World Cup 2019: Sunil Gavaskar finds new and improved England side as favourites to lift Cup

The ICC World Cup 2019 will begin from May 30 in England and Wales and the home side is being touted as one of the favourites to win the tournament, given their No.1 ODI rank and their performance in the format since their ouster from the showpiece event in 2015. The team has undergone some serious makeover with a focus on limited overs specialists, which has garnered them some great results.

Even the great Sunil Gavaskar, who won the World Cup in 1983, feels the same about the Eoin Morgan-led side which has stars like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Moeen Ali leading the way. The home team will open the tournament against South Africa at the Oval and is currently embroiled in a five-match ODI series against Pakistan.

England are the favourites, says Gavaskar

“England are the favourites. Simply because of the way they are playing cricket, the complete turnaround in their cricketing attitude and approach after their disastrous 2015 World Cup. England has got a very good team; they have got lots of confidence. You have seen them in all the recent matches and they have been playing outstanding cricket,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Morgan’s men have come out on top against Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and India in bilateral series since the beginning of 2018. Gavaskar feels that the home team has a very good advantage which was evident from India’s win in 2011 and Australia’s fifth World Cup win in 2015. “If you go by what has happened in the last couple of World Cups, the host team has won. But, of course, in cricket, anything can happen. While England starts the favourites, there are other teams that are also playing some good cricket,” Gavaskar said further.

He was also confident that hot England summer will make the tournament more exciting given the pitches will be drier and will help the spinners a lot, while the batsmen finding it easier to score runs.

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