Just 7 years ago, Afghanistan were battling it out in World Cricket League Division 5 among such cricketing strongholds as Jersey and Germany. Now they stand just days away from a World Cup bow. Their rise through the WCL and into the ICC’s showpiece event has been well documented in the past few months, especially…
On the batting friendly pitches of Australasia, Sri Lanka will be pitting their bowling hopes squarely on the shoulders of one man. Lasith Malinga is back, and ready to wreak havoc once again. He may have been out of the game for a while, but right him off at your peril. He lit up the…
In a year in which New Zealand have found a new place amongst the game’s elite in ODI cricket, their captain has endured a remarkably lean year in the format. Brendon McCullum has been scoring runs for fun in the Test arena and led his side to their most successful year in their Test history.…
My latest player to watch comes from the side that I’m backing to go all the way and claim the World Cup trophy. Mitchell Starc has enjoyed a superb return to form over the past few months, and is now seen as one of the most in-form bowlers in ODI cricket. Starc’s recent returns have…
On the 18th January 2015, Abraham Benjamin de Villers broke the world record for the fastest ODI century. In fact, he didn’t just break the record, he broke it, stamped on it, set fire to it and laughed in its face. His 31-ball hundred was a moment where the boundaries of the sport were redefined.…
After yesterday’s brief flirtation with the world of the CPL, today sees the return of my countdown to the World Cup, and my latest player to watch. Steven Finn is the one England player to feature on my list. In truth, I could have put 2 or 3 on here, but whether that’s due to…
Pakistan are always my favourite team to watch at the World Cup. They lurch like a drunken fool from catastrophe to success. Never predictable, always riveting. The embodiment of this style of cricket can be found in their mercurial all-rounder. Shahid Afridi is entering his fifth world cup, and he is still as much of…
From afar it almost looks like the West Indies have written this World Cup off. Their squad selection has been confusing and their recent form has been patchy to say the least. When the squad was announced for the World Cup, there were two clear stories to be observed. Firstly, the omission of Kieron Pollard and…
It speaks volumes of India’s destructive batting line-up that, despite their atrocious showing during the recent ODI tri-series, and increasingly toothless bowling, they are still considered a firm favourite for a semi-final spot in the World Cup. Plenty has been said about India’s much vaunted top order and their ability to make huge totals. If…
The World Cup is just 12 days away, and for now, all I can feel is genuine excitement. Sure, I’ll be just as annoyed as the rest of you when the tournament feels like it’s been going for months and England and Bangladesh play out a boring dead match in front of nobody. But for…
Jack Vittles 