Sports

England greats predict Cricket World Cup top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker


Ten teams will compete for the 2019 Cricket World Cup (Picture: Getty)

Former England cricketers Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Rob Key and Ian Ward have predicted which players will finish the Cricket World Cup as top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker.

The tournament gets underway on Thursday when hosts England – the top-ranked team in the world – face South Africa at The Oval.

The other eight teams involved are India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Ahead of the tournament, ex-England cricketers Hussain, Atherton, Key and Ward have given their predictions to Sky Sports.



Cricket World Cup top run-scorer

Hussain: Virat Kohli. I’m tempted by Jos Buttler, with the form he’s showing, but I just don’t expect him to get as many opportunities with the bat as Kohli.

Atherton: Jonny Bairstow, because he’ll get a lot of opportunity at the top of the order for England.

Key: Kohli. Bairstow is a good shout, and David Warner – there’s only one place to bat in white-ball cricket now, and it’s as an opener. But I can’t not pick Kohli.

Ward: Warner. With a point to prove on his return to cricket. The English crowd on his back, he’ll want to prove a point. Plus, he looked in sensational form in the IPL.



Cricket World Cup leading wicket-taker

Hussain: Jasprit Bumrah. Your death bowler will likely be your most successful and take the most wickets, and nobody does it better than him.

Atherton: It will be a spinner, I think, taking wickets in the middle overs. I’ll go with Yuzvendra Chahal, the Indian leggie.

Key: Bumrah. I just think he’s a genius. He’s someone that you can’t copy; a rare talent with has a very unique action. Adil Rashid might run him close though, he’s a consistent wicket-taker.

Ward: I’m tempted to say Archer. Or Bumrah. Wickets early on and wickets at the death.

England are the strong favourites to win the competition and Hussain is backing Eoin Morgan’s side but says there are ‘so many sides’ contenders who could lift the trophy.

He said: ‘There are so many sides that could win it, but England are rightly favourites.

‘I don’t see any reason why they won’t at least make it through to the knockout stage and, if I was to pick a winner right now, it would be England.’

Fellow former England captain Atherton added: ‘I think they’re justifiable favourites on the cricket they’ve played.

‘They’re at home, they’re the No 1-ranked side in the world so why can’t they go all the way? I think they might.’





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.