Mark Ramprakash
Who will win? India to beat England in the final, but it’s incredibly close. India have adaptable batters and such a varied attack, with the genius of Jasprit Bumrah, and just seem so well balanced.
Who are the dark horses? South Africa. They’re not in particularly good form and they’ve always struggled in tournaments, so people will write them off. They’re not burdened with expectation, but have lots of quality.
Who will be the star player? Shubman Gill, a young player who’s peaking at the right time, playing in home conditions and who will be allowed to play freely with senior batters around him.
Who will be the biggest flop? Australia. They’ve had a really poor buildup to the tournament and I can see it continuing. There’s an instability in the batting order and a lack of class spin.
My predicted top four India, England, New Zealand, South Africa
I can’t wait for Incredibly vibrant, noisy crowds. We’ve seen it for the IPL and I’m looking forward to that energy in a World Cup. The final, in the biggest stadium of the world, should be an amazing event that transcends cricket.
Ali Martin
Who will win? Big game experience puts England in the mix but it is hard to look beyond India, both as the No 1-ranked side (the past six victors have come from the top two) and hosts (the past three won by the home side).
Who are the dark horses? New Zealand have surely shed that equine tag by now so South Africa may well be the team among the chasing pack that surprises a few. That said, the loss of Anrich Nortje is a blow for them and the tournament.
Who will be the star player? Left-armers tend to thrive at 50-over World Cups and in Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan have a toe-crushing master of the art. Fingers crossed he can put some recent injury niggles behind him.
Who or what will be the biggest flop? I fear the relevance of net run rate when, in a 10-team round robin, head-to-head would surely be a simpler and fairer tie-breaker for teams level on points and wins. For more details, see Pakistan missing out to fourth-placed New Zealand in 2019 on NRR despite beating them by six wickets.
My predicted top four India, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka
I can’t wait for The moral Ashes to resume when England take on Australia in Ahmedabad on 4 November.
Barney Ronay
Who will win? India, because India always wins at cricket even when India doesn’t win. But India probably will also win anyway. So much depth. A fit Bumrah. Suryakumar Yadav back in hallucinogenic form. Plus, no one else looks that good.
Who are the dark horses? Might have been Pakistan, but the waters are already choppy. South Africa have some energy about them. Maybe everyone is finally too jaded and semi-retired to choke.
Who will be the star player? Narendra Modi. In the actual cricket: Virat Kohli. A final 50-over World Cup at home. It looks coronational.
Who or what will be the biggest flop? Not really sure about England. Basically the same team as 2019, just older, less in the zone and less Jofra.
My predicted top four India, Australia, South Africa, England.
I can’t wait for India v Pakistan in the vast Narendra Modi stadium, Gujarat, de facto home of world cricket. One of the sporting events of the year. Right until the moment the whole thing’s done in 23 overs.
Simon Burnton
Who will win? It’s pretty easy to envisage a home win, but the optimistic half of me is insisting I go with England. Their batting depth and big-tournament knowhow – only two players haven’t won a World Cup of some sort – give them an edge.
Who are the dark horses? South Africa tend to find a hilarious way of getting themselves knocked out of tournaments they might win, but there’s hope for them here if they can buck that trend.
Who will be the star player? I’m looking forward to seeing more of Matheesha Pathirana, the Sri Lanka seamer whose slingy action means he is inevitably considered a miniature Malinga. Only 20, already established in the IPL and a lot of fun to watch.
Who will be the biggest flop? The pessimistic half of me is insisting I go with England for this as well. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but then following England rarely does.
My predicted top four England, India, South Africa, Pakistan
I can’t wait for The match between India and Pakistan in Melbourne at last year’s T20 World Cup was unforgettable; I’m hoping the one in Ahmedabad on 14 October reaches new heights of off-pitch noise and cricketing chaos.
