Cricket World Cup 2015: Team-by-team guide
A look at the 14 teams competing in Bangladesh
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England
ICC ODI ranking: 5th
World Cup best: Finalists 1979, ’87, ’92
Coach: Peter Moores
Captain: Eoin Morgan
Star player: Jimmy Anderson
Chances: Morgan will rely on strong bowling from Anderson and Stuart Broad – and hope that Steve Finn keeps firing – in case the batting does one of its trademark collapses.
Odds: 8-1 (William Hill)
Australia
ICC ODI ranking: 1st
WC best: Winners 1987, ’99, 2003, ’07
Coach: Darren Lehmann
Captain: Michael Clarke
Star player: David Warner
Chances: Clarke will hope to beat his chronic hamstring problems to lead the favourites, who can call upon England’s nemesis Mitchell Johnson and explosive but divisive Warner.
Odds: 2-1
Sri Lanka
ICC ODI ranking: 4th
WC best: Winners 1996
Coach: Marvan Attapattu
Captain: Angelo Mathews
Star player: Kumar Sangakkara
Chances: The experienced batting trio of Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene may be getting on but they can still set up victories despite a weak bowling line-up – Malinga apart.
Odds: 10-1
New Zealand
ICC ODI ranking: 6th
WC best: Semi-finals 1975, ’79, ’92, ’99, 2007, ’11
Coach: Mike Hesson
Captain: Brendon McCullum
Star player: Brendon McCullum
Chances: In great form – none more than the captain. They have a great record in the competition and are hosting, so they will be dying to get to the final for the first time.
Odds: 5-1
Bangladesh
ICC ODI ranking: 9th
WC best: Super 8s 2007
Coach: Chandika Hathurusingha
Captain: Mashrafe Mortaza
Star player: Shakib Al Hasan
Chances: A famous World Cup win like the one against India in 2007 seems a big ask, with the priority perhaps to make the most of matches against Afghanistan and Scotland.
Odds: 200-1
Afghanistan
ICC ODI ranking: 11th
WC best: N/A
Coach: Andy Moles
Captain: Mohammad Nabi
Star player: Nabi
Chances: Cup debutants have played just 45 one-day matches, and will need their highest run-scorer and second-highest wicket-taker Nabi to excel in order to compete.
Odds: 500-1
Scotland
ICC ODI ranking: N/A
WC best: Group stage 1999, 2007
Coach: Grant Bradburn
Captain: Preston Mommsen
Star player: Calum Macleod
Chances: This is their third World Cup but they have yet to make a mark – though Calum Macleod can punch above his weight. Paul Collingwood might show them a trick or two.
Odds: 1,000-1
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South Africa
ICC ODI ranking: 3rd
World Cup best: Semi-finals 1992, ’99, 2007
Coach: Russell Domingo
Captain: AB de Villiers
Star player: De Villiers
Chances: The great underachievers in the showpiece will hope that the incredible form of De Villiers can inspire them – and they avoid their habitual ‘choke’ moment.
Odds: 3-1
India
ICC ODI ranking: 2nd
WC best: Winners 1983, 2011
Coach: Duncan Fletcher
Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Star player: Virat Kohli
Chances: The defending champions have huge batting talent and finally fast bowlers in Kumar and Shami to back them up. The crunch group game will be against rivals Pakistan.
Odds: 8-1
Pakistan
ICC ODI ranking: 7th
WC best: Winners 1992
Coach: Waqar Younis
Captain: Misbah-ul-Haq
Star player: Shahid Afridi
Chances: Mercurial as ever, they will be wondering if mystery spinner Saeed Ajmal can join the squad after his action was finally cleared by the ICC yesterday. They have lost all their five World Cup games against India.
Odds: 16-1
West Indies
ICC ODI ranking: 8th
WC best: Winners 1975, ’79
Coach: Richie Richardson
Captain: Jason Holder
Star player: Chris Gayle
Chances: No other team boast as many caps, 1,156, and with major talents like Gayle and Samuels anything is possible. At least in ODIs they have less time to mess things up.
Odds: 20-1
Zimbabwe
ICC ODI ranking: 10th
WC best: Super 6s 1999, 2003
Coach: Dav Whatmore
Captain: Elton Chigumbura
Star player: Brendan Taylor
Chances: Chigumbura’s unfancied side have improved lately but will struggle to make it out of the group stage. Facing neighbours South Africa in their first match is a bad start.
Odds: 500-1
Ireland
ICC ODI ranking: 12th
WC best: Super 8s 2007
Coach: Phil Simmons
Captain: William Porterfield
Star player: Kevin O’Brien
Chances: Ireland pulled off a shock defeat of England in 2011 but their challenge this time is to beat Zimbabwe to the fourth qualifying spot from this group.
Odds: 500-1
United Arab Emirates
ICC ODI ranking: N/A
WC best: First round 1996
Coach: Aaqib Javed
Captain: Mohammad Tauqir
Star player: Khurram Khan
Chances: UAE are back after 19 years and may just pull off an upset in the first match against Zimbabwe
Odds: 1,000-1
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