Fantasy Cricket – World Cup 2015 – Pool A

Fantasy Cricket – World Cup 2015 – Pool A

Just when you thought that FPL and WooFBet was taking over your life, we have a little treat for you as the Cricket World Cup begins this Friday evening in New Zealand and Australia. As most of you will be aware, there’s a good few on us on FF247 that love our cricket, there’s a few that just love being part of any fantasy game going and then there’s a few, well Mito, who knows dick all about cricket, but somehow seems to do well in the competitions. So, Fantasy Cricket is here and we want to take these two days to bring you some information on the tournament, how to play and primarily a very basic rundown on all the teams and some of the names you should maybe look to build into your squads.
We have created a FantasyFootball247 league – all you need to do is click on https://fantasy.icc-cricket.com to register and then join the FF247 league using the code 3480. Then it’s time to read the rules and choose your opening squad!

As we have already said, the tournament starts on Friday evening (UK time) – there are 14 countries participating and for the first round they have been split into two pools:

Pool A
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
England
New Zealand
Scotland
Sri Lanka

Pool B
India
Ireland
Pakistan
South Africa
United Arab Emirates
West Indies
Zimbabwe

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Each team plays the others in their group once and at the end of the group stage the top 4 from each group will progress to the Quarter Finals – at which point the tournament becomes a knockout competition. All the rules and scoring methods are detailed on site, but we thought it prudent to highlight some of the basic ones.

Your squad composition:
You may pick a maximum of 6 players from a single team.

Balance of squad:
Batsmen – you must select 4 or 5
All-rounders – you must select at least 1
Wicketkeeper – you may only select 1
Bowlers – you must select at least 2.

Changing your squad
Before Match 1 – Unlimited transfers
Match 1 to Match 21 (Stage 1) – 42 transfers
After Match 21 and before Match 22 – Unlimited transfers
Match 22 to Match 42 (Stage 2) – 42 transfers
After Match 42 and before Quarter Final 1 – Unlimited transfers
Quarter Final 1 to Quarter Final 4 (Stage 3) – 18 transfers
After Quarter Final 4 and before Semi Final 1 – Unlimited transfers
Semi Final 1 to the Final (Stage 4) – 10 transfers.

Captain – or as Fantasy Cricket call it: “Power Player”
As per FPL, nominate a Power Player who will gain you double points.

All the other rules and what you need to know are on the site, but if you do have any questions please ask on the chat below and we will do our best to answer them!

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Today we will concentrate on Pool A

SRI LANKA
Fixtures:
Sat 14 Feb vs New Zeland (Christchurch)
Sun 22 Feb vs Afghanistan (Dunedin)
Thur 26 Feb vs Bangladesh (Melbourne)
Sun 1 March vs England (Wellington)
Sun 8 March vs Australia (Sydney)
Wed 11 March (Hobart)

Runners up in the last two tournaments, Sri Lanka have the ability and the experience to beat anyone. But do they have the clinical desire to get over the line? Some of their players will be playing their last World Cup and will want to bow out with a trophy, though sadly they are likely to come up just short again. Nobody ever goes into a tournament talking Sri Lanka up but they always find a way to be in contention and they’ve proven that over the years, though their chances will largely depend on ensuring star death bowler Lasith Malinga is fit.

Kumar Sangakkara – batsman & wicketkeeper – price 105k. Not only is Sanga one of the best batsmen in the world, he is also in the form of his life, having scored heavily on the recent tour of New Zealand and has scored over 1,200 runs over the past twelve months. Being classed as a wicketkeeper should not put you off, despite him taking up a huge part of your budget.

Tillakaratne Dilshan – all-rounder – price 95k. Dilshan is close to being a must have from the Sri Lankan side. Batting in the top three, Dilshan is another in great form and has a knack of building big innings’ and averaged over 50 in 2014. His off spin bowling is a bonus and 17 wickets last year tells us he is a very handy all-rounder.

Mahela Jayawardene – batsman – price 100k. Experienced batsman who has played more than 440 ODIs and scored over 12,500 runs, Jayawardene is rightly regarded as one of the greatest batsmen ever. Still scoring hundreds at the grand old age of 37, he is not priced cheaply in fantasy terms for a reason, which may put some off, so selecting Mahela may provide you with a classy differential.

Angelo Matthews – captain and all-rounder – price 95k. The same price as Dilshan – and in all honesty, not as good an option. Matthews won’t bat before no.5 at the earliest and is not guaranteed to bowl his full allotment of overs each game.

Lasith Malinga – bowler – price 90k. Not as quick as he was but still the spearhead of the Sri Lankan attack. Has been suffering from injury of late, but is expected to be fit for the tournament – maybe it’s best to sit and wait to see how he is shaping up before selecting him, but if he does prove his fitness, then you can be guaranteed wickets from the “Slinger”.

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NEW ZEALAND
Fixtures:
Sat 14th Feb vs Sri Lanka (Christchurch)
Tues 17th Feb vs Scotland (Dunedin)
Fri 20th Feb vs England (Wellington)
Sat 28th Feb vs Australia (Auckland)
Sun 8 March vs Afghanistan (Napier)
Fri 13 March vs Bangladesh (Hamilton)

Hosts New Zealand will come into tournament as many people’s tip for the trophy. Home advantage will count for a lot, but more than anything the Black Caps are a good team, who gel well and are tough to beat on their own turf. The co-hosts have been playing some attractive cricket in recent times and appear to have depth in both their batting and bowling departments going into the tournament. It’s important to note that New Zealand play all their pool matches at home, even when they take on the Aussies.

Brendan McCullum – batsman – price – 105k. One of the better known Kiwis, McCullum opens the batting with Martin Guptill and is a hard hitting, fast scoring player. Despite his career record of 5,200 runs in 232 ODIs, McCullum has only scored four hundreds and has only scored three 50s in his last 25 innings, suggesting his price of 105k means there are better and cheaper options available.

Kane Williamson – batsman – price 95k. Has scored two hundreds and one fifty in his last three ODIs, he is bang in form and gives the impression he is finally finding his feet at the top level. Priced 10k less than his captain, Williamson will be a popular selection and will start the tournament as one of the favourites to be the leading scorer in the tournament.

Luke Ronchi – wicketkeeper & batsman – price 75k. Hard hitting batsman who decided to quit Australian cricket in 2011/12 and has now established himself as the first choice wicket keeper. Expect inconsistency in his batting but his recent swashbuckling innings of 170 off 99 balls vs Sri Lanka highlights perfectly what he is capable of.

Grant Elliott – all-rounder – price 70k. Useful all-rounder who hit a century in the recent series vs Sri Lanka and then went on to score 64 runs and take 3-26 vs Pakistan. Maybe one who flies under the radar, Elliott could be a cheeky selection while others go for the bigger, more established names.

Daniel Vettori – bowler – price 95k. The old stager of the side and a miserly spin bowler, who will be expected to reward those managers who select him by bowling at an economical rate and picking up the odd wicket. Vettori is New Zealand’s leading wicket taker in ODIs despite his home pitches not normally favouring spin. Not cheap at 95k.

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ENGLAND
Fixtures:
Sat 14 Feb vs Australia (Melbourne)
Fri 20 Feb vs New Zealand (Wellington)
Mon 23 Feb vs Scotland (Christchurch)
Sun 1 March vs Sri Lanka (Wellington)
Mon 9 March vs Bangladesh (Adelaide)
Fri 13 March vs Afghanistan (Sydney)

With new captain Eoin Morgan in charge, much will be expected of England. i.e. they’ll be expected to beat Scotland and Afghanistan, while will hope to run Bangladesh close also. Strong on their day, but will need to find some consistency throughout the side if they are to challenge in the tournament. They have the individual players who can make valuable contributions but rarely do the team manage put together a decent runs of performances. On paper the batting is strong, sadly on the pitch the sight of Mitchell Johnson turns them into quivering wrecks. Lord knows what will happen if Lasith Malinga is fit.

Eoin Morgan – good proper English lad – captain – batsman – price 95k. Explosive, experienced, hard hitting. Morgan is England’s most likely match winner and has the talent to turn a game with one innings, assuming the burdens of captaining his “country” do not prove too much for him. Had a disappointing warm up in Australia.

Ian Bell – batsman – price 90k. Generally seen as Mr Consistent since winning back his place in the ODI side, England will be looking for big runs from Bell. Has the ability to play through the innings, allowing the more explosive batsman to swing away. That’s a cricket term, by the way, not his weekend hobby.

James Taylor – batsman – midget – price 70k. Having now established himself in the side, Taylor has impressed, showing a mature head on young and tiny shoulders. Possibly the bargain of the side at 70k, Taylor shouldn’t let you down.

Joe Root – batsman – price 80k. Can be brilliant, can be useless – on his day you’ll want him in your side, but Taylor is probably better value.

Jos Buttler – wicket keeper/batsman – price 85k. Hard hitting batsman, who scores quickly…..or not at all. Should get you some bonus points due to his strike rate. Scored some useful runs in the recent Tri-nations tournament.

Moeen Ali – all-rounder – price 85k. Opening batsman, part time spin bowler, needs to have a big tournament to prove he can compete at the highest level. Probably more reliable than Bopara.

Steven Finn – bowler – price 75k. Has recently reclaimed his spot in the team and his price may attract some in preference to Broad or Anderson. Has been bowling well in the warm ups and in all likelihood, Finn could take as many wickets as his aforementioned team mates.

James Anderson – bowler – price 100k. Anderson has been in decent form of late and is by far and away, England’s best bowler. Much responsibility will be on his shoulders if England are to make serious inroads in the tournament, but his price tag means he’ll have to perform at his very best and then some if he is to justify selection in your squad.

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AUSTRALIA
Fixtures:
Sat 14 Feb vs England (Melbourne)
Sat 21 Feb vs Bangladesh (Brisbane)
Sat 28 Feb vs New Zealand (Auckland)
Wed 4 March vs Afghanistan (Perth)
Sun 8 March vs Sri Lanka (Sydney)
Sat 14 March vs Scotland (Hobart)

It’ll be a huge surprise if the Aussies are not contesting the final of the World Cup. They go into the tournament as the no.1 ranked ODI team and are four times winners of the Cup and runners up twice in just ten World Cups. Australia show significant strength in depth throughout the side. In fact throughout their squad. Which may be the problem as selecting their players is as tough as working out which Arsenal or Chelsea midfielder to choose. They also may also rotate in the easier matches, picking their best XI is that tough. Home advantage will also help the Aussies who go into the tournament having won the recent tri-nations tournament vs India and England.

Aaron Finch – batsman – price 80k. Aggressive opening batsman, hits the ball a long way. Five 100s and five 50s tells us he has the ability, but needs to now push on and show some consistency.

David Warner – batsman – price 85K. Chippy little f***er, but has all the talent in the world to score heavily and quickly. He and Finch combine to make the outstanding opening partnership in the world. Like Finch, his stats are not as great as they should be due to their aggressive and risk taking batting.

Steve Smith – batsman – price 90k. Australia’s in form player has shown great improvement and consistency this past year. Bang in form, expect heavy run scoring, but not as aggressive as Finch or Warner.

Michael Clarke – captain & batsman – price 95k. He only recently returned from injury and may take time to get into his stride – maybe one to watch for now.

Glenn Maxwell – all-rounder – price 90k. In great form, Maxwell scored 98 off just 95 balls in the recent final vs England. This is his highest score to date and he followed that up by taking 4 wickets for 46 runs with the ball – again, a career best. To cap off his day, he took a brilliant catch as well.

James Faulkner – all-rounder – price 95k . Big hitting middle order batsman who struck 50 off just 24 balls vs England. If that isn’t impressive enough, Faulkner is Australia’s leading wicket taker over the past twelve months. Look out for injury news as the all-rounder picked up a side strain in the win over England, though at time of writing they expect him to be fit to play in the tournament. However, it may be prudent to keep on the watchlist for now.

Mitchell Johnson – all-rounder – price 100k. Is really a bowler who can bat, but the game lists him as an all-rounder for some reason. His bowling can be unplayable or unreachable, depending on his state of mind. Currently it’s the former. He looks fresh after having a brief rest and will be firing once the Aussies take the field vs England – a team he has had considerable recent success against.

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SCOTLAND
Fixtures:
Tues 17 Feb vs New Zealand (Dunedin)
Mon 23 Feb vs England (Christchurch)
Thur 26 Feb vs Afghanistan (Dunedin)
Thur 5 March vs Bangladesh (Nelson)
Wed 11 March vs Sri Lanka (Hobart)
Sat 14 March vs Australia (Hobart)

Unsurprisingly Scotland are still waiting for their first win at a World Cup and boast the unenviable claim to fame of making its football team look good. Realistically, Scotland will look to their third match, against Afghanistan on February 26, as a golden opportunity to win for the first time at a World Cup. Previous appearances at the 1999 and 2007 World Cup yielded eight defeats and it will be Scotland’s priority to ensure that run doesn’t extend to 14. Twice before they have faced the difficult task of opening up against Australia but a first match against the other host nation, New Zealand, this time around will scarcely be easier. However, there will be days when you want the odd Scot in your side when they play the likes of Afghanistan so let’s look at the best contenders.

Preston Mommson – captain – batsman – price 85k. Took over as captain last year and won the 2014 ICC Associate and Affiliate player of the year, which is like playing for Burton Albion and winning the Division 2 player of the year. Mommsen provides the power in Scotland’s middle-order. An unbeaten century, his first in ODIs, led the side to victory in the final of the World Cup Qualifier, where he was also Man of the Series.

Ritchie Berrington – all-rounder – price 75k. The first Scot to score a T20 international century and a handy medium pace bowler, capable of chipping in with a wicket or two.

Majid Haq – all-rounder – price 90k. Has played over 50 ODIs and is the leading wicket taker in the side. Could be useful on a turning pitch.

Calum MacLoed – all-rounder – price 80k. scored an unbeaten 129 in a warm up match last week. MacLeod began his career as a seamer with Warwickshire but has reinvented himself as an explosive top-order batsman. Struggled on Scotland’s tour of Australia and New Zealand but can go big when he comes off. He struck three List A hundreds in 2014 – including 175 against Canada, the highest ODI score by a Scotsman.

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BANGLADESH
Fixtures:
Wed 18 Feb vs Afghanistan (Canberra)
Sat 21 Feb vs Australia (Brisbane)
Thurs 26 Feb vs Sri Lanka (Melbourne)
Thurs 5 March vs Scotland (Nelson)
Mon 9 March vs England (Adelaide)
Fri 13 March vs New Zealand (Hamilton)

According to their chief selector Faruque Ahmed, Bangladesh’s realistic goal should be to beat and finish above Afghanistan and Scotland, while trying to humble one of the four major sides in the group. They do have experience of masterminding a giant killing – they stunned Pakistan in 1999, upset India and South Africa in 2007 and beat England in 2011. This is their fifth appearance at a World Cup

Shakib Al Hasan – all-rounder – price 105k. Probably the best player ever to play for Bangladesh, Shakib is a free scoring batsman and an effective left-arm spin bowler. Probably not quite the player he was a few years ago and the consistency of his performances are also not what they were, but Shakib is the one man in the line-up who can be expected to regularly put up a challenge with both bat and ball.

Tamim Iqbal – batsman – price 85k. Tamim will shoulder the responsibility of opening the batting and giving the team a flying start. Tends to flit in and out of form, but has often bounced back from poor form and will be hungry to shine on the big stage.

Mushfiqur Rahim – wicketkeeper/batsman – price 90k. Bangladesh’s best batsman in 2014, Mushfiqur Has scored heavily and has often looked like the only batsman capable of getting his team out of a sticky situation. He will be without the pressure of captaincy having been recently replaced by Mashrafe Mortaza.

Tajiul Islam – bowler – price 60k. Fancy a gamble? Need a cheap option? Check young Tajiul out. Only made his ODI debut in December, the 22 year old left arm spinner took a hat-trick vs Zimbabwe and ended up with 4-11.

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AFGHANISTAN
Fixtures:
Wed 18 Feb vs Bangladesh (Canberra)
Sun 22 Feb vs Sri Lanka (Dunedin)
Thur 26 Feb vs Scotland (Dunedin)
Wed 4 March vs Australia (Perth)
Sun 8 March vs New Zealand (Napier)
Fri 13 March vs England (Sydney)

This is Afghanistan’s first appearance at a Cricket World Cup and they’ll be seen alongside Scotland as the whipping boys of the group. The Afghans have won three out of the last four vs Scotland, if that helps you. They also beat Bangladesh at the 2013/14 Asia Cup.

Nawroz Mangal – batsman – price 80k. Opens the batting, can score heavily on his day. The trick will be selecting the right day. And hoping Afghanistan play that day.

Usman Ghani – batsman – price 75k. Opens the batting with Mangal, Ghani is a young lad who is highly thought of. Just 18 years old, the batsman has already scored a century and two fifties in just 12 ODIs. Ghani was his country’s leading scorer on their pre-World Cup tour down under, scoring 239 runs at 47.80. However, he’ll be tested when going up against international strength bowling.

Mohammad Nabi – captain – all-rounder – price 90k. Not to be confused with Nani, but will probably prove as useless as the Portuguese winger. Has led the side since 2013. The all-rounder is capable of stabilising the innings after an early collapse or launching a late assault from the middle order. He can also contribute an economical spell of off spin. Nabi was Afghanistan’s highest scorer and leading wicket-taker in World Cup qualifying.

Dawlat Zadran – bowler – price 75k. Leading wicket taker in 2014 for Afghanistan. Not sure if he had much competition, but it’s a stat he’ll be proud of.

That’s all from Pool A. Kop will be bringing you expert advice on Pool B tomorrow – don’t miss it!

Thanks for reading Fantasy Cricket – World Cup 2015. This article was written by Cookie

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