ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: England Will Not Have A better Opportunity To Win It – Mike Gatting
May 29, 2019 at 7:17 PM
Former England captain Mike Gatting believes that the present English ODI side is the strongest ever England ODI team. He feels that England has its best chance to win the upcoming Cricket World Cup.
The 2019 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will run from 30th May to 14th July in England and Wales. A total of ten top teams will participate in this tournament, including the host side England.
Gatting feels that the present ODI cricket is in an excellent position. He thinks that it will be tough to predict the winner of the forthcoming Cricket World Cup.
Gatting recently told The Cricketer, “One-day cricket is as good as it’s ever been. It’s quite incredible the way the format has blossomed again over the last few years and it’s difficult to say who will come out on top this summer.”
Talking about the present England ODI team, Gatting feels very excited. He believes that it is the strongest side in England ODI cricket history. He also added that the young all-rounder Jofra Archer‘s inclusion would only strengthen the national team. Gatting thinks that the upcoming Cricket World Cup will be England’s best chance to win it.
He added, “England have the strongest side they have ever had, and the inclusion of the exciting Jofra Archer is only going to strengthen that. England will not have a better opportunity to win it.”
England will start their upcoming Cricket World Cup campaign through the opening match of the tournament. On 30th May, England and South Africa will play the opening match of the tournament at The Oval (London).
I look at the squads, and I do fancy New Zealand to do well – Mike Gatting
Mike Gatting is also excited about the New Zealand team, who finished as the runners-up in last Cricket World Cup. Gatting believes that New Zealand is no longer the dark horse side due to the availability of enough experienced players in the national team.
He said, “I look at the squads and I do fancy New Zealand to do well. You can no longer call them dark horses as their players are so experienced.”
Gatting praised the New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and the senior cricketer Ross Taylor. Moreover, he called the front-line pacers Tim Southee and Trent Boult as the match-winning bowlers.
Talking more about the Kiwi side, Gatting added, “They play some great cricket, they always play as a team, and they are well led by Kane Williamson. Ross Taylor is also a fine batsman, and, in Tim Southee and Trent Boult, they have match-winning bowlers.”
New Zealand will begin their journey in the forthcoming Cricket World Cup on 1st June. In their opening match of the tournament, New Zealand will face Sri Lanka at Cardiff.
England and New Zealand, both haven’t won the Cricket World Cup yet. In this tournament history, England has finished as the runners-up for thrice (1979, 1987 and 1992). Meanwhile, New Zealand’s best Cricket World Cup record was in 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup where they finished as the runners-up.