Roy.