ENGLAND

Power point

England’s strength lies in their batting, which has almost everything — power, class, experience. If Phil Salt doesn’t get you, Jos Buttler will. Then there is Harry Brook, whose batting style is perfect for the format. Others, like Will Jacks and the young Jacob Bethell are no pushovers either.

Fault line

The bowling attack looks a bit shaky even though there are proven performers like Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid. But bowling isn’t England’s main concern. It’s their new captain, Brook, who faces the tall task of navigating his team deep into the tournament in tricky subcontinental conditions. Brook lacks experience on that front, though Buttler will be around to offer invaluable tips.

Hawk eye

Bethell, the 22-year-old batting all-rounder has generated good interest with his skills. It is with his aggressive batting primarily that the left-hander leaves quite an impact on matches. But he also bowls decent left-arm spin, a skill that will serve England well in this World Cup. So the cricket world will be keen to find out how Bethell responds to the challenge. Also keep an eye on Salt. The opener is a match-winner par excellence.

Insight

England is expected to sail through the group stages, with only West Indies posing some resistance in Group C. The other teams in their group are Italy, Nepal and Scotland. England’s fate in the Super Eights against the tougher teams will depend on how well their batters tackle spin

THE SQUAD

Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tong, Luke Wood

Stats: Mohandas Menon

WEST INDIES

Power point

Packed with big-hitters who have a special liking for T20s, batting is undoubtedly the Caribbean team’s strength. Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd — all of them can clear the boundary with ease. Most of the West Indies players are regulars in T20 leagues around the world and so know the format better than many others.

Fault line

The West Indies nowadays appear to be a disjointed team whenever they take the field. An assorted basket of talented cricketers, they often lack the instincts of a team game and concede advantages in crunch situations. Unless captain Shai Hope and the team management can inject a sense of unity, the Windies will struggle against the tougher teams. advantages in crunch situations. Unless captain Shai Hope and the team management can inject a sense of unity, the Windies will struggle against the tougher teams.

Hawk eye

It’s difficult to single out any one player from their team of XV for special attention, but the likes of Hetmyer, Hope and Powell should have a bigger impact. The dark horse, however, could be Jason Holder. The experienced all-rounder bowls a tight line and can play a few big shots as well.

Insight

Ruling the twice champions out would not be wise. Even when they won the trophy the last time, in 2016, not many would have given them the favourites’ tag. On their day, they can be as dangerous as the best in the world. On an off day, they can be worse than the worst.

THE SQUAD

Shai Hope (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd

Stats: Mohandas Menon