ICC World Cup 2019: Ranking the captains of all 10 teams

The ICC World Cup 2019 is set to begin in England on 30th May with 10 teams participating in the mega event. All ten teams have now named their 15-man squads ahead of the tournament but are allowed to make changes until May 23rd.

Captains play a big role in the game of cricket and in a huge event like this, captaincy can make a lot of difference. Only Eoin Morgan, Mashrafe Mortaza, and Jason Holder have led their side previously in World Cup. This will be the first World Cup as a captain for Virat Kohli and six other skippers.

Without much ado, let's rank the captains of all 10 teams in the ICC World Cup 2019.

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#10 Gulbadin Naib - Afghanistan

Gulbadin Naib made Afghanistan ODI captain ahead of 2019 World Cup

Gulabdin Naib was recently named the captain of Afghanistan ODI side, taking over the reins from Asghar Afghan. Naib has never led his side in an international game before and this came as a huge surprise from the Afghanistan board.

Naib is an all-rounder, who has played 52 ODIs for Afghanistan. His lack of captaincy experience can have a huge impact on the fortunes of his side in England.

#9 Dimuth Karunaratne - Sri Lanka

The 30-year-old last played an ODI game in 2015

Sri Lanka have left out quite a few experienced names for the World Cup and named Dimuth Karunaratne, who last played an ODI game in 2015, the captain. Though he led his side to a historic 2-0 Test series win in South Africa a few weeks earlier, he has very little ODI experience.

He has scored only 190 runs from 17 ODIs at an average of 15.83. Though he has good temperament as a batsman, his captaincy skills will be tested in England.

#8 Sarfaraz Ahmed - Pakistan

Pakistani skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed

Pakistan have retained the services of Sarfaraz Ahmed as the captain. Sarfaraz led his side to success in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and has a good record as a captain. The wicket-keeper batsman will also have a huge role to play in the middle order. The 31-year-old has led Pakistan in 35 One Day Internationals so far and won 21 of them.

#7 Mashrafe Mortaza - Bangladesh

Mashrafe Mortaza is one of the experienced captains at the tournament

This will be his second outing as captain of Bangladesh in the World Cup. Mortaza led them to the quarter-finals in the 2015 World Cup where they lost to India. Mortaza had led his side in 73 ODI games and won 41 of them. With a win percentage of 56.33, this will be his last chance to win a major title as a captain. In 2019, Mortaza has led his side in three games and lost all of them.

#6 Jason Holder - West Indies

West Indies v England - 3rd One Day International

Despite being the youngest captain at the World Cup, Jason Holder will be keen to repeat history at Lord's, where West Indies won the World Cup in 1979. West Indies' record in ODI cricket has not been great in recent times. West Indies haven't won a bilateral ODI series since 2014 and have struggled for consistency at the highest level.

However, the return of Chris Gayle and Andre Russell will provide them with the much-needed ammunition. Also, West Indies drew the ODI series against England, the World No.1 team, earlier this year, which will give them some sort of confidence going into the World Cup.

#5 Aaron Finch - Australia

Pakistan v Australia - ODI Series: Game 5

After a torrid 2018 (2 ODI wins from 13 games), Australia are back this year with series wins against India and Pakistan. The Aaron Finch-led side have won nine out of 14 ODI games this year and more importantly, won away series in the subcontinent.

David Warner and Steve Smith are back in the World Cup squad, which have enough firepower to go the distance in England this summer.

#4 Faf du Plessis - South Africa

2nd Momentum ODI: South Africa v Sri Lanka

Faf du Plessis has an exemplary record as an ODI captain of South Africa. Out of the 30 games in which he led the side, South Africa have won 25 games and lost only five, which gives him a win percentage of 83.33.

In 2019, Du Plessis has won eight and lost just two games. An experienced campaigner and a shrewd captain, Du Plessis has enough quality and depth in the squad to win the first World Cup for his country.

#3 Virat Kohli - India

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 5

One of the greatest cricketers of all-time, Virat Kohli has a terrific record in ODIs as captain of Team India. 49 wins in 68 games give him a win percentage of 73.88, which is simply exceptional.

Though India lost the ODI series at home against Australia, they created history when they toured Australia earlier. This will be Kohli's first outing as a captain in a World Cup and for a player of his calibre, he will definitely relish the challenge.

#2 Eoin Morgan - England

England v West Indies - 3rd Twenty20 International

Playing at home and the recent record in ODIs make England a top contender to lift the trophy. Eoin Morgan has revolutionized this side and transformed them into a formidable ODI unit.

They are currently the World No.1 team in ODIs and have found a lot of success in the past couple of years. Since the 2015 World Cup, England have won 50 out of 76 ODI games under Morgan.

#1 Kane Williamson - New Zealand

New Zealand v Sri Lanka - ODI Game 3

Last World Cup's runners-up with New Zealand, Kane Williamson will want to go the extra mile to win the coveted trophy this term. Technically sound batsman and a shrewd captain, Williamson has enjoyed a lot of success at the helm.

He has lost only seven ODI games since the start of 2018 and won 14. Williamson has a lot of experience captaining at the highest level and his calmness under pressure is his biggest strength.