Top 5 favourites to win the ICC World Cup in 2019

The ICC Cricket World Cup is less than a year away and the cricket fans around the globe are excited to witness the nations battle for glory in the country where it all began - England. Fans wait every 4 years to indulge in a roller coaster ride with their favourite side and it's fair to say that the teams which give their humble support base an experience worth every penny they've invested to cheer for them.

With the nations like Bangladesh and Afghanistan taking giant leaps in World Cricket, the game is getting ever interesting with each passing day. It is no more just a battle of top guns as the teams are spending time and energy to find the right balance, simply because everyone is just too good to be taken lightly!

When the topic of cricket World Cup is being talked about, it becomes quite mandatory to list down the favourites for the greatest prize in cricket.

A spoiler alert for all the vivid readers, Australia, the 5-time World Champions is not on the list. This is the first time in about 3 decades that the Aussies are not considered as favourites courtesy of the infamous fixing incident that shocked the cricketing world and most importantly cricket Australia.

With all that said, here we list down the top 5 favourites for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019 being hosted in England.

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#5 Pakistan

The reigning Champions Trophy holders are probably the most unpredictable side in the world. From defeating giants to loosing out to minnows, Pakistan comes with a lot of surprises.

One major reason for Pakistan’s presence in this list is their unpredictability in ICC tournaments. The subcontinent giants have won the famous tournament once, in 1992 when defeated England in the final to bring home the majestic trophy.

Pakistan has previously won 2 ICC tournaments in England. Once in 2009 when they won the T20 world and their recent Champions Trophy success being the second time Pakistan won an ICC major trophy.

With all that said they may be the dark horses who have every weapon in their arsenal to win the Cricket World Cup.

#4 South Africa

Australia v South Africa - T20

The Proteas haven’t had much success in the ICC World Cups so far, as they are infamously known as the chokers of the historic cup competition. The farthest the African side has come is the semifinal stage of the tournament.

With the World Cup under a year away, this seems like the time when The Proteas might get their hands on the prestigious trophy. With a stable team comprising a dominant batting lineup and a devastating bowling attack, the South African supporters are excited for the tournament in England.

On the back of a recent dominating victory over reigning World Champions, the South African team looks all set to challenge for the World Cup in England.

South Africa had a decent run in the previous cup held down under where they were eliminated in the semifinal stage by eventual runner-up, New Zealand. The Proteas will surely miss their former star skipper, AB de Villiers, who many consider as one of their greatest players of all time. A player like de Villiers is hard to replace but this South African side consists of world-class talents all around.

#3 New Zealand

The Kiwis have established their name as the team who often falls flat in the penultimate stage of the World Cup. New Zealand has never won the World Cup but the Kiwis have come close to winning the prestigious trophy.

They have reached the semifinals on 7 occasions and even made it to the final last time, only to lose out to the current World Champions, Australia.

The Kiwis will surely miss their legendary players in the form of Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor, but the current side does possess some genuine world beaters. An adequate balance for firepower and class, New Zealand are the team to watch out for! They've long been termed as dark horses but this time they might turn out to be legit favourites to lift the prestigious trophy

Kane Williamson, New Zealand's skipper is the key to this vibrant kiwi side and his form will surely dictate New Zealand's progress on the course of the biggest cricket tournament of the world.

#2 India

The men in blue have an all-star team capable of destroying any opponent with ease. Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper is arguably the best batsman in World Cricket at the moment and is a reason why team India is considered a batting powerhouse.

The men in blue also possess the double-century expert, Rohit Sharma - India’s hitman who has bashed ballers all over the world. Team India has been a rampant force and dispatched each every opponent with ease and are surely one of the top contenders for cricket biggest prize, the ICC World Cup to be held in England.

One major reason for India to be optimistic is their genuinely impressive record in ICC tournaments held in England. The men in blue famously won the Champions Trophy in 2013 when Dhoni's men prevailed in a thrilling final against the hosts, England.

The list doesn't stop there as the greatest moment in Team India's cricketing history took place in England when Kapil Dev led a formidable Indian side to a historic triumph as India won the 1983 World Cup.

India has won the prestigious tournament twice before and will be vying to bring home the trophy for the third time.

#1 England

The number 1 ranked side of the world, England's cricket team has dispatched almost everyone in their path with relative ease. The hosts have the unrivalled home advantage but their position in this list relies much more on their form than the mere benefit of being the hosts. England had a debacle at the last World Cup where they couldn’t go past the group stage.

Their poor show in the previous World Cup made the England board make some significant changes and here we stand with England being the number 1 side in the world and a genuine favourite for the World Cup.

The strength lies in the dynamic batting prowess of the team. Men like Jason Roy, Joe root and not to forget their skipper Eoin Morgan are capable of hurting any opposition on their day. When talking about England’s batting unit, there is one man who really stands apart. The man is none other than the dashing wicketkeeper from Somerset, Jos Buttler.

Any team in the world would be frightened by the dangerous English batsman. With England playing at home and with this solid lineup, this seems like their best shot at being World Champions and claiming the elusive World Cup trophy, a trophy they’ve come close to winning numerous times, even finishing the runners-up on 3 occasions.

Ever since their debacle in the 2015 World Cup, England has gone on to smash the highest ODI total twice and has crossed the 300-run mark more than anyone in World Cricket.