ICC World Cup 2019: One player from each of the top 5 ICC ODI ranked teams that can help them win the tournament

Cricket is a team sport yet in every team there are few players that build the core and others just play around them. And amongst these few core players is one player that is ‘soul’ of the team. Without this player, winning appears to be an uphill task and becomes a rare occurrence.

In cricket’s biggest tournament, the ICC World Cup 2019 where every nation will be represented by their best cricketing talents, the success of any team will be hugely dependent on their key players.

Without a doubt, the other talented players will win few games with their spectacular performances but winning a long, high-intensity tournament is a very different ball game altogether. Every team will need their star-performers to be at their peak in such a competitive cricketing competition to lift the world’s most prestigious cricketing trophy.

Just turn the pages back and history will speak for itself. Every ICC World Cup champion had one player that carried the team through and won the valuable tournament for the nation. Whether it was Mitchell Starc in 2015, Yuvraj Singh in 2011, or Glenn McGrath in 2007 – their excellent performance was the central reason for their team’s success at the mega event. Without their enormous contribution game after game, the teams could not have become the World Champions.

The 12th edition of ICC World Cup will be no exception to it. Once again, the cricket fans around the globe will be thoroughly entertained by the legends of modern day cricket but there will one very special player that will rise to the occasion and will win the invaluable cricketing tournament for the country.

Let’s dive deep into the ICC Top 5 ODI ranked teams and discover that one special player that can possibly win them the marquee event on this very occasion:

ODI Rank #5 Australia – Steve Smith

Steve Smith

When was the last time you saw a World Champion ranked at No.5 on the ICC ranking? Since the last World Cup edition, the Australian team has undergone a transition that hasn’t been very smooth, to say the least, and just when they looked like regaining their authority over the world of cricket, they were struck with ball-tampering controversy leading to bans over their best players last year, resulting in a dreadful 2018.

However, Australia appears to be gaining some momentum with their away series win against a very strong Indian team in their own backyard. Under the guidance of an aggressive coach, Justin Langer and newly appointed assistant coach (exclusively for the World Cup), the two time ICC World Cup winning captain, Ricky Pointing, Australia promises to be a team to reckon with in the mega event. And most importantly, with a much-needed influx of the banned duo (expected) – Steve Smith and David Warner – they may just successfully turn the tide around.

But let’s accept it, the Australian bowling line isn’t really threating. Though they have few quality players in their batting line up – Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja, and Glen Maxwell – currently, they don’t look like a team that can win the world’s biggest cricketing tournament. At this stage, the Australian team genuinely needs someone to bring their self-belief, aggression, and confidence back and there can be no one better than the former captain, Smith.

Thankfully, 29-year-old will make his return to international cricket in the ICC World Cup and beyond any stretch of the imagination; he will make every effort, not just with his exceptional batting but in every aspect of the game to win it for Australia and help them lift the World’s most prestigious cricketing trophy. Somewhere deep down in his heart only, it will make amends for the humiliation and shame the controversial ball-tempering saga brought upon on a proud cricketing nation.

Smith has everything Australia needs – the aggression, the experience, the skills and the hunger and most importantly, the reason to lead the team, even without the title and win it for Australia. Should he manages a get going, just like his good old days; don’t be surprised if Australia ends up successfully defending the title and wins the ICC World Cup for the 6th occasion.

ODI Rank #4 South Africa – Hashim Amla

South Africa v West Indies - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Since their return to international cricket (1991), they have always been a very strong team. Every ICC World Cup edition, they looked like winning the tournament but just when it mattered the most, they faltered and hence, over the years, the South African team has earned themselves a disgraceful title of ‘chokers’.

Until last year, everyone expected the showstopper AB de Villiers with his aggressive batting to change the perception and win it for South Africa. However, his expected retirement just a year before the marquee event shocked the entire cricketing arena and most importantly, created a massive vacuum within the South African team.

Yet, despite his absence, once again, they will start their campaign being one of the favourites to lift the prestigious trophy. They appear to have a very strong batting line up – Faf du Plessis, David Miller, JP Duminy, and Quinton De Kock fused with excellent bowling brigade in Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada but one player that holds the key for their success is the veteran Hashim Amla.

Not only the 35-year-old is their most experienced ODI player (174 ODIs) but also has the ability to play long innings (27 ODI hundreds). In swinging English conditions, his solid batting technique will ensure a good start to the team and lay the ideal platform for others to launch themselves at a later stage. Also, his presence on one side of the crease will allow other stroke makers to play their natural game and demolish the opponents with their aggressive batting style. And just in case, they lose few early wickets, he possesses the temperament to bail the team out of a pressure situation.

Without a doubt, this upcoming ICC World Cup, the South African team will look forward to erasing the history and start a new era by eventually winning the prestigious trophy for the very first time. A dream the nation has been carrying ever since they started playing the game of cricket can only turn into a reality with Hashim Amla’s exceptional show.

ODI Rank #3 New Zealand - Ross Taylor

Ross Taylor

Just like South Africa, New Zealand has over the years failed to capitalize on their excellent show in the ICC World Cup tournaments. No other team in the history of cricket has reached the threshold so often (semi-finalists – 1975, 1979, 1992, 1999, 2007, 2011 and finalists 2015) and failed to transform it into a tournament win. It’s absolutely unreal.

Unlike previous World Cup editions, New Zealand is not a star-studded team anymore and they strongly thrive on the team effort to win games. Having said that; they are blessed to have few quality players like Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Tom Latham to set the world on fire on their day. However, New Zealand will heavily rely on their experienced star batsman Ross Taylor to lead them through and take them a long way into the tournament.

By the looks of things, it appears that the ICC ranked #3 ODI batsman will bat at all-important No. 4 slot and will be the batting mainstay for the New Zealand team. His presence in the middle order will provide the ideal fusion of stability and aggression in the middle overs. Not only, he will keep the scoreboard ticking at a good pace but his presence will invariably result in a perfect launchpad for the onslaught in the final few overs.

Also, his ability to dismantle any bowling attack with his impeccable hand-eye coordination and exuberant shot making can really turn the game around any moment. Needless to say, the 35-year-old senior veteran will be expected to hold the innings together from either end – top order and lower order and guide them through his invaluable experience.

This edition of ICC World Cup, the Black Caps will look to create history and for a change, not just reach close to the World Cup title but actually win it and for that to happen, Taylor will have to play his role exceptionally well.

ODI Rank #2 India – Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Over the past few years, team India has won almost every ODI series across the world. Whether home or away, they have played an excellent brand of cricket and have stamped their authority on almost every team. A lot of credit goes to the selectors for identifying the talent and to the team management for rewarding these players with ample opportunities to prove themselves on the international level. As a result, India successfully created a pool of extremely talented players that have great potential to win matches with their cricketing skills.

Interestingly, unlike previous years, India not only have a strong batting line-up with Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni but also, possesses an extremely fatal bowling attack spearheaded by Jaspreet Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal. And the icing on the cake has been the eventual discovery of genuine pace bowling all-rounder, Hardik Pandya that provides the team with a much-needed balance to the side especially considering the English condition.

Yet, India needs one man to perform more than anyone else to win the ICC World Cup 2019 and that’s none other than the Indian captain Virat Kohli. Last year, the best batsman in the world deservingly won all three ICC awards – the Player of the Year, the ODI Player of the Year and Test Player of the Year, a milestone achieved by none in the history of cricket.

The batting maestro has been in sublime form for the past two years and has scored over 1000 runs each year with his superlative batting. With every passing day, just like a bottle of wine, the 30-year-old is only getting better and better. Despite the fact that he has already achieved almost every batting record in the world of cricket, going by the looks of it, it appears that his best is yet to come and the entire nation hope to witness it in the upcoming ICC World Cup.

More than a billion people around the world will join their hands together and pray for Kohli, just like they did for batting legend, Sachin Tendulkar, to continue his exceptional batting display and lead the team to another World Cup glory – much like the way he did back in U19 ICC World Cup 2008.

ODI Rank #1 England – Joe Root

Joe Root

The English cricket team has come a long way since the last ICC World Cup edition way back in 2015. On 1st May 2015, Team England was ranked at the 6th spot just above three other Test playing nations then – Bangladesh, Pakistan and West Indies and today, they are proudly ranked at No.1 spot. Over the past few years, they have worked extremely hard on their white ball cricket and have discovered genuine match winners, not just one but many.

The England team comprises some very high-quality players in their side. They have the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan, Jos Butler, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, and Chris Woakes – who on their day can really dismantle the opponent and win the game for the team. But, the one player that really stands out amongst these superheroes is Joe Root.

Though there have been concerns raised over his strike rate in ODIs, his exceptional consistency over the years has really silenced his critics. In fact, his style of play allows others stroke-makers around him to express themselves and dictate terms to the opposition.

Also, considering the fact that he will play in the middle order, he will have to carry the responsibility of guiding the batting unit through till the end more often than not to ensure England end up on a winning side. In the past two years, he has scored close to 1000 runs every year at a very respectable average and team England will only be hoping him to continue playing in the same fashion this year.

Without a doubt, England will start the tournament as red hot favourites to win the ICC World Cup in their own backyard. However, they will need everyone to click together but most importantly, Root to play exceptional cricket to win their very first World Cup trophy of cricket – a sport that they introduced to the world centuries ago.