World Cup 2019: 3 reasons why England are unlikely to win the World Cup

The 12th edition of cricket's biggest sporting event, the Cricket World Cup 2019 will kick-start with hosts England locking horns with South Africa on May 30th, the opening day of the tournament. A 10-team tournament, which is reckoned to be the best format for such global events amidst a lot of debate, is expected to produce some exciting cricket over the course of next six to seven weeks.

At the start of a World event, there is always a case for predictions and estimations about certain teams which are expected to do well in the edition. In the build-up to this tournament, one such team which can be banked heavily upon as the sure contenders to lift the trophy, are the hosts England.

This is courtesy of their splendid run of play in the past couple of years in ODI cricket that has seen them being rated highly in the international circuit. Additionally, the fact that they are hosting the tournament certainly gives them a slight edge over the other teams in terms of better acclimatization to the conditions and the assurance of the kind of surface that one can expect.

However, at the same time, playing at home might pose some different challenges.

Here we discuss three reasons why England might not win the World Cup 2019 despite them going in as the favorites for the tournament.

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#3 Ineffectual bowling attack

Archer brings skills but with inexperience

England's success in white-ball cricket in the past few years can been attributed to their power-packed batting lineup and the depth that they possess in the batting unit. The English team has been consistent in posting mammoth scores, even in excess of 400 at times. The two highest scores in ODI cricket are to England's credit in the last two years.

However, while the batting unit has pulverized the opposition bowling, the England bowlers have also conceded equally high scores on regular basis that is certainly a matter of concern. The lack of a genuine fast-bowler, seemingly taken care of by the arrival of Jofra Archer, has found them wanting against some top-notch batting oppositions.

Even with Archer in the pace department, the likes of Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran have been a tad expensive and will need to curb the run flow while Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have not enjoyed the best of outings in the recent past

While Archer's inclusion does add bite to the attack, he is relatively inexperienced in big-match situations and England will still need support from other bowlers to deliver for them.

#2 The Pressure of playing at home

Fans would not let the team forget the purpose at any time during the World Cup

It is one of the cruelest things in sport, as performances bring expectations. The aggressive brand of cricket which England fancy playing these days means that a lot is expected of them, to continue playing the same brand of cricket and make it big this World Cup. Being the host nation and the firm favorites to lift the trophy, the entire nation will want them to win their maiden World Cup title.

With the tournament set to last for a month and a half, the 'home' fans will undoubtedly back the Eoin Morgan-led side which will set the expectations straight. Every moment and each match will continue to pile the pressure, with the emptiness of the trophy cabinet looming large.

It will be this pressure which England needs to handle and not get bogged down by the weight of expectations from the fans and the followers. However, if they fail to do so, they might once again fall short of the finishing line.

#1 The inexperience of playing knock-out games

If England make it to the knock-outs, can they go all the way?

Despite being labeled as the hot-favorites in the tournament, England has an unwanted history associated with them when it comes to winning crunch moments. They have made it to the World Cup finals on three occasions previously and have come second all three times.

While reaching the knockouts might not be that challenging, the prospect of having to win the pressure games, where one bad day can spoil the party will be of prime importance.

Even this England team, which plays fearless cricket, failed to cross the hurdle against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy semi-final even after staying unbeaten until that game. A squad of talented cricketers, the hosts lack experience of playing do-or-die or knockout games which bring in a different challenge and it always boils down to the game of 'keeping the cool'.

England certainly has one of the most balanced squads in this edition of the World Cup. However, the question remains - if they make it to the knockout stages, can they cope with the pressure and go all the way?