ICC World Cup 2019: Who could make the semi-finals?

The ICC World Cup 2019 is almost here, with England and Wales hosting the ODI tournament from May 31, 2019. The top eight teams in the ICC ODI Rankings were given automatic qualification while the West Indies and Afghanistan competed in the World Cup Qualifiers to make it 10. The teams will battle in a round-robin format to decide the semi-finalists.

The 10 teams are India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Windies and Afghanistan. Here are four who could make to the semi-finals.

1) New Zealand

The Kiwis could find conditions in England familiar

New Zealand have been one of the better teams in the recent past. It was a struggle to choose between New Zealand and South Africa, but what swung it the Kiwis' way is the identical conditions in England and New Zealand.

New Zealand had a great 2018 with eight wins from 14 games with only four losses. The team is captained by Kane Williamson, arguably the most technically-sound batsman of the modern era. He's led from the front, scoring 468 runs at an average of 46.80. The other World Cup veteran is Martin Guptill, who scored a massive 237* in the quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup.

Their bowling department is lead by two masterclass swing bowlers - Tim Southee and Trent Boult. The latter was one the best seamers of the 2015 tournament in Australia. His pace and swing can rip through a batting line-up in the right conditions. Tim Southee is not as quick, but has great control over his line and length.

If these stars fire, New Zealand could be a contender for the title.

2) Pakistan

Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy

Pakistan are a team full of young players with belief in their talent. Having won the 2017 Champions Trophy, they'll have the confidence to take on this challenge as well.

Their batting is led by the explosive Fakhar Zaman, who has continued to break records after his century against India in the final of the Champions Trophy. Since the beginning of that tournament, Zaman has played 30 ODIs and has averaged a superb 52.77 runs. He's also scored three hundreds and eight fifties during that time. The experience of Shoaib Malik can also be an important middle-order factor.

In the bowling department, while the seam bowlers have been in and out of the team, the two spinners, Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan, have been a constant. The two can choke the flow of runs with Wasim bowling in the powerplays as well. He has an economy rate of 4.49, pretty similar Khan's 4.69. The pace of Shaheen Afridi is a handy weapon as well.

The captaincy has been an issue in the recent past as Sarfraz Ahmed has been under the scanner for his tactics and bowling changes. Even so, they can make the last four of the World Cup.

3) India

India have had a brilliant run leading up to the World Cup

Team India have had a stellar 2018 campaign with just four losses and two tied games in 20 ODIs. Led by run-machine Virat Kohli, they have the best opening pair in Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, the latter being the second highest run-scorer in 2018 behind his captain.

The bowling department is just as impressive and has what it takes to win. Front-line seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami are equally effective opening the bowling as well as in the final overs. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have fit into the setup very well too.

India are also not lacking in all-rounders with Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav and Ravindra Jadeja making themselves useful. Though the middle order is still a cause for concern, with such a talented roster, India are among the favourites for the 2019 World Cup.

4) England

England have the advantage of being hosts

The three-time finalists have never won a World Cup but now have a big opportunity to change this. England have had a formidable 2018 as well. In the 24 ODIs they've played, 16 were wins and just nine were lost, while one game was washed out.

Their depth in batting is incredible. The likes of Johnny Bairstow, Joe Root, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, James Vince, Ben Stokes, Sam Billings, Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan can all win matches in England. This group is destructive.

The bowling might not be as formidable, but these bowlers can have an impact on the game in home conditions. The likes of Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, young Sam Curran, Adil Rasheed and Mark Wood can hold their own.

Apart from these four, Australia could make a surprising entry into the final four if the returning Steve Smith and David Warner can have an impact.