Tommy wrote:Does anyone care to make a prediction? For me I can't see past India or Australia taking it because they're both more likely than other sides to show resilience in the knock-out rounds.
Odds on Betfair at time of posting:
England 3
India 4.3
Australia 5.6
NZ 12.5
SAfrica 13.5
Pakistan 18
WIndies 23
Bangladesh 100
Sri Lanka 120
Afghanistan 170
The poms being such heavy favourites and desperate to win it for the first time in their history in front of expectant home fans looks like the ingredients for a classic choke. They take a lot of risks with their batting which looks great when it comes off but may not be so effective in swinging/seaming conditions in June or in a tournament where you need some consistency to win it. Not much value at 3-1.
India has a very strong ODI side but their batsmen often struggle in English conditions. Admittedly this may be less of a problem in ODIs than in tests but it’s still a factor. They’re definitely contenders but not quite my top pick in England.
NZ may not be the most likely to win it but for me they are the best value bet at 12.5. They’ve got a decent side and the conditions should suit their bowlers. In Kane Williamson they have not only one of the best batsmen in the world but probably the best against the moving ball.
But for the most likely winner, look no further than the Wikipedia definition of the ICC World Cup:
The ICC World Cup is an international cricket tournament in which a number of countries, dressed in coloured clothing, compete against each other in a series of group and knock out matches played over several weeks on various grounds provided by the host nation. And when it is all over, the Australians lift the trophy.
