Road to the 2015 Cricket World Cup Finals - New Zealand

New Zealand have been unbeaten thus far in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and they have played very well indeed, deserving finalists they are too. Led by an aggressive captain and a bunch of players willing to give it their all and backed by a vociferous crowd, New Zealand have not only won matches but also won the hearts of numerous cricket fans and warmed their hearts. Let us look at their campaign so far.

Eye Catching! This has been a constant feature of McCullum's hyper aggressive captaincy, 

4 slips and a gully at the start of the innings!!

• New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Christchurch - Feb 14, 2015

New Zealand won by 98 runs

• New Zealand v Scotland at Dunedin - Feb 17, 2015

New Zealand won by 3 wickets (with 151 balls remaining)

• New Zealand v England at Wellington - Feb 20, 2015

New Zealand won by 8 wickets (with 226 balls remaining)

• New Zealand v Australia at Auckland - Feb 28, 2015

New Zealand won by 1 wicket (with 161 balls remaining)

• New Zealand v Afghanistan at Napier - Mar 8, 2015

New Zealand won by 6 wickets (with 83 balls remaining)

• New Zealand v Bangladesh at Hamilton - Mar 13, 2015

New Zealand won by 3 wickets (with 7 balls remaining)

• 4th Quarter Final New Zealand v West Indies at Wellington - Mar 21, 2015

New Zealand won by 143 runs

• 1st Semi-Final: New Zealand v South Africa at Auckland - Mar 24, 2015

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) (D/L method)

PS - The image used is courtesy www.espncricinfo.com

A Preview to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

A Special Guest Post from my friend Leo (Vinay) who writes wonderful poems, stories and haikus at his space - I Rhyme Without Reason and is also a bookworm and he writes wonderful reviews at A Bookworm's Musings ... He is also a dear friend and an ardent cricket fan just like me!! He looks ahead to the World Cup 2015 and picks out his favorites! Enjoy the poetry in prose!

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The World Cup… I remember a time, twelve or sixteen years ago, when the preparations at home would start a week or two before. Crackers would be purchased, cardboard cutouts of cricketing heroes would be made and sweets ordered in expectation of the tournament, or at the very least, the India v/s Pakistan game. I remember fighting with parents so I’d be able to watch the games on an exam night or straining to hear the commentary from a neighbor’s television set. Those were the days, the good old days. If you ask me, “Isn’t that excitement, that anticipation there even today?” the honest answer would be no. Not for me. And that’s because the World Cup isn’t once every four years now. The excitement would build previously for a title defense, knowing it won’t come again for another four years, but now, with T20 in the rise, there’s a World Cup every alternate year, and sometimes, in successive years too. 2014 had the World T20 in Bangladesh, 2015 has the World Cup 50 over game in Australia/New Zealand and 2016 will have the World T20 again in India. The pride that comes in saying “We’re World Champions” for four years has dwindled. The best example can be our own champions. Post 2011, India has been on a rut in test match series away from the subcontinent. For every match, forget the series, that India has lost, I’ve heard the response from fans in forums, “No matter. We’re still the World Champions.” The fact that India is champion is used more as an excuse for bad performances rather than as a badge of pride. I’m not saying every fan in the country is the same, but observing generally, that is what I have seen. The same answer was seen after the loss in the T20 final last year too. Sure, the format is different, but with a World Champion every other year, the eagerness isn’t as much now.

An eleven that has batting maybe even up to nine or ten is what gives South Africa a chance to break the “chokers” tag. And for me, they are, for once, favorites to lift a major title. Amla, Roussouw, du Plessis, de Villiers, Miller, de Kock, Duminy, Morkel, Steyn, Philander, Tahir. A line up that has Duminy at seven is not diminutive by any stretch of the imagination. All of them can field well. In pitches down under, the pace trio of Steyn, Morkel and Philander can be very effective, and supported by the two spinners in Duminy and Tahir. They might even choose to leave out Tahir and go four-prong pace with Parnell instead. They all field well too.

The other favorites headed into this World Cup are definitely the two host countries, Australia and New Zealand. They are so because firstly, they know and understand the conditions that they will play in. They are so because secondly, they are in amazing form and have a balanced squad. They are so because, last but not least and maybe most importantly, they are playing in front of their home crowd. The importance of the last is huge. A sub-continental final last time was possible because of the crowd factor as well.

India has been patchy at best. A mammoth score against Afghanistan does very little to put them in form. Just how hungry they are to retain the title can only be judged by the way they play at Adelaide v/s Pakistan. The only batsman to be in consistent form is Rahane. A team that makes sense is: Rahane, Rohit, Kohli, Raina, Rayudu, Dhoni, Binny, Jadeja/Ashwin, Bhuvaneshwar, Shami, Yadav… four seamers, one spinner, one part-time spinner, and the batting going down to nine. If the bowling can be consistent and the top order pulls up their socks, then a title defense seems likely.

Sri Lanka and England have decent players this time, but neither has shown that they can handle the conditions down under. Both are in a group where they can progress to the quarterfinals though, and after that, it’s anyone’s game. So if they can produce some form, they might become surprise packages. West Indies are in internal turmoil, with non-cricketing affairs taking center stage. But the stage is the biggest, and I think the team will buck up and try to do their best. They have every chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals with India and South Africa. Pakistan, on the other hand, has one of the weakest teams they’ve fielded in World Cups - a youthful look that has inexperience on the biggest stage written on them, and a weak bowling attack that has been deprived of the likes of Yasir Arafat, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan. They aren’t assured of their spot in the next stage, with Ireland, the strongest of the associate nations also in the same group.

I’ll cheer for India when they play, but they seem out of nick, and not headed anywhere to change that. So I’m rooting for an Australia v/s South Africa final; and Ireland in the quarterfinals at the expense of India, West Indies or Pakistan. Hopefully, the tournament lives up to expectation.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - West Indies

West Indies Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Jason Holder (captain), Marlon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor

Batting -

Strengths

Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith and Marlon Samuels will make sure that West Indies get off to fliers! The Lara clone, Darren Bravo, will aim to lend some solidarity to the volatile middle order in the absence of his brother Dwayne. Andre Russel, Sammy and Ramdin can all score at a hectic pace at the back end of the innings.

Weakness

The absence of Dwayne Bravo, probably the most valuable player that West Indies possess will probably be the biggest weakness that this side faces in the 2015 World Cup. Even the other batsmen are so inconsistent that to expect them to regularly post good totals might be nothing short of a miracle.

Rating - 6.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

West Indies must play both Benn and Nikita Miller in the warm up games to see who they can rely on once the real games start. Kemar Roach, Taylor and captain Jason Holder will have to bowl out of their skins as they are all battling either injuries or form related issues.

Weakness

The way that these bunch of bowlers got smashed in South Africa recently does not auger well for the West Indies. The pulling out of Narine will further weaken the spirits of West Indies bowlers. They will be under tremendous pressure and the part time bowlers in Sammy, Russel, Galye and Samuels will have to be at their very best to be competitive.

Rating - 6.5/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

West Indies can be a very good fielding side when they want to be, when they are enjoying their battles with the opposition. Thus it will be important for them to not be under pressure but to enjoy the World Cup.

Weakness

The mindset of West Indies Players can be their biggest weakness, sometimes they just seem to be getting bored out on the field and this is when they make a lot of mistakes. Their super athletic fielders Dwayne Bravo and Pollard are also missing in action.

Rating - 6/10

Overall Summary

I do not have any major expectations from the Carribian Kings this time around. The payment fiasco which resulted in them pulling mid-way from the Indian tour seems to be still affecting the players performances on the field. I would not be surprised if they get knocked out in the group stage itself.

Rating - 6/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Angelo Mathews (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake

Batting -

Strengths

The Big 3 of Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene; all of whom have a wealth of experience behind them and all of them in scintillating form as well having reeled off many hundreds between them in the past few months. Angelo Mathews had a stellar run in 2014 and though he has not started 2015 on the same note but he remains a clinical finisher in ODI cricket.

Weakness

Dilshan may have been the shining light for the Lankans at the top of the order but he continues to search for a stable opening partner. Kusal and Tharanga were tried but they both failed and Sri Lanka selected raw Dimuth Karunaratne in their 15 man squad but he too failed in the limited chances that he got in the recent series against New Zealand. Thirimanne provided some relief as he played relatively well in the later part of the same series. Dinesh Chandimal and the hard hitting Thisara Perera are also struggling for form and runs.

Rating - 8/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

The return of the deadly Lasith Malinga will surely bolster the Lankan bowling line up. They have Nuwan Kulasekara who can swing the ball like on a hoop and Lakmal who is accurate with a bit of nibble to support Malinga. The spin responsibilities will be shared by the lion hearted Rangana Herath and the indefatigable Sachithra Senanayake.

Weakness

Malinga is returning from injury and it remains to be seen how quickly is he able to hit his straps. The support bowling cast of Lakmal and Kulasekara are known to leak lots of runs, particularly in the slog overs.

Rating - 6/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

Sri Lanka are one of the top fielding sides in international cricket and they are led by the ageless Dilshan who continues to prowl the point region with the energy of a 16 year old. The ground fielding of the Lankans in general is of high standard and they pride on their fielding performances.

Weakness

Though they are a very good fielding side, they dropped numerous catches in the recently concluded series vs NZ which cost them 2-3 games. They must make sure that they do not carry the plague in the World Cup 2015.

Rating - 8/10

Overall Summary

The Golden generation of Mahela, Sanga, Dilshan, Malinga and Herath will be playing their last World Cup and they will be motivated and determined to go one step further than they did in 2007 and 2011 when they finished as bridesmaid. They are a team that has the best record in ICC tournaments since 2007 and they will be looking to fiercely add to that reputation. The reigning WT20 champions will be keen to get their hands on the ODI World Cup 2015 as well.

Rating - 7.5/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
West Indies

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - South Africa

South Africa Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn

Batting -

Strengths

The South Africans have Hashim Amla opening for them along with De Kock (though he is a race against time to be fit in time for the World Cup) and they are one of the best opening combinations going around. AB De Villiers, fresh from his 31 ball 100 against the hapless West Indies, is raring to go as well. They also have Faf Du Plessis, David Miller and Duminy to follow, so that is pretty strong batting line up against any team.

Weakness

The only weakness for the Proteas is generally in their own mind. The tendency to choke in knock out clashes, their mind-melt-downs are their own making. If they can play to their potential, then there is no stopping them.

Rating - 8.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

Led by the furious Dale Steyn, he will be ably supported by the tall Morne Morkel and Kyle Abbott. Vernon Philander and Wayne Parnell also wait in the ranks if Abbott or Philander are not picked. The spin department will be handled by Imran Tahir, who is a genuine wicket taker.

Weakness

Philander and Abbott might leak a lot of runs if the conditions do not offer them much. Tahir also has a habit of bowling plenty of full tosses or rank long hops thus giving away free runs to the opposition.

Rating - 7.5/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

One of the most athletic sides going around - Faf, Miller, Duminy and the superman AB will be looking to back up their bowlers as much as they can. One can be sure that any team facing them will have to score 20-30 extra runs to account for their brilliant fielding.

Weakness

There are no visible weakness in this squad when it comes to fielding. The only thing that can go wrong for them is if De Kock is not able to recover from his injury and De Villiers is forced to keep wickets which might affect his batting.

Rating - 8/10

Overall Summary

Once again, South Africa go into a major tournament as one of the pre tournament favorites. Can this young squad deliver, can they right the wrongs of their generations gone by, can they not choke at the key moments and seize the moment when presented with an opportunity to win... I think that they have it in them reach the semi-finals provided they bury the ghosts of yesterday.

Rating - 8/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
West Indies

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - Pakistan

Pakistan Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Misbah-ul-Haq(captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfraz Ahmed, Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Ehsan Adil, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz

Batting -

Strengths

The Pakistani batting has always been a unit of talent laced with uncertainty and enigma. Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad will try to provide a strong base from which the likes of Umar Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi can have a blast late in the innings. The calm and experienced hands of Younis Khan and Misbah be always be there to guide the youngsters in choppy waters.

Weakness

Pakistani batting can be very brittle and they must guard against it if they are to go deep in the tournament. The pace and bounce of the hard Australian pitches will also pose a challenge for the group.

Rating - 6.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

The tall Mohammad Irfan and the pacy Junaid Khan will pair up for Pakistan and will be looking to make early inroads. The leg spinner Yasir Shah and the showman Afridi will be the key spinners.

Weakness

The absence of Saeed Ajmal will be a huge loss to Pakistan and they will miss Hafeez too, both of them banned for illegal bowling actions. Junaid Khan is also nursing an injury and is not a certainity to take part in the World Cup. The experienced Umer Gul is also missing due to injury.

Rating - 7/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

One of the lesser known fielding sides, Pakistan will be looking to put up a good show in the World event. On a positive note the absence of Kamran Akmal will be a strength!!

Weakness

They are quite prone to have unbelievably bad days in the field and lose matches in the field.

Rating - 5/10

Overall Summary

This Pakistan side is not as strong as some of the other participating teams but they are always known to up their game in multi nation tournaments. The absence of pressure and expectation may work in their favor. The experience of Afridi, Misbah and Younis may also count in big match situations.

Rating - 6.5/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
New Zealand
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - New Zealand

New Zealand Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Luke Ronchi (wk), Ross Taylor

Batting -

Strengths

The New Zealand batting line up is one of the most balanced heading into the World Cup of 2015. They have the swashbuckling Brendon McCullum at the top while also having lower order arsenal in Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi. Kane Williamson is there to provide solidity and he is presently in the form of his life. Martin Guptill and Tom Latham can do significant damage as well if they manage to get in.

Weakness

Collapses are always around the corner when we are talking about Kiwi batting. McCullum, his 2014 achievements notwithstanding, generally struggles for consistency. Ross Taylor, their middle order lynch pin is going through a terrible rut as well. Grant Elliot, selected ahead of an inform Neesham, may prove detrimental to their chances as well.

Rating - 7.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

The fast bowling attack of the New Zealanders is second to none. They have Southee and Boult with the new ball and the extreme pace of Milne and McClenaghan to back up. The wily old Daniel Vettori is also back for the black caps to round up spin bowling. The fact that Matt Henry is not in this squad tells us a thing or two about the fast bowling riches that New Zealand possess right now.

Weakness

Trent Boult has done extremely well in Test Matches but is relatively inexperienced in ODI cricket. Milne and McClenaghan are susceptible to frequent injuries and might also leak runs if they are not accurate.

Rating - 8/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

New Zealand are, without an iota of a doubt, the best fielding side in this ICC World Cup 2015. They are like panthers on the prowl, in the 30 yard circle or in the outfield. Guptill, McCullum brothers, Kane Willianson and Anderson will surely save 30-40 runs collectively for their bowlers in every single match.

Weakness

This is a group that becomes better with pressure, so I cannot point any fingers and point out any weakness.

Rating - 9/10

Overall Summary

I believe that this may be the best for the Black Caps to finally win a World Cup. They will play all their matches at home (bar the final) and will be backed by their passionate home crowd. They also have a very well rounded squad which is more then capable of levelling shoulders with any other team taking part!

Rating - 8/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - India

India Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Akshar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Stuart Binny

Batting -

Strengths

India are persisting with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma as their opening pair in ODI cricket but I feel that Rahane should open with Rohit as Dhawan is out of form. Kohli should return to his strong point, that is number 3 so that he can get maximum number of deliveries to face. Rayudu, Raina and Dhoni can follow Kohli, the trio all good finishers. Two out of Axar Patel/ Ravindra Jadeja/ R Ashwin can occupy slot 7 and 8. The openers must make sure that they do not loose early wickets and lay a strong platform for the likes of Kohli, Raina and Dhoni. Kohli must back his natural instincts and come in at number 3.

Weakness

Rohit is known to start very slowly and if he gets out early then India are often in trouble as he wastes many balls with low score. Kohli and Raina are not in very promising form in the ODI Tri Series in Australia which does not augur well for India. The lower order must also buckle down and try to score as much as possible to give the bowlers a challenging total to defend.

Rating - 7.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is known to get good swing with the new ball and he must make early inroads. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav must bowl with pace but they must also tighten up their game and not give away too many loose deliveries which takes the pressure off the opposition. The strength of India is spin and they must stick to it. India should play two out of Axar, Ashwin and Jadeja and must not be scared to open with spin just to take the opposition by surprise.

Weakness

The Indian bowling is their weakest suit and it starts with their fast bowlers, they are prone to leak easy runs and rarely pick up early wickets. The spinners are also not consistent and often blow hot and cold. MSD also has to take a fair share of blame as he is adamant in using part timers a lot which takes the pressure completely off the batsmen and gives them breathing space.

Rating - 6/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

Indian fielding has improved by leaps and bounds since the past few years with the influx of young fielders like Rahane, Kohli, Raina, Jadeja and Rohit making the ground fielding top notch.

Weakness

The Indian catching though still leaves a lot to be desired and it is an important aspect of the game that must be worked on so that they do not land themselves in a hole.

Rating - 7.5/10

Overall Summary

I am very skeptical of the chances that India have this time around given their recent history of being abysmally poor in foreign conditions. Though we do have a slight advantage as we play all our matches in Australia and have been down under for a considerable period of time, thus giving the team ample time to get used to the conditions. it will be a huge tick mark for Dhoni if he can lead India to a victory in consecutive World Cup Finals and he will then probably be regarded as one of the all time great captains by even his critics!

Rating - 7/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
Bangladesh
England
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - England

England Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes

Batting -

Strengths

With Cook no longer a part of the England ODI set-up, this English line up looks pretty solid to me. The dynamic Moeen Ali will have the classy Bell or the explosive Alex Hales for company at the top of the order. Morgan, Buttler, Taylor and Bopara provide plenty of fire power lower down the order as well! They have Joe Root as well who can play according to the situation, defend or attack as the need arises.

Weakness

The squad is pretty inexperienced with only Bell and Bopara having played in a World Cup before. Playing in high pressure games back to back can take its toll on young players who are susceptible to crack.

Rating - 7.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

The return of Anderson, Broad and Finn adds sting and venom to the English bowling. If the conditions are ripe then these three will probably make run making as difficult as any other bowling attack. James Tredwell is the steady spin operator who generally keeps it tight during the middle overs.

Weakness

All the three bowlers, Anderson, Broad and Finn are just returning from injuries and bad form, so how they go in the World Cup remains to be seen. Also the back up bowlers in Jordan and Woakes can leak a lot of runs.

Rating - 7.5/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

England are generally a very good fielding side. Though they are not exceptional but they do get the job done rather nicely. Root, Taylor, Morgan, Jordan are all supremely fit and very athletic.

Weakness

The Wicket-Keeping of Jos Buttler might prove to be a weak point as I have seen him drop catches or scupper simple stumping chances often.

Rating - 7.5/10

Overall Summary

England will hope that the dropping of Cook will finally bring them some success in the shorter format of the game. They do have a pretty dynamic squad with no major injury concerns at the moment, so they must be hoping to finally win the ODI Cricket World Cup.

Rating - 7.5/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
Bangladesh
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - Bangladesh

Bangladesh Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taijul Islam

Batting -

Strengths

The Bangladeshi batting will rely heavily on their trio of stalwarts Tamim, Shakib and Mushfiqur. All three will be expected to carry the bulkload of batting by the Bangladeshi fans. Young batsmen like Anamul, Mominul and Nasir are talented and can be quite useful with the bat as well. They will be required to provide support and be consistent in their run making.

Weakness

Tamim has been out of form for quite some time now and Shakib and Mushfiqur can only do so much alone. The fact that they will be playing on bouncier tracks in New Zealand and Australia can prove tricky for their inexperienced batsmen as well.

Rating - 5.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

The bowling attack looks quite well rounded for the Bangladeshi boys this time. They have a nice mix of fast bowlers in Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed while the old war horse Mashrafe Mortaza will be there as well. Then they have their slew of slow bowlers led by their talismanic all rounder Shakib Al Hasan and supported by Taijul, Nasir, Sabbir.

Weakness

The fast bowlers are all talented but very raw and inexperienced. Mashrafe Mortaza, their captain and leading fast bowler, is quite prone to injuries. Only time will tell whether the Australian pitches support their army of slow bowlers or will they wilt under pressure.

Rating - 6/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

They are quite a good fielding side and have been making rapid strides in this aspect of the game.

Weakness

They are quite prone to making mistakes when under pressure and have a habit of spilling straightforward chances.

Rating - 7/10

Overall Summary

The good thing for them will be that they are not expected to beat a lot of sides this time around. Hence they can play freely and without undue pressure to perform which proved to be their bane in the World T20 last year in their backyard. They will be hoping to cause a few jitters amongst the stronger teams like England and New Zealand!

Rating - 6/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Australia
England
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Team Review - Australia

Australia Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey (vc), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty

Batting -

Strengths

The Australian Batting looks almost invincible on paper, what with the firepower of Finch, Warner and Watson at the top of the order. Steven Smith has blossomed into one of the most consistent players across the globe and with Maxwell, Haddin, Faulkner, Johnson in the lower order the Aussie batting line up can send a shiver down the spine of any bowling attack in this World Cup.

Weakness

While having dashers in your batting can be advantageous but it can also lead to your downfall as they are regularly prone to a collapse. Clarke is currently injured and there are serious question marks if he will be ready in time to lead the Aussies out on the park. His deputy, George Bailey has not been particularly inspiring confidence with his batting displays of late as well. These two players are the only ones who play with a calm head and if the Australians have to win the Cup then they will require Clarke and Bailey to fire.

Rating - 7.5/10

Bowling - 

Strengths

There is pace and there is fire in the Aussie bowling line up. Johnson, Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins can all breathe fire with their pace, bounce and swing. Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner provide the variations in pace. Xavier Doherty is the lone spinner in the squad and he will have an important role to play for the Australians.

Weakness

And then there is the story of Being Mitch!! While Johnson and Starc can be ruthless on their day they can also spray the ball around on bad days. Cummins and Hazlewood are relatively new at the top level while Doherty as the lone spinner is very surprising considering they had Lyon who has been a revelation of late in 5 day cricket. There is no bowler there in that line up who can be relied to keep a tight line and length when under the pump.

Rating - 7.5/10

Fielding - 

Strengths

I will tell you what, one glance at that squad and the team seems full of live-wires on the field. Warner, Maxwell, Finch, Marsh, Smith are all agile and the fast bowlers all have terrific throwing arms which will be a huge plus on the big playing fields down under.

Weakness

Frankly, I do not spot any weakness in the fielding department in that squad apart from maybe Clarke, if he is not fully fit but is still selected to play. But if he is fully fit then he too is a class act anywhere in the field.

Rating - 9/10

Overall Summary

The Australians will try to regain their supremacy in ODI cricket and they will have the home support behind them right throughout their campaign. The Kangaroos have the required manpower to lift the trophy and they will be thoroughly motivated come February the 14th when they take on arch rivals England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground!!

Rating - 8/10

Given Below are the other Team Reviews that I have done

Bangladesh
England
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies