2023 Cricket World Cup team guide: Batting depth boosts England's hopes of successful title defence

Afghanistan

Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi
Star batsman Ibrahim Zadran
Bowling ace Rashid Khan
X factor Naveen-ul-Haq

Best World Cup performance Group stage (2015, 2019)

Afghanistan lost all nine of their matches at the 2019 World Cup but spinners Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi should pose more of a threat on Indian pitches.

Dynamic openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran put on 256 in 36 overs to set up a series win in Bangladesh in July and coach Jonathan Trott wants his batters to pace their innings better in 50-over cricket.

The Afghans have lost their last five ODIs but showcased their destructive batting in a two-run loss to Sri Lanka last time out, cracking 289 off 37.4 overs and hitting 12 sixes.

Australia

Captain Pat Cummins
Star batsman David Warner
Bowling ace Mitchell Starc
X factor Glenn Maxwell

Best World Cup performance Winners (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015)

The five-time World Cup winners have had a difficult build-up, suffering some thumping defeats in South Africa and India, and influential opener Travis Head will miss the first three weeks of the tournament due to a fractured hand.

The absence of Head and injured spinner Ashton Agar raise doubts over the balance of the side and much will depend on veteran opener David Warner. 

The squad is packed with underperforming seam-bowling all-rounders but Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell are the only spinners and a middle-order featuring Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey looks more suited to Test cricket than ODIs. 

Bangladesh

Captain Shakib Al Hasan
Star batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto
Bowling ace Mustafizur Rahman
X factor Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Best World Cup performance Quarter-finals (2015)

Bangladesh have had some famous victories at World Cups, beating India and South Africa in 2007 and defeating England in 2011 and 2015.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, two stars of the 2007 World Cup campaign, are still in the squad and Najmul Hossain Shanto and all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz are reliable 50-over performers.

The Tigers beat South Africa, the West Indies and Afghanistan in 2019 but their batsmen have scored only four centuries in 17 completed ODIs this year and they were bowled out for 168 and 171 in two home defeats against New Zealand last week.

England

Captain Jos Buttler
Star batsman Jonny Bairstow
Bowling ace Adil Rashid
X factor Ben Stokes

Best World Cup performance Winners (2019)

The defending champions have kept faith with the core of their triumphant 2019 team although Dawid Malan has displaced Jason Roy at the top of the order, with thrilling young batter Harry Brook coming into the squad. 

Several England players are double world champions, having played in last year's successful T20 World Cup campaign in Australia, and they look the biggest threats to favourites India.

Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are ODI superstars who have done well in the IPL and England's bowling attack looks versatile, with plenty of spin options, three left-arm quicks and the pace of Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson.

India

Captain Rohit Sharma
Star batsman Virat Kohli
Bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah
X factor Suryakumar Yadav

Best World Cup performance Winners (1983, 2011)

Two 50-over World Cups and one T20 title is a modest return considering India's depth of talent but they are worthy favourites to be crowned world champions on home soil, as they were in 2011.

Batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are ODI greats while brilliant young opener Shubman Gill averages 66 and Suryakumar Yadav is capable of producing pyrotechnics at the end of the innings.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah may need to be nursed through the early games after a year on the sidelines but fellow pacemen Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are also top-class and India's spin department looks as strong as ever. 

Netherlands

Captain Scott Edwards
Star batsman Vikramjit Singh
Bowling ace Logan van Beek
X factor Bas de Leede

Best World Cup performance Group stage (1996, 2003, 2007, 2011)

The Netherlands earned their place at the World Cup by reaching the final of July's ICC Qualifier tournament thanks to astonishing run-chases in wins over the West Indies and Scotland.

They bat deep, with Bas de Leede, captain Scott Edwards and Teja Nidamanuru in the middle-order engine room, while 20-year-old opener Vikramjit Singh is another exciting talent.

A lack of experience in Indian conditions is a major concern for the Dutch and their bowling attack is likely to be exposed on flat pitches – they conceded a world-record ODI total of 498-4 against England in June 2022.  

New Zealand

Captain Kane Williamson
Star batsman Devon Conway
Bowling ace Trent Boult
X factor Ish Sodhi

Best World Cup performance Runners-up (2015, 2019)

New Zealand have been runners-up at the last two World Cups, suffering an agonising defeat to England on boundary count-back rule in the 2019 final at Lord's.

Seam-friendly conditions suited them perfectly in England and their batting unit may struggle to post matchwinning totals in India, especially as skipper Kane Williamson has been sidelined since April due to a knee injury.

The Black Caps cannot be written off, though, with spinners Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra supporting an experienced pace attack and Will Young forming a useful opening partnership with Devon Conway. 

Pakistan

Captain Babar Azam
Star batsman Mohammad Rizwan
Bowling ace Shaheen Shah Afridi
X factor Haris Rauf

Best World Cup performance Winners (1992)

Pakistan were bowled out for 105 in their 2019 World Cup opener against the West Indies but went on to beat champions England and runners-up New Zealand in the league stage of the tournament.

Another topsy-turvy campaign is likely in 2023, especially considering the challenges of competing in India, where Pakistan players have been barred from playing in the IPL since the inaugural 2008 season.

Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan are outstanding white-ball batsmen while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf lead an exciting bowling attack but reaching the semi-finals will not be straightforward. 

South Africa

Captain Temba Bavuma
Star batsman Heinrich Klaasen
Bowling ace Kagiso Rabada
X factor David Miller

Best World Cup performance Semi-finals (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015)

The 2019 World Cup failed to dispel South Africa's reputation as a team who struggle under pressure. Eliminated after picking up just three points from their first seven games, they turned on the style to thrash Sri Lanka and beat Australia in their final two fixtures.

They have beaten England 2-1 and Australia 3-2 in home ODI series this year and their batting looks strong on paper with Temba Bavuma, Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram in fine 50-over form.

Big-hitting David Miller is an IPL stalwart and the bowling attack is solid enough but backing the Proteas to reach their first World Cup final is still a leap of faith.  

Sri Lanka

Captain Dasun Shanaka
Star batsman Pathum Nissanka
Bowling ace Maheesh Theekshana
X factor Dunith Wellalage

Best World Cup performance Winners (1996)

The 1996 World Cup winners and 2011 runners-up failed to qualify automatically for this year's tournament but they came through July's ICC Qualifier in style, winning eight games out of eight.

The Lankans claimed a shock win over England at Headingley at the 2019 tournament and an exciting young bowling attack should mean they are competitive in more familiar conditions in India.

Their batting is inconsistent – they were bowled out for 50 in last month's Asia Cup final against India – but they had impressed up until that collapse, beating Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh (twice). 

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