The 12th edition of the mega event ICC World Cup 2019 will be hosted by England from 30th of May continuing till 14th July. The last date for all the teams to announce their final teams is 23rd April. This being said, the hosts have announced their 15-man squad a few days ago.
England is one of the top favourite teams to win the World Cup this year. And with them being the host, it is most likely to have things work in their favour. They know the pitch there and are accustomed to the weather conditions. And even though they haven’t included young Jofra Archer in their team, the team comprises of some strong world-class players who could be the game changers.
Top Five Game Changers for England In World Cup:
Moeen Ali:
Moeen Ali, right-arm off break, struggled during the opening matches of England’s tour in West Indies but he still thrives in the English conditions. He has played overall 30 matches on home grounds scoring a total of 544 runs and has taken 29 wickets.
In England’s last ODI against New Zealand, Moeen’s best came out in the third match where he took three wickets giving 36 runs with an economy rate of 3.60. He is one of the finest all-rounders a team can ask for. His highest record in ODI matches has been of 128 runs.
As the English team hosts this summer World Cup, Moeen will be of significant importance in their middle batting order, playing a key role with the ball.
Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler is a fine batsman in the white format of cricket. Currently, he is playing in the 12th edition of Indian Premier League. His performance in past matches has been outstanding in the ongoing event.
Buttler has specifically saved his position in the opening order of the team. He can be unpredictable at times but he has the ability to turn the game on its head.
In 126 ODI matches, Buttler had scored his fair share of 3387 runs with a strike rate of 118.34.
Ben Stokes
Stokes is one of the most explosives all-rounders for England. He has made 2088 runs in a total of 79 ODIs till now. Ben was on a rollercoaster ride during the year 2015 due to which he wasn’t selected for the World Cup 2015.
His performances in the last couple of matches have been brilliant. In the five-match ODI series against Windies, he ended up making 79 runs in 85 balls in the second match while scalping 3/37 in the opening match.
Jonny Bairstow
Jonny Bairstow’s performance alongside David Warner in IPL has built up the ladder for his World Cup career this year. The English wicket-keeper has scored 141 as highest in 58 ODI matches of his career.
Bairstow has been in red hot form in the recent past. The talisman right-hander scored more than 1000 runs in 2018 as he had batted at the top of his game.
Joe Root
In his ODI span of 2013-2019, Joe Root has played 126 matches with 5090 runs. Lately, he has been in best of ODI form. In February earlier this year, during England’s ODI against West Indies, Root (102) had partnered with Jason Roy (123) to mark their first ODI win of the year, chasing the target of 361.