Hyderabad: The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is a global cricketing exhibition that captures the hearts of millions of fans around the globe. It will start on October 5 and is hosted by India.
In 2023, cricket enthusiasts are waiting for close encounters, iconic moments, and unreal talent to witness in this grand event. Here is a comprehensive overview of what to expect from the 13th edition of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
- Group Format
The upcoming Cricket World Cup will be played in a round-robin format, with 10 teams participating, will face every other side at least once, and the top four teams will move ahead to the semi-finals. The winners of each semi-final will face off in the final to be played at Narendra Modi Stadium on November 19.
- How many points will your team need to reach the semi-finals?
Seven wins from nine games can guarantee a semi-final spot, with India and Australia’s 7-2 record (India also had an extra point for a rained-out fixture) four years ago enough to place both in the top two, assuming little to no inclement weather, six wins could place teams in a precarious spot. If teams are level on points, total wins are the next tie-breaker, with net run rate the next factor to consider when differentiating teams.
To use 2019 as an example, New Zealand edged Pakistan to the fourth spot on net run rate after both teams finished on equal points (11) and equal wins (five), with the pair also taking a point from a no-result. A scenario with at least three teams on six wins would likely mean a team misses out on the net run rate, so seven wins should be the minimum goal for teams vying for the coveted trophy.
- How Teams Qualified
India qualified being a host of the tournament, and the next seven teams were decided by the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League position, where 13 teams played eight three-match bilateral series in a three-year competition.
New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa all progressed to the Cricket World Cup via a top eight position in the competition while the bottom five went on to the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, joining others from League 2 and the Qualifier Play-off tournament.
Sri Lanka and the Netherlands, after finishing 10th and 13th respectively in the Super League, went on to progress to Cricket World Cup 2023 only via the Qualifier.
- Team Profiles and Squads:
All participating teams have finalized their 15-player squads. If there are any replacements, teams will need to get approval from the ICC.
1. Afghanistan: Afghanistan has some incredible hitters and stunning spinners who can crush opponents. Some prominent batters in their squad are Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, and Mohammad Nabi. Afghanistan can upset any team in the World Cup with the best spin bowling attack among the participating teams, especially on spin-friendly tracks like Chennai and Lucknow.
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen ul Haq
2. Australia: Australia always starts its campaign as a favourite and it will not be different this time. Australia has a good mix of experience and youngsters in bowling. Notably, the team is full of all-rounders with as many as 12 players, who can provide more than one dimension to the team. They will bank on the experience of Steven Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Glenn Maxwell.
Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
3. Bangladesh: Bangladesh can be the dark horse and currently has one of the strongest spin bowling units in ODI cricket. Spinners like Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz possess exceptional skills, who can consistently take wickets while maintaining tight control over the run rate. They have Mustafizur Rehman, who will lead the pace attack but they are over-dependent on their Shakib Al Hasan and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim
Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Kumer Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
4. England: The defending champions boast an array of power-hitters with the likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes. Their ability to destroy any bowling attack makes them formidable contenders. The presence of all-rounders like Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, and Chris Woakes adds depth to batting and bowling departments, offering captain Jos Buttler various tactical options.
Squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
5. India: The Indian team has a home advantage. The Indian squad has ticked all the boxes. Almost every player has shown some glimpses of form. If the top five pure batters contribute heavily to the total, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya can pile on that. Hardik Pandya's presence ensures the team balance as they can switch the third pacer with a spinner whenever needed.
Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
6. Netherlands: The biggest strength of the Netherlands playing XI will be their all-rounders Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, and Max ODowd with the ball and bat. The Netherlands is a side that struggles with spin, both with the ball and the bat. The Netherlands has struggled with Sri Lanka spinners, losing 11 of their 20 wickets to Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesha Theekshana.
Squad: Scott Edwards (c), Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
7. New Zealand: The runners-up of the last two World Cups are struggling with injuries, as skipper Kane Williamson hasn't played any international since May 2023. Pacer Tim Southee also hasn't fully recovered from a thumb injury. The inclusion of left-arm pacer Trent Boult has strengthened the squad. Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, and Lockie Ferguson can use their IPL experience of playing in India.
Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
8. Pakistan: The biggest strength of Pakistan will be their top order and pace battery. Although Pakistan will miss the services of Naseem Shah, they still have the duo of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi. Their biggest concern would be the middle order and spin department. The middle order has been inconsistent and tends to collapse in crunch situations.
Squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
9. South Africa: South Africa will also be a strong contender to win the World Cup 2023. Their strength is the middle order, full of match-winners like Aiden Markram, Henrich Klassen, and David Miller, who can easily take the game away. Their bowling attacks also look well-balanced in both pace and spin, with pacers Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, T Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj, and Gerald Coetzee in it.
Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
10. Sri Lanka: The absence of Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera might reduce the hopes of winning the World Cup as their strength was the bowling attack. However, they still have bowlers like Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Matheesha Teekshana, and Dinuth Wellalage who can do the job. Sri Lankan batters will need to perform consistently throughout the tournament to get to the knockout stage.
Squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis (vc), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha. Travelling reserve: Chamika Karunaratne
- Prize Money:
The ICC has announced that title winners would receive USD 4 million. The global cricket body announced the total prize money of USD 10 million. The winners will get USD 4 million (around Rs 33.22 crore) while the runners-up will receive USD 2 million (around Rs 16.61 crore).
The ICC has decided to give prize money of USD 40,000 to the teams winning their Group Stage games. The teams which will fail to reach the knockouts will each get USD 100,000 (Rs 83.05 lakhs).
- Venues
India is hosting the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 after a long period of 12 years. The matches will be played across 10 cities from Dharamsala in the north to Bengaluru and Chennai in the south.
1. Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
The largest sports stadium in the world will host the opening encounter between England and New Zealand. The most awaited match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan fixture will take place on October 14. The final will be played here on 19 November.
2. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
The Chinnaswamy Stadium will host five matches including India versus the Netherlands match on November 12. Australia takes on Pakistan here.
3. M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
India will start their campaign against Australia here on October 8. This stadium will host five games. The last match will be Pakistan versus South Africa.
4. Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi will host the India versus Afghanistan match along with four more matches. Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in the last game on November 6.
5. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium, Dharamsala
HPCA stadium with its scenic views of the Himalayas is one of the most beautiful stadiums in India. Afghanistan and Bangladesh will play the first match here, while India versus New Zealand will be the last match at the venue..
6. Eden Gardens, Kolkata
The second largest venue in India, Eden Gardens with a capacity of 68,000 will host a high-profile clash between India and South Africa on November 5. It will also host one of the semi-finals. The ground is known for its lively pitch and breezy conditions.
7. EKANA Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
It will host a heavy-weight clash between India and England.
8. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
The Wankhede stadium, which heard the chants of 'Vande Matram' after the former Indian skipper MS Dhoni hit the 2011 World Cup winning six , will be hosting a total of five matches including India versus Sri Lanka. It will also host one of the semifinals.
9. MCA International Stadium, Pune
The MCA International Stadium, Guhunje, on the outskirts of Pune, will host five matches, including the India versus Bangladesh match. The stadium will also host two key matches - England versus Netherlands and Australia versus Bangladesh.
10. Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
The Rajiv Gandhi Stadium with 40,000 capacity will host the league matches. Pakistan will open their campaign at this venue.
- Reserve Days:
The ICC has announced Cricket Reserve Day for both semi-finals and the final. Matches on reserve days will take place a day after their originally scheduled match date.
- Jerseys:
A handful of teams have formally announced their playing kit for the tournament.
