Finally all of the World Cup squads have been released. I’ll be running down through all squads and how they fared to my predicted 15.
Australia
My predicted squad – Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, Peter Handscomb, Mitch Starc, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Nathan Coulter Nile, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Fawad Ahmed
Final 15 – Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitch Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter Nile, Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa, Nathan Lyon.
Geez Peter Handscomb must be spewing. What else did he need to do after all he did against India both home and away?
He will be sorely missed in the middle overs where he rotated the strike very well. Jason Behrendorff takes Kane Richardson’s spot which isn’t surprising and nor is Nathan Lyon over Fawad Ahmed (although I still think he’s the best white-ball spinner in Australia).
I got quite a bit of flak for not including Hazlewood and that was because Australia don’t have the depth to cover him in red ball cricket, but they do for white ball cricket, thus not rushing him from injury.
This was practically the same reason the Aussie selectors said when announcing the squad.
Aaron Finch of Australia bats. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
New Zealand
Predicted squad – Martin Guptill, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Colin De Grandhomme, Jimmy Neesham, Mitch Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Jeetan Patel
Final 15 – Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Colin De Grandhomme, Jimmy Neesham, Mitch Santner, Tom Blundell, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi
I have no idea how Colin Munro has made it to the squad. He’s done absolutely nothing for New Zealand in one day cricket bar the odd 50.
He should consider himself very lucky and if given a chance, needs to grab it with both hands. Tom Blundell is an interesting selection.
He’s a good keeper when I saw him debut against Bangladesh in a T20 in 2017. Despite a test century on debut, his batting credentials in List A cricket aren’t pretty and will sporadically play if given the chance.
India
Predicted squad – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav
Final 15 – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav
In what world does KL Rahul make it into India’s one day squad, regardless of his role?
I don’t care how good he’s been in the IPL, he’s just a T20 basher and nothing else. He has no idea to construct an innings without slogging for his life anymore.
If India wanted a proper backup opener, it should’ve been Rishabh Pant or even Shubman Gill who’s been India’s best white ball domestic player currently.
Ravindra Jadeja has been included in India’s 15 and I think that’s purely based on if there are spin friendly pitches. With Vijay Shankar now being backed as India’s number 4, India can afford to play Ravindra Jadeja over Hardik Pandya if conditions suit them.
India’s Virat Kohli will head into the World Cup in good form (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
South Africa
Predicted squad – Hashim Amla, Reeza Hendricks, Faf Du Plessis, Rassie Van Der Dussen, JP Duminy, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Quinton De Kock, David Miller, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Chris Morris, Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi
Final 15 – Hashim Amla, Faf Du Plessis, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Aiden Markram, JP Duminy, David Miller, Quinton De Kock, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, tabraiz Shamsi and Imran Tahir
It was always 50/50 between Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks. Neither have lighted up international cricket, but both have done well in domestic cricket to be recalled again.
I had Chris Morris over Anrich Nortje based on Nortje’s knee injury and whether he’d be fit in time. Seems like the SA selectors have faith in him and hopefully he backs their decision.
Sri Lanka
Predicted squad – Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Dhananjaya De Silva, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, Lasith Malinga, Lahiru Kumara, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dhananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan
Final 15 – Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhananjaya De Silva, Avishka Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Jeevan Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Milinda Siriwardana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Angelo Mathews
Bloody hell so many questions with this squad. I don’t even know to begin. Lahiru Thirimanne, Milinda Siriwardana, Jeevan Mendis. They’re all flops in international cricket and it has been shown so many times.
How there is no Niroshan Dickwella and no Akila Dananjaya is just baffling. Honestly, this squad doesn’t do justice towards the loyal Lankan fans who turn up everywhere despite their mediocre ODI performances.
I’ll be so angry and disappointed if Bangladesh end up losing to this lot because they are literally gifting two points to the opposition.
No disrespect, but they have no stability in the top order, a little bit in the middle order with Mathews in the squad but no threat with the ball bar Malinga. This is gonna be one heck of a ride for Sri Lanka and their fans.
dat
Roar Rookie
Jadeja was being picked regularly, in the odi series against Australia,only remember him not playing one match.He also bowled better than the rest of the indian bowlers in the last odi they played. I was genuinely not a fan of him in the playing 11 ,but the reason he was picked in the 15 man squad is kinda obvious. India needs a no:8 who can bat somewhat and he is quite capable at that role same as bhuvi. Both bhuvi and jadeja based on their odi records are run containing bowlers,who take about 1 wicket per match ,can bat somewhat and also field better than the other bowlers. If India aren’t winning matches with bhuvi in the 11,they will look to bring shami in, meaning one of the spinners will make way for jadeja. The preferred bowling combo for india looks to be- 3 wicket taking bowlers-bumrah,kuldeep, chahal/shami 1 run containing bowler(who also isn’t a free wicket when they bat)-bhuvi/jadeja 1 allrounder who finishes his quota alongside a 6th bowling option-hardik +jadhav Also if jadhav’s injury results in him missing out of the wc,i wouldn’t be surprised if jadeja gets his spot in the 11. Which i feel is giving far too much credit to jadeja’s limited overs batting prowess,but it wont surprise me either,if they do go with that tactic.
Neel
Roar Guru
100 % agree on Colin Munro. The guy averages 24.9 after 51 matches which really indicates that he shouldn’t be in the squad. I would have gone for Will Young over him but the NZ selectors missed a trick in not letting Young debut in one of the ODI series against Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. Blundell was a surprise selection. If Seifert wasn’t injured, I don’t think Blundell would have been anywhere near the World Cup squad. Blundell did post a good score today in the warm-up game but it is just a warm-up game. Hopefully for the Blackcaps sake and their fans sake he can continue the good work from today and replicate it in the World Cup.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
You do seem very defensive of your own picks, Arnab. Your analysis on KL Rahul is a bit harsh, you seem to be basing it solely on IPL style (a competition which he has the 2nd-most runs in, mind you). Besides, neither Pant nor Gill are true openers. Pant opened a bit in the IPL last year, but now he's being played exclusively as a middle-order batsman. Pant isn't any less of a slogger than Rahul, either. And I love Gill to bits, but he's only ever opened in T20 cricket as well, and he's a no.3 or no.4 by trade. Rahul was really India's only option. And I still don't know why you're rating Ahmed so strongly; he's a great bowler but he's 37, a liability in the field and with the bat, and Zampa has a far superior ODI and List A record.