SAM MORSHEAD, NICK HOWSON, NICK FRIEND and KISHAN VAGHELA choose their winners, top runscorers, leading wicket-takers and flops of the tournament... and lay out their hopes for what the competition will achieve
Who will win?
England
Yeah, I've said it. Yes, I believe it. One hundred per cent, it will happen. Okay, maybe 99. Alright, 98. Be firm, Sam. You know this team has more about it than any other English white-ball side of your lifetime. You know it has a ruthless batting department made up of six proven matchwinners, all capable of striking at 100-plus per 100, most of whom are devastating on a 360-degree scale.
You know they pass 300 for fun, and 350 for a few extra giggles. You know they now have raw pace up top and mystery spin in the middle, and death bowlers who can hold their nerve. They're pretty decent in the field, too.
Yes, they will face some tough tests. Yes, there is home pressure. Yes, the format lends itself to an all-conquering group-stage romp following by a semi-final stumble.
But this team is better than that, and you know it.
Which team will flop?
Pakistan
They'll just as likely go and win it but when you go into a tournament with a form record which reads like a Welsh town there's not a great deal of expectation.
Who will score the most runs?
David Warner
Have you seen how he's been hitting them for the past two months? Presuming Australia don't commit a cardinal sin and drop him to three, he'll be stacking up the runs and quickly.
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Who will take the most wickets?
Jofra Archer
There has not been a white-ball fast bowler jump into England shoes and excite the masses quite like this man. Pace to burn, intelligent variation, capable of bowling bombs in the early overs or wide yorkers later on, he will have every chance to clean up an innings or end one before it's even got going.
If you had one ticket to a group-stage match, what would it be?
West Indies v Pakistan at Trent Bridge
Gayle, Russell, Hetmyer and Lewis versus the baseball-shaped ground is a recipe for carnage. We talk about England being the first to breach 500, this Windies side could quite easily get there before them.
What is your big wish for the World Cup?
That, somehow, it ends up with hundreds of thousands of men, women and children cheering on Eoin Morgan and Co to a thrilling victory at Lord's on July 14; a nation captivated by our sport. Cricket will always struggle to achieve the unifying strength of football but this is as good a chance as any.
Let's hope the tournament is amplified to the masses and given a chance to captivate.
1st: England
2nd: India
3rd: West Indies
4th: Australia
5th: New Zealand
6th: South Africa
7th: Bangladesh
8th: Pakistan
9th: Afghanistan
10th: Sri Lanka
How will Pakistan and Afghanistan fare?
Who will win?
England
That every reporter in the land is desperately seeking for some chink in the armoury says everything about how serene the last four years has been for Eoin Morgan’s men.
They have the best batting line-up in the tournament and a bowling attack which will strike fear into opponents in home conditions. There are seemingly no weaknesses.
Which team is the dark horse?
West Indies
Arguably the nation with the most dynamism and electricity running through it in the competition. Chris Gayle and Andre Russell could hit some teams into the next county if they fancy while with the ball they possess genuine pace. Win or lose, everything the Windies do will be a headline.
Which team will flop?
South Africa
Injuries coming into the tournament for Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada is a sign of things to come, while premier spinner Imran Tahir is 40 years old. With the bat, there are plenty of dependable performers but bar Quinton de Kock there are few who can hit the accelerator when required.
They have been left behind by the modern game.
Who will score the most runs?
Jonny Bairstow
One of the most improved cricketers on the planet in the last 12 months. Proved he can deal with high-pressure situations during the Indian Premier League and is probably England’s most dependable batsman next to Joe Root. Openers will be so key to getting teams off to the perfect start in the powerplay overs and the Yorkshireman has all the tools to do so.
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Who will take the most wickets?
Jasprit Bumrah
The Indian seamer is the No.1 bowler in the ICC one-day rankings for a reason. Under English skies he could be lethal, particularly if he can get the white ball to swing both ways. He underpins the best India pace-attack in a generation and with a theatrical action which leaves right and left-handers in a daze the two-time winners have the ace in the pack.
If you had a ticket to one group-stage match, which would it be?
India v Pakistan at Old Trafford
While Trent Bridge and Edgbaston is sure to play host to a number of contests bathed in runs, Manchester could be the perfect scene for a resumption of cricket’s on intense rivalry.
The political subtext around this fixture has of course intensified relations and Virat Kohli in particular will feel there is unfinished business from the Champions Trophy.
What is your big wish for the World Cup?
That the morals of the sport are upheld in what should be one of the most ferociously contested World Cups in a generation. Winning in secondary to fair play.
The IPL became overshadowed by Ravi Ashwin’s Mankad of Jos Buttler and this tournament can ill-afford such toxic headlines. The definition of the ‘spirit of cricket’ has a constantly changing definition but it shouldn’t be hard to identify obvious breaches even of the most fluid of regulations.
1st: England
2nd: Australia
3rd: India
4th: West Indies
5th: New Zealand
6th: South Africa
7th: Pakistan
8th: Bangladesh
9th: Sri Lanka
10th: Afghanistan
David Warner is in excellent nick for Australia
Who will win?
Pakistan
“Are you insane?” I hear you scream. Very possibly. But then, possibly not. With this Pakistan side – like so many other Pakistan sides, it tends to be fairly difficult to tell.
Were they my pick to win the World T20 in 2009 when it landed in the UK? Nope. Did I tip them to claim glory in the 2017 Champions Trophy? Absolutely not. I tipped England.
And that was all going swimmingly until they came across Mickey Arthur’s unfancied Pakistan team – a side thrashed by India in the group phase and one that narrowly crept past Sri Lanka to reach the final four. But then, as they have the potential to do, they turned up. First, they rolled England on a slow, abrasive pitch that suited them; then, they handed out the shellacking to end all shellackings in the final.
And indeed, many of those who formed part of that side are present here two years later, a country where – in tournament-play, at least – Pakistan hold terrific memories. Don’t underestimate the importance of that.
And don’t underestimate the importance of Pakistan’s pre-World Cup series against England. Yes, the hosts won all four completed games. But don’t forget that Pakistan made scores of 361, 358, 340 and 297; they played a huge amount of excellent cricket and they’ll be far better for the experience.
Is it silly to tip them to win the thing? Maybe. Probably. Without a doubt. Does history give them more than a fighting chance? Maybe. Probably. Without a doubt.
Which team is the dark horse?
Bangladesh
I’m going with Bangladesh – not as a dark horse to win it, but as a side that I expect to make a far greater impact than many have given them credit for.
Many have forgotten that Bangladesh found themselves in a semi-final in the 2017 Champions Trophy. Mental. They only played in their first World Cup 20 years ago.
And this isn’t a tournament where Bangladesh will have to negotiate the swinging ball. This is one being played on neutral pitches – some will spin, others will be flat, the odd one may be neither one nor other.
I’m not saying they’ll even be in the picture at the top, but they’ll be good. These days, that’s what Bangladesh do. Well led and well managed, any team with a spine of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim will put up a challenge.
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Which team will flop?
Pakistan
See above.
Who will score the most runs?
Steve Smith
The guy is class. His century against England in last Saturday’s warmup game was vintage Smith. Fairly chanceless, slightly unorthodox and the bedrock of a batting lineup full of talent.
Who will take the most wickets?
Rashid Khan
The one real upshot of the format being used at this year’s World Cup is that everyone will get a fair crack of the whip. Even if you win it, you’ve played just twice more than the team that finishes bottom of the group.
Give Rashid Khan enough runs on the board and he will win games on his own. It is one thing to suggest seeing off his overs. It is another feat entirely to put it into practice. Nobody took more ODI wickets in 2018, his 48 scalps coming at 14.45. I can’t see that changing.
If you had a ticket to one group-stage match, which would it be?
India v Pakistan
It’s the only answer, surely? It will be fascinating – both as a repeat of the 2017 Champions Trophy final when India were embarrassed by their arch-rivals, but also as a reminder of the power of sport.
Two countries at the height of political tension, but two groups of fans sitting together at Old Trafford, singing, chanting and highlighting cricket’s unifying potential.
What is your big wish for the World Cup?
Afghanistan – and Hazratullah Zazai – to shine
The Afghan story is sport’s greatest fairy-tale, the ultimate logic-defying ride. Beyond the war and the human displacement, it is a journey based on astonishing on-field success. Hazratullah Zazai might just be the embodiment of it all. Swashbuckling, fearless, supremely talented, if you haven’t heard of him yet, give it a month.
1st in group: India
2nd: England
3rd: Australia
4th: Pakistan
5th: West Indies
6th: South Africa
7th: Bangladesh
8th: New Zealand
9th: Afghanistan
10th: Sri Lanka
Will the tournament capture the imagination?
Who will win?
Australia
They seem to have hit form at just the right time and with their previous track record it is difficult to look past them. Steve Smith and David Warner's return only strengthens their batting, and their spin is now up to scratch to aid the pacers.
England perhaps have the most variety, but Australia's know-how will see them over the line.
Which team is the dark horse?
West Indies
Given that their talent has been acknowledged, it is peculiar that they have not been tipped to win by many despite the fact that many have included them as being part of the reckoning.
Playing at Trent Bridge the most out of all the sides, it is the perfect platform for them to get into full swing and qualify for the final four at the very least.
Which team will flop?
Pakistan
Two years after winning the Champions Trophy on English soil, Pakistan's form heading into the World Cup could not really be any worse. They lost their warm-up to Afghanistan and have been defeated in their last 10 ODIs as well.
They went into the World T20 in 2009 and the 2017 Champions Trophy in bad form also, but I think it will be third time unlucky here for Mickey Arthur's side.
Who will score the most runs?
Steve Smith
Having regained form in the IPL, Smith has carried that consistency through and his 116 against England in the warm-up game just serves as a reminder that he turns it on, whatever the occasion, against the very best.
I doubt the reception he will receive from some crowds and the challenge from other batsmen will affect him enough to fall away.
Who will take the most wickets?
Jasprit Bumrah
While India's other bowlers seem to dip in and out of form, Bumrah has been a rock for Virat Kohli in recent times.
His varieties and yorkers can and have bamboozled the best and with the determination to prove himself as the best limited-overs fast bowler, he looks on course to replicate performances in recent months.
If you had a ticket to one group-stage match, which would it be?
England vs West Indies
Of all the games in the World Cup to produce a game with close to 1,000 runs, I feel this is the most likely of all.
A game of 480 plays 470 is abhorrent in some people's minds, but I would be very surprised if a game involving Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joss's Buttler, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell does not bring the crowds in.
What is your big wish for the World Cup?
England don't let the pressure get to them. Regardless of the sport and the nation the World Cup takes place in, the atmosphere just feels more positive when the host nation does well and goes deep into the tournament.
England should comfortably make it through to the semi-finals, but if they fail at that stage again the consequent outpouring of misery will do more damage than good for the game in this country.
1st in group: Australia
2nd: England
3rd: West Indies
4th: India
5th: New Zealand
6th: South Africa
7th: Pakistan
8th: Bangladesh
9th: Afghanistan
10th: Sri Lanka
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