On Monday, Team Australia officially announced the 15-member Australian side for the ICC World Cup 2019. The tournament will feature 10 teams and is set to begin on 30th May in England and Wales. Good news for David Warner and former skipper Steve Smith as they return to the team after completing 1-year ban from international cricket. Both of them are currently playing at the Indian Premier League for their respective franchise. Aaron Finch has been picked to lead the side, with Pat Cummins serving as vice-captain. Alex Carey has been included as the specialist wicket-keeper in the unit. Few names that were left out include in-form Peter Handscomb and pacer Josh Hazlewood. Hazlewood is recovering from an injury and that might be one of the factors for his exclusion from the squad. Australian team selector Trevor Hohns said, “Given the depth of talent and competition for spots there were a number of tough calls we had to make to settle on our squad of 15“. Here is the complete list:<doc-sep>After months of speculation, several opinions of cricketers and questions answered by the Men in Blue, the much-awaited announcement of the Indian squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is finally here. The Indian selectors, chaired by MSK Prasad, will be meeting in Mumbai to take a final call on the squad which will be bound for England and Wales to play the World Cup, scheduled from 30 May to 14 July. Currently, the Indians cricketers are playing the Indian Premier League and are busy with their respective franchises. Over the last few international series, Indian team management have been in a fix as No.4 spot in the batting line-up is concerned. After trying as many as five to six batsmen at the spot India are yet to zero in on somebody since none of the options available have been consistent while batting at number four.<doc-sep>Finally, the day of reckoning is here for the Indian hopefuls. When the five-member All-India Senior Selection Committee meets in Mumbai on , names of 15 cricketers who are selected for the 2019 Cricket World Cup will dominate the national discourse and at the same time, many dreams will be shattered. Like it or not, it will officially mark the start of India's preparation for the mega event in England and Wales. Thanks to months of cricketing overdose and simulated auditions, and endless sound-bites from the mouthpieces of Indian cricket, it has become an open secret that most of the positions in the squad have already been confirmed, except -- as skipper Virat Kohli had said -- only "one slot" which is left to be filled. It won't be a surprise when the five wise men announce a team of 'certainties,' with a name or two cropping up to cater to the suspense quotient. With a strong-willed captain Virat Kohli and equally demonstrative head coach Ravi Shastri at the helm, and also India having played their last ODI match before the World Cup some time back, one would wonder what made the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), or the Committee of administrators (CoA) wait so long to announce the squad. Yes, of course, there's Indian Premier League (IPL). With privately owned and operated franchises demanding more than 100% performance from their prized cricketers and the BCCI itself promoting the league, there was no chance of the world's richest cricket body announcing the team beforehand. It would have demoralised the would-be discards. Discards are always bad for business. Then, there was also possible fitness/injury worries. A predicament currently facing by New Zealand. But the general consensus is that the squad has already been named, and it's only a matter of making it public. But still, it's a task fraught with danger to speculate the names. As widely reported, the 'debate' to deliberate on for the MSK Prasad-led selectors will be about that contentious number four spot and second wicketkeeper's position. So, who are the certainties? Virat Kohli (c/batsman), Rohit Sharma (vc/batsman), Shikhar Dhawan (batsman), MS Dhoni (wk/batsman), Kedar Jadhav (all-rounder), Hardik Pandya (all-rounder), Kuldeep Yadav (spinner), Yuzvendra Chahal (spinner), Jasprit Bumrah (pacer), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (pacer), Mohammed Shami (pacer). Then, who will fill the remaining four spots? For second wicketkeeper's position -- Dinesh Karthik or Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul Rishabh Pant's competition for the second keeper's slot with veteran Dinesh Karthik and the recent upturn in fortunes for KL Rahul will be the highlight of the selection meeting. Pant, already the anointed heir apparent to MS Dhoni, is the favourite to join the team as the back-up wicketkeeper. Meaning, he has an advantage over seasoned but rarely tasted Dinesh Karthik. His plus points are - a floater who can bat between 1 and 7; a left-hander, with finishing abilities. KL Rahul has peaked at the right time. He also can keep and is a top top-order batsman, and is diligent, unlike Pant. The third opener is as crucial as the second wicketkeeper. Number four - Ambati Rayudu, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar It all looked so good for Ambati Rayudu with endorsements coming from both the captain and the coach. But he has made himself a liability with a string of under-par performances; which forced the think tank to test Vijay Shankar, and the all-rounder also looked promising. But on current form, no one is better suited for this position than Rahul. The advantage of having Rahul is, he covered both the second wicketkeeper and no four positions, thus freeing up a spot, where someone can be squeezed in. Fourth seamer or extra specialist spinner - Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja It becomes a straight shoot-out between the two certified all-rounders. And it will depend on the English weather. For wet conditions, Vijay; for dry conditions, Jadeja. Shankar with a more pronounce batting talent and the ability to play new ball has the advantage. The squad looks like this: Until recently Batsmen: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (vc), Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant; Wicketkeeper: MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal Pacers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami Hours before team selection Batsmen: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (vc), Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, KL Rahul; Wicketkeeper: MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja Spinners: Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal Pacers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami And hope, there's no last-minute injury. By the way, other members of the selection committee are: Sarandeep Singh, Debang Gandhi, Jatin Paranjpe and Gagan Khoda. For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine<doc-sep>
Indian Team Selection For 2019 Cricket World Cup: When And Where Will 15-Member Squad Be Announced The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday released media advisory to confirm that the Team India squad for the upcoming 2019 Cricket World Cup will be announced on Monday. It said that "the All-India Senior Selection Committee will meet in Mumbai on Monday, April 15, 2019. The committee will pick the Indian Cricket Team for the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 to be played from 30th May to 14th July 2019 in England & Wales." Here are all the details you need to know about India's team selection for the World Cup: When will the India squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup be announced? The India squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup will be announced on Monday, April 15. Where will the India squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup be announced? The national selectors will meet at BCCI Cricket Centre, 1st Floor, Mumbai to pick India's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. At what time will the India squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup will be announced? The India squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup 2019 is expected to take place at 15.00 (3:00 PM) IST on Monday, April 15. Will there be live telecast of the team selection meeting? No, the official Facebook page of the Indian cricket team is likely to stream the team announcement. Also, follow live updates of the team announcement on www.outlookindia.com The deadline to submit the squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup is April 23. So far, New Zealand and Australia have announced their respective squads for the mega-event. For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine