ICC World Cup 2019: Jason Gillespie names the favourites and the dark horse of the quadrennial event

Amidst the limelight, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is hogging currently, the World Cup is inching closer with every passing day. Apart from England and Pakistan, all the teams have played their final international assignments before the mega event. The fans and the cricket experts are eagerly waiting for the spectacle as the hosts England will take on South Africa on May 30 in the tournament opener.

With the format being changed this time, all the teams will be tested thoroughly as they will have to play all the other nine participants before making it to the top four. Since the last two months, the former cricketers are busy naming their favourites to lift the title. Jason Gillespie has also joined the bandwagon now but the Australian has gone a different way and has named the favourites and the dark horse team of the tournament.

They deserve the favourites tag

The way England has played their ODI cricket in last four years and the fact that they are hosting the World Cup, Gillespie feels the Brits deserve the ‘favourites’ tag. He also lauded their way of playing the format while also spoke highly about their fielding.

” There’s been a lot of talk of England being favourites and playing at home and I certainly think they deserve that tag. They’ve played some wonderful 50-over cricket. They’ve been really innovative and shown a lot of aggression with bat and ball, they’ve been really dynamic in the field,” he said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.

Going forward, Jason Gillespie went against writing off Australia ahead of the World Cup. He admitted that they were having issues only a couple of months ago but the Men in Yellow have now won eight ODIs on the trot beating India and Pakistan in their own den which is a great achievement. Moreover, the former Australia cricketer also added that Aussies know how to play at the World Cups.

“Every other team in this World Cup knows that Australia know how to win World Cups. That is something that will be in every other country’s mind, that Australia – while they might not be seen as favourites – they know how to win World Cups. So for me, I think Australia are very much a dark horse and I wouldn’t write them off, that’s for sure,” Gillespie further added.

I would like to see England-Australia final

The 43-year-old further termed himself ‘selfish’ by expressing his desire to watch an England-Australia at the iconic Lord’s. “I think it will just be managing the expectations in England. Personally, selfishly, I’d love to see an England – Australia final at Lord’s. I think it would be an amazing spectacle,” he signed off.

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