5 Batsmen to watch out for at the Cricket World Cup

After months of build-up, we are just a week away from the start of the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen a lot of debate about the squads that some sides have selected. India made headlines by leaving out youngster Rishabh Pant, while for England, Jofra Archer has come into the squad having made just three ODI appearances since becoming eligible to play for England in March.

A lot will be riding on batsmen at the World Cup, especially with some of the pitches in England. We have seen with the recent series against Pakistan that English pitches are excellent for batting, with England hitting scores over 350 on four consecutive occasions, becoming the first side to do so in ODIs.

There is a chance that the pitches may slow up as the tournament goes on, but at least in the opening weeks, they will certainly give the batsman chances to get big totals. One-day cricket has changed so much in the last four years, that we no longer see 300 as a good score.

We know that the likes of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root are all capable of scoring runs against the best, and no doubt all three will get big runs at the World Cup. But there are others who will have to stand up and be counted. Here are five batsmen to watch during the World Cup.

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#1 Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)

Pooran is yet to have a real impact on the international stage

West Indies have an array of limited over stars in their cricket World Cup squad - most notably, Chris Gayle, who is likely appearing in his final World Cup and is still renowned as one of the finest hitters in the game. Add to that the return of Andre Russell after a brilliant IPL, where he won the Most Valuable Player award after a serious of brilliant innings. They also have an impressive reserve list that includes the likes of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo.

But there are younger players coming through, and perhaps the most exciting of these is Nicholas Pooran. At this stage, Pooran has appeared just once in ODIs, getting out for a duck on debut against England. Yet he does have the talent to deliver on the world stage, and showed this during his time with the Kings XI Punjab during the IPL, scoring 151 runs in his final four innings at a strike rate of 173.56. He could have a big role to play during the tournament.

#2 Jonny Bairstow (England)

Bairstow has been in brilliant form in 2019

In each of the last two tournaments, there has been real uncertainty over the England side leading up to the World Cup. This uncertainty has often revolved around the opening batsmen and the top order, but there is no doubt about it this time around. Unless injury strikes, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy will open the batting, and the rest of the top order will be the same as it has been since the end of the last World Cup.

This will be Bairstow’s first World Cup, and he is in scintillating form going into the tournament. In his first IPL, playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bairstow scored an impressive 445 runs in just ten games, averaging over 50. He kept this form going in England’s ODI series against Pakistan at Bristol, scoring a brilliant hundred at Bristol. At this time, Bairstow is in the form of his life and could be someone who makes a decisive impact at the World Cup.

#3 Imam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)

Imam has an excellent record in ODIs

There have been a lot of changes in the Pakistan side since their Champions Trophy win in England in 2017. They have chopped and changed in the bowling department, and they have failed to find consistency in the batting line-up. Two years ago, they had a team capable of beating any side in the world, but that is definitely up for debate this time around.

One man whose place in the side is certainly secure is Imam-ul-Haq. The 23-year-old opener, the nephew of Pakistan legend Inzaman-ul-Haq, has only played 28 ODIs since his debut in October 2017 but has a brilliant record. He averages over 60 with the bat, with six hundreds to his name.

He comes into the tournament in good touch, having scored an excellent 151 against England in Bristol, although it ultimately came in a losing cause. Pakistan are certainly outsiders, but if the likes of Imam can perform to their highest levels, they could cause a surprise.

#4 Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka)

Perera will need to bring his Test cricket form to the World Cup

There has been a real shake-up in Sri Lankan cricket since the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. There is no Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene or Tillakaratne Dilshanin the squad, and that has left a huge hole in their batting line-up. The lead up to the tournament has been a bit of a mess for the Sri Lankans, who firstly included Dimuth Karunaratne in their squad, then made him captain, despite the fact that he hasn’t played in an ODI since the last World Cup.

Because of this, they are going to need their best individual players to turn up, and one of them is without a doubt, Kusal Perera. The 28-year-old doesn’t have a great record in ODIs but has shown that he is capable of performing when it matters.

In February, he played one of the great Test innings, scoring 153, and sharing a 78-run partnership with number 11 Vishwa Fernando, as Sri Lanka chased down 304 en route to beating South Africa 2-0 in a Test series. Sri Lanka will need him to perform when it matters in England this summer.

#5 Vijay Shankar (India)

Shankar is still relatively inexperienced on the international stage

Like England, India are a side going into the World Cup with pretty much a settled side, besides the elusive number four spot. Apart from that, they have a very strong side, led by Virat Kohli, undoubtedly the best one-day player in the world at this point in time. India have also put together a bowling line-up capable of delivering in English conditions, mainly off the back of the impressive Jasprit Bumrah.

One man who may be able to fill that number four spot is Vijay Shankar, who is going to his first World Cup. The 28-year-old only has nine ODI appearances to his name. He is yet to pass the score of 50 in those games, but his claim is boosted by the fact that he can bowl a few overs if needed, and that could be vital. He may be the outsider for the spot, but he has the ability to build an innings, as well as go big if he needs to, so he could have a big role to play.