ICC World Cup 2019: Top five bowlers to watch out for

Mumbai: The World Cup 2019 is expected to be a run-fest due to its flat pitches which will be favourable for the batsmen. The world is going to witness gigantic scores during the course of two months. With the batsmen assumed to take the spotlight, it will be a challenge for bowlers to curb the total. The World Cup 2019 will put world-class bowlers to the test in English conditions. Although the situation looks grim, here is a list of five bowlers that have the potential to turn the game around:

Rashid Khan

(Photo: AFP)

Rashid Khan has the ability to steer Afghanistan into the later stages of the tournament. His leg-breaks and googlies will serve as a potential threat to most of the batsmen. Currently, he has 127 ODI wickets under his belt, with an impressive economy of  3.91.

Rashid will serve the purpose of an anchor for his national side in the upcoming World Cup. Not many people would have anticipated five years ago that Afghanistan will rise to the international scene within such a short amount of time.

Chris Woakes

(Photo: AFP)

England bowlers are expected to have an upper hand at the mega-event and one of the key bowlers would be Chris Woakes. The 30-year-old was in sensational form against Pakistan in the recently concluded series. He managed to grab nine wickets in his last two games against Pakistan. Ending the series with a five-wicket haul, he would be looking to carry his on-going form into the World Cup 2019.

Jasprit Bumrah

(Photo: AP)

Bumrah was recently hailed by Sachin Tendulkar as the world's best bowler. The pacer is predicted to do wonders for India due to his brilliant spells in IPL 2019. Bumrah displayed his calibre in the IPL final against Chennai Super Kings, scalping two wickets and conceding only 14 runs in his spell. He was awarded player of the match due to his brilliant performance. Bumrah ended this IPL edition with 19 wickets from 16 matches with an impressive economy rate of 6.63. He currently tops the list of ICC Top 10 ODI Bowlers.

Mitchell Starc

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Despite struggling with injuries, the left-arm pacer is considered to carry the legacy of Australian fast bowlers like Mitchell Johnson. Starc will be a hindrance for all the batsmen due to the amount of pace and bounce he generates in his deliveries. His last notable performance was in the test series against Sri Lanka.

In the last test match, Starc grabbed five-wicket haul in both the innings and was also awarded man of the match for his performance. Although Starc missed out on playing in IPL 2019, he will be looking to redeem himself in the World Cup 2019. Starc could play a key role in Australia's title defence.

Starc's most memorable performance was against New Zealand where he picked up six wickets and conceded only 28 runs in his spell. He was the most successful bowler of the tournament as he picked up 22 wickets with an impressive economy of 3.5.

Trent Boult

(Photo: AFP)

Acquiring the second place in the top 10 ODI Bowlers list, Boult will be a huge threat to the batsmen due to his ability to move the ball in both ways. The left-arm pacer has the experience of playing 79 ODIs in which he has taken 147 wickets at an impressive average of 24.70. Boult had an ordinary IPL 2019 stint with Delhi Daredevils, where he managed to get five wickets in five matches.

Boult had an exceptional IPL season last year, where emerged as the highest wicket-taker with 18 wickets. Boult bowling ability will be a forte for the Kiwi side, who lost the final of the previous World Cup against Australia.

Boult was the highest wicket taker in the ICC World Cup 2015, along with Mitchell Starc. He picked up 22 wickets with an economy of 4.36. He also picked up a five-wicket haul in the same match where Starc scalped six wickets.