Hosts England lost their last game against an unpredictable Pakistani unit, and will be looking to bounce back when they take on a resurgent Bangladesh side. The Bangla Tigers defeated South Africa in their first game and put up a fight in the second before going down against New Zealand. They will walk into this game with an air of confidence, however. They have beaten the English team twice in the last two World Cups, and there is no reason why they cannot replicate their feats.
However, England is a more balanced team now when compared to the past. They have some of the best batters in the world currently, all of whom are capable of turning the game in a few overs. But where they lack is in the bowling department. Players like Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes have been inconsistent in the recent past, and Jofra Archer is inexperienced at the international stage. Hence, the responsibility will be immense on the batters. If they can play according to their strengths though, they will be favourites for the game. The track at Cardiff offers well-balanced wickets, with pacers getting help initially. But as the game progresses, it rolls out into a good batting track.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Jonny Bairstow (9.5 credits)
Bairstow is one of the most dangerous wicket-keeper batsmen of this era. With an ODI strike rate of 106.92, he is capable of unleashing his fury from ball one, which makes him a
Hosts England lost their last game against an unpredictable Pakistani unit, and will be looking to bounce back when they take on a resurgent Bangladesh side. The Bangla Tigers defeated South Africa in their first game and put up a fight in the second before going down against New Zealand. They will walk into this game with an air of confidence, however. They have beaten the English team twice in the last two World Cups, and there is no reason why they cannot replicate their feats.
However, England is a more balanced team now when compared to the past. They have some of the best batters in the world currently, all of whom are capable of turning the game in a few overs. But where they lack is in the bowling department. Players like Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes have been inconsistent in the recent past, and Jofra Archer is inexperienced at the international stage. Hence, the responsibility will be immense on the batters. If they can play according to their strengths though, they will be favourites for the game. The track at Cardiff offers well-balanced wickets, with pacers getting help initially. But as the game progresses, it rolls out into a good batting track.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Jonny Bairstow (9.5 credits)
Bairstow is one of the most dangerous wicket-keeper batsmen of this era. With an ODI strike rate of 106.92, he is capable of unleashing his fury from ball one, which makes him a must-pick in the Fantasy team. He scored 128 against Pakistan at Bristol last month in the ODI series, and though he is yet to fire in this World Cup, he has all the skills to take apart an inconsistent bowling attack.
Batsman: Eoin Morgan (9.5 credits)
Morgan has led his team to the number one spot in the ODI rankings. He is not just a good leader, but also a fine batter, scoring runs at an average of just under 40 with a strike rate of 90.32. He can mould his game according to the conditions, which was on full display against South Africa, when he played a responsible knock of 57.
All-rounder: Shakib Al Hasan (9.5 credits)
Shakib is central to Bangladesh's success in the team, and he will have a huge role to play with both bat and ball. He is currently the number 1 ODI all-rounder in the world. He displayed what he is capable of with all-round performances in the first two games. He followed up his knock of 75 against South Africa with 1 for 50 with the ball. Against the Kiwis, he scored 64 and then took 2 for 47 with the ball as well.
Bowler: Adil Rashid (8.5 credits)
Grossly underrated, Adil Rashid was the highest wicket-taker in the world since the end of the last World Cup in 2015 and the start of this edition. He bowls in the middle overs, sticks to a consistent line and length. The fact that he has achieved his success on the seaming conditions of England further display how skilled he is.
Captain: Eoin Morgan
Vice-captain: Jonny Bairstow
Predicted Playing XI:
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mossadek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mashrafe Mortaza (c), Mustafizur Rahman
