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The best teams in the 50-over game are set to descend on India for the Cricket World Cup, with each side looking to wrestle the trophy away from reigning champions England, who won the competition on their own turf back in 2019.
Ahead of the tournament, Newbettingsites.com.au have been looking at the top choices in the betting according to the bookmakers and how they are shaping up ahead of the World Cup.
The Favourites – India, England and Australia
India arrive for the tournament as the slight favourites with most bookies. Led by Rohit Sharma, India boast some of the top talent in the game, with the likes of Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohamed Shami all likely to feature heavily across the tournament.
The time all of these players have spent in the Indian Premier League will help massively as they look to take advantage of home conditions. The spinning options will be vital across each match, while the ability to play spin with the bat could be the most important factor for the batsmen.
While the home crowd will spur India on, could the weight of expectation prove to be too heavy for the home side, especially if matches go against them?
England arrive for the tournament as the second favourites, although for many, they are the team to beat. The English are the current world champions and are led by arguably the most destructive batsman in the world in Jos Buttler.
Jos Buttler of England
England’s worry has always been how they play spin, meaning Joe Root could be their most important player as a superb player of the turning ball.
The U-turn on retirement for Ben Stokes coupled with a potent spin and pace bowling options make England very strong, with their batting and bowling lineup arguably the strongest and most well-balanced in the game.
Australia arrive for this one on the back of retaining the Ashes in the longest format of the game, and they now have their eyes set on the World Cup.
It is an interesting proposition for the Aussies at this World Cup as they do not arrive as the outright favourites. Australia have been the team to beat at World Cups for years, and arriving as third in line could simply help to take some of the pressure off them, allowing them to go under the radar and build towards another potential World Cup triumph.
The Dark Horses – Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa
Pakistan constitute an interesting proposition. Spinning pitches will not be new to them, while they excelled at the last major tournament as they finished second at the T20 World Cup as they were downed by England in 2022.
Alongside the experience their team now has of going deep at a competition, you cannot discount a side that includes Babar Azam in it, with the batsman a run scoring machine. Throw in the likes of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi with the ball and you have a potent side that offers decent odds.
The runners-up at the last World Cup, New Zealand are a dangerous outfit that always seem to be underestimated. The Black Caps made it all the way to the final in 2019 and were only beaten by boundary count as they lost to England in a super over.
The worry for New Zealand and all the other sides is that only four teams can get out of the initial group, so the Kiwis will have to outplay and eliminate one of India, England, Australia or Pakistan to make the semi-finals.
South Africa arrive with a good chance of making it out of the group, but they have to put their inconsistent ways behind them. Temba Bavuma leads a side that includes Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada and David Miller, with the South Africans a strong outsider at the competition.
The remaining teams include Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Netherlands.
While a World Cup champions shock results and upsets, it seems like there are too many genuine contenders to see the afore-mentioned sides seriously contend for the title.
