The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 starts from May 30 onwards in England and Wales. All the ten teams are preparing for the biggest event in the sport.
The 2019 World Cup will be an important chapter for many captains concerned. Out of the 10 captains, seven of them are set to lead their sides for the first time.
Captaincy in the 2019 World Cup will play a major role and it’s an event where you need the side to rally around its leader. A captain is as good as his team and one wants to see the players stand up to make it memorable.
A skipper has to shoulder many responsibilities. He has to cater to his individual show, make several tactical decisions, keep the moral high and prepare different strategies for opposition teams.
Being consistent, confident and sharp will help a leader in getting things right.
Also, Read:-
–Analysis Of India’s 15-member squad for ICC World Cup 2019
–Analysis Of New Zealand’s 15-member Squad For ICC World Cup 2019
The ten teams in the World Cup will compete against each other in a round-robin stage followed by the semi-finals. There is everything to play for.
Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, here we look at all the 10 captains and what they are set to offer.
#1 Aaron Finch, Australia
Aaron Finch will be pumped by the two massive ODI series victories this year against India and Pakistan respectively. Moreover, he knows the side in and out after being handed the reins last year.
Aussies struggled big time, but Finch and his men will be eager to make it count. Finch is a strong leader and team player. He will sacrifice his role as an opener to feature in the middle.
The versatile player will have three megastar players to turn up to in the World Cup. Steve Smith, David Warner, and Mitchell Starc were standout performers for Australia in the 2015 World Cup and Finch will rely on them for the fireworks. Finch enjoyed some strong form against Pakistan and will be confident.
#2 Gulbadin Naib, Afghanistan
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) shocked one and all by naming Naib as captain for the World Cup. Naib replaced Asghar Afghan, who was a successful captain for the Asian side and helped them earn qualification by winning the ICC World Cup 2018 Qualifiers. The decision left some of the Afghan cricketers baffled, but they have to manage with what’s on offer.
Naib will make his debut as Afghanistan skipper. He has been in the side for a long time and will look to enhance his reputation. He has bog shoes to fill and it’s a tricky period upfront.
#3 Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh
The fast bowler is vastly experienced and will be leading Bangladesh side for the second time in the World Cup. In 2015, under Mortaza’s captaincy, Bangladesh reached the last-eight for the first time.
The players will be looking to rally around him. Mortaza is a fine leader and knows how to get the best out of the Tigers in major tournaments.
He brings a lot of energy to the table and is a quality fast bowler. He has a win percentage of 56.94 as captain.
#4 Eoin Morgan, England
England’s success since the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, owes a lot to Eoin Morgan. The southpaw is a real deal and will be immense for his side going into the event.
This is the second CWC for Morgan as a skipper. After the early exit in 2015, England’s fortunes have changed. They are the number one ranked side and are the title contenders.
England have gelled well under Morgan and they are a happy camp. The southpaw is a sheer match-winner with his consistency. He has a win percentage of 64.67.
#5 Virat Kohli, India
The 30-year-old is the best batsman in ODIs at the moment. Virat Kohli will lead his side for the first time in a 50-over World Cup. However, he has led India before in an ICC event. Interestingly, this will also be Kohli’s third World Cup as a player. He won the tourney in 2011.
Kohli needs to be bold with his decision-making and be smart with team selection. He will contribute immensely as a batsman. One major positive for Kohli is that he can turn up to MS Dhoni for pivotal decisions on the pitch.
#6 Kane Williamson, New Zealand
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson will play his first World Cup as a captain. In the 2015 edition, New Zealand finished as runners-up under the leadership of Brendon McCullum. He is a proven skipper with enormous leadership skills. Williamson is one of the most calm-headed captains world cricket has ever witnessed.
He is shrewd with his field setting and bowling changes. The Kiwi batsman an attacking force and will be look to score immensely. The 28-year-old has ticked all the boxes in the right manner and can propel NZ to shine.
#7 Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan
The Pakistani skipper will be wanting to repeat the heroics of the ICCÂ Champions Trophy win in 2017. He stated a few weeks back that his side should be considered as the under dogs. Pakistan need to produce the final product. They have all the promise and a decent squad at their disposal, but substance is what they will need.
He also needs to contribute with the bat and be aggressive as a leader. He has win percentage of 60.
#8 Faf du Plessis, South Africa
Middle-order batsman Faf du Plessis has been leading the South African team for a while now. In 2017 he was named as ODI captain and since then South Africa have done fairly well under his captaincy. A consistent player, Faf is highly versatile and is pretty assured in handling his team well. He commands respect and will be a pivotal force.
The Proteas have a history of struggling in ICC events and this will be a big challenge for Faf. He needs to manoeuvre his troops and break the shackles. He has a win percentage of 83.33.
#9 Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka
Opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne was surprisingly named as Sri Lanka’s ODI captain. He is yet to lead Sri Lanka in the 50-over format and last played a match back in 2015. He is a Test regular though, but this will be highly interesting for the player to captain the team in a big event.
He replaced Lasith Malinga as skipper and will need to bring all his expertise in the 2019 World Cup.
#10 Jason Holder, West Indies
Having led the team in the 2015 World Cup, Jason Holder has plenty of experience as a skipper.
Holder has gained the utmost respect from all corners and is West Indies’, go-to man. Holder knows the job in hand and will be eager to make it count with some fine display of leadership in the 2019 World Cup.
The side gave a decent account of themselves this year against England in the 2-2 series draw. Holder will draw inspiration from the same. He has a win percentage of 33.82.