We are a hairbreadth away from the start of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. I stated earlier my opinion on what we may expect to see in the World Cup based on what was seen in the series between England and Pakistan. There were eight warm-up games that were played. There were only four innings that crossed 320. England could have won gone past 320 against Afghanistan. Despite this, I do not think I will be changing the forecast that I made. The openers will have to score at a strike rate of 130%. The batsman at number three will most probably be the one who will have to hold the team together. I do believe that batsmen at three, four and five will start slower and then catch up later. It will be the bowlers and fielders that will help teams win matches mainly because there will be high scores. This would make the second powerplay extremely crucial.

I do not think these warm-up matches gave any hint of what is to happen. These games did not have any implications on the stats of the players. I have no idea about who will win the cup but I am sure that this tournament will be different. I also expect Afghanistan to cause an upset or two. There will be no easy games. I look forward to seeing every match and the magic that happens at a Cricket World Cup.