Power Ranking the 2019 World Cup Teams

1. England

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

In 2011, it was India and Sri Lanka. In 2015, it was Australia and New Zealand. Over the past two World Cups, the hosts have dominated as they have managed to reach the World Cup final. Considering that England are hosting the World Cup alone, they might be seen as favorites for the tournament.

That is certainly true, but it is not because of home advantage or their familiarity with the conditions. After all, there is a reason why England are top in the ICC ODI rankings. Their strengths are numerous but they mainly pertain to the batting lineup which is probably the best in the world.

At the top of the order, they have Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root- one of which almost always plays a big innings at an incredible strike-rate. Root may have problems with conversion in test cricket, but in ODIs he has established himself as an absolute beast. The fact that the likes of Alex Hales and James Vince may find themselves outside of the playing XI is testament to how deep England’s batting reserves are.

However, what makes England so special is their lower middle order, an area which is a trouble for most teams in the tournament. Eoin Morgan is the perfect No.4 and a decent captain who has instilled fearlessness in his side. Meanwhile Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler are all players with the temperament to play test cricket regularly while also possessing the explosiveness needed to play T20s- what more can you ask from ODI batsmen?

Furthermore, England’s bowling attack is also one of the most balanced in the tournament. Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali provide a spinning alternative that English teams have historically lacked in ODI cricket. Meanwhile any combination of David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett have the potency to be effective.

England can outgun any team in a 350+ chase on a flat track. They can succeed with Ali and Rashid on a dry track (as shown in the second ODI against India). And of course, they can succeed with their pacers on a traditionally English grassy track. This combination along with their home advantage makes them favorites for the World Cup, no matter what their historical record.