15 things you can be sure of at the 2015 cricket World Cup!
The 2015 cricket World Cup is just over a month away. While you wait for cricket’s biggest bonanza to take off, here’s something to get you started.
Here’s a list of folomojo’s predictions for the tourney. Some are obvious, some a little bold and the rest are just plain quirky! Read on.
1. Virat Kohli will show someone the finger.
You can always bet on Virat Kohli being Virat Kohli. India’s new Test skipper is no fan of the Aussie crowd and it doesn’t take much to get him riled up.
2. Shahid Afridi will announce his retirement. And then make a comeback a month later.
The veteran all-rounder loves to hang his boots. But he loves putting them back on even more. ‘Boom boom’ will continue to mesmerise us, surprise us and annoy us just the same.
3. KP will take a dig at the English cricket team from the commentary box.
In his autobiography released last year, KP made some bold accusations about the atmosphere in England’s dressing room and the board’s selection policy. If the English team doesn’t perform well in the tournament, he will probably be the first one to offer criticism.
4. Ravi Shastri will use the expression ‘Tracer bullet’ at least a hundred times.
Shastri and clichés go hand in hand. And we never get tired of it.
5. David Warner will punch someone in the face.
David Warner is an able successor to Australia’s long tradition of smug and arrogant players, who like to get under the opponent’s skin. Joe Root might have been just the first one in Warner’s list. We’ll just wait and see.
6. The West Indians will invent a new dance number.
They may not even make it past the group stages, but we all trust their ability to put their feet to good use on a cricket field.
7. South Africa will get rid of the ‘chokers’ tag.
Like most World Cups in recent times, the Proteas will start as favourites. But this time, world class players like AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and Faf du Plessis can ensure that they shrug off their reputation of choking in key matches at big tournaments.
8. At least one match-fixing scandal will break out.
Despite all of ICC’s efforts to curb corruption in cricket, it would be naïve to expect a high-profile event like the World Cup not be marred by betting and match-fixing.
9. ICC will crack the whip on suspect action.
The ICC has come down hard on chucking and throwing in the last year, which saw many high-profile bowlers like Saeed Ajmal and Sunil Narine pulled up for their actions. The World Cup will certainly bring more names under the scanner.
10. Rohit Sharma will mostly throw away his wicket cheaply, and then play one marathon innings.
That’s been the story of Rohit Sharma’s career so far. He plays one unforgettable (and often record-breaking) knock before going through a barren spell. His performances in the recent Test series down under haven’t been reassuring either.
11. The records for the fastest fifty and fastest hundred will be broken.
T20 cricket has made batsmen more adventurous and inventive, which has in turn completely changed our perception of a good strike rate. Kohli, De Villiers, Warner and the likes will go after every bowler and look to send every ball out of the park.
12. West Indies won’t make it past the group stages.
The omission of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard only highlighted the tiff between the West Indies cricket board and its players. Amongst others, Chris Gayle has notably slammed the board for the ‘ridiculous’ decision. It wouldn’t be surprising if this discord affects the team’s performance.
13. Afghanistan will impress, and beat at least one Test playing team.
The Afghanistan cricket team showed a lot of character during the T20 World Cup last year and impressed cricket viewers across the globe with their gritty performances. They will surely come out even better prepared for the ODI World Cup.
14. Virat Kohli will break Tendulkar’s record of most runs in a single World Cup. (Sachin scored 673 runs in the 2003 World Cup)
Well, who better to bet on than Virat Kohli to go on and break the great man’s record? VK is in the form of his life and with the way he is batting at the moment, he might as well turn up alone for India on the field.
15. At least one team will score 450 in an innings.
West Indies’ record chase of 231 in the 2nd T20 against South Africa on Sunday was proof that no total is too high for modern-day cricketers. That is a sure sign that even more ODI records are likely to be broken in Australia this year.
