ICC World Cup 2019: Top Five Bowlers to Watch Out for in the Marquee Event

The ICC World Cup 2019 is only five days away and the cricket lovers are eagerly waiting for the marquee event to kick off on May 30. With England offering flat wickets, the bowlers will have a tough time during the showpiece tournament. Former India skipper Rahul Dravid recently said that sides with wicket-takers in the middle overs will have an advantage over the other teams.

World Cup will get underway from May 30

The is a great saying, ‘batsman win you matches while bowlers will win you tournaments.’ Rightly so, the bowlers will have a crucial role to play in this competition considering the condition of the pitch. The last four years have given us many quality bowlers who have impressed with their special talents. The next seven weeks will give us a few more heroes who have led their teams from the front.

On that context, let us take a look at the top five bowlers to watch out in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019:

Also read: ICC World Cup 2019: Avishka Fernando Suffers Injury Scare Ahead of the Marquee Event

KAGISO RABADA

Kagiso Rabada is arguably the best bowler in the world cricket right now. The fifth-ranked pacer has picked wickets in all parts of the world and will be a major force for South Africa going into this World Cup.

The 23-year-old who suffered a little injury during a fabulous IPL stint has recovered well in time and will be available from the first game. Rabada comes to the 12 edition of the World Cup on the back of some serious statistics. He has played only 66 matches and picked 106 wickets at an economy rate of 4.98 – the best among pacers.

He has been in good form in the IPL finishing as the second highest wicket-taker and will look to come all guns blazing to help South Africa lift their first ICC trophy

JOFRA ARCHER

All eyes will be on this Barbados-born fast bowler Jofra Archer when England begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa on May 30. ECB have made changes to their citizen policy to make Archer available for selection.

The 24-year-old fast bowler will look to live up the expectations in his first ever major tournament. Archer has impressed in the franchise leagues all over the globe and can terrorise batsmen with his consistent pace.

Besides, he is also a great fielder and can chip in with the bat which will add value to the team.

RASHID KHAN

Hailing from Afghanistan, the young leg-spinner Rashid Khan has made rapid progress to make a name for himself in the world cricket. With a lot of variations up his sleeves, he is one of the best spin bowlers currently.

Rashid has gained experience playing franchise cricket all over the globe and has used that experience while playing for the Afghans. Since the 2015 World Cup, Rashid has bagged a total of 125 wickets from 58 games at an economy rate of 3.91 – the best in the world.

The Afghan spinner will look to be at his best in the upcoming World Cup in England and help his team cause some upsets in the tournament.

JASPRIT BUMRAH

Indian National Cricket Team fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been a terror for the opposition batsman since he burst onto the international scene. His unusual bowling action and a handful of variations make him a rare commodity in this format.

Since his debut, Bumrah has played 49 ODIs picking 85 wickets at an economy rate of 4.51. He has been the leader of the pack and Virat Kohli will pin hopes on this young pacer.

Bumrah recently guided Mumbai Indians to the title and would like to do the same in his first ever World Cup.

MITCHELL STARC

Mitchell Starc had a tough time battling with injuries in the last year. However, he has regained his fitness and is raring to go in the upcoming World Cup.

The left-arm fast bowler was a chief architect behind their fifth World Cup title at home. He finished the tournament with 22 wickets – the most by any bowler to take home the player of the competition award. The management will hope Starc to replicate his efforts in the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales.

The 29-year-old has looked in good rhythm in the last few warm-up games and will be raring to take the field against Afghanistan on June 1.