World Cup FAQs - Who are the favourites? Which games should you call in sick for?

A World Cup! That glorious celebration of a truly global sport, with 32 teams representing every region on the pla…
Er, no. Not that one. This is the men's cricket World Cup, featuring ten teams.

Ah, right. That one. So ten teams, then? No room for the… what do you call them… Associates?
Well, no. Not entirely. There was, you see, a Qualifier, featuring a bunch of Associates plus the teams that finished outside the top eight of the World Cup Super League…

The what?
It's too complicated to explain here, but this should give you an idea. Anyway, it's been scrapped now, or maybe not, but to get back to your previous question…

Which was?
I'm not entirely sure, but I vaguely remember talking about the Qualifier? So it involved six Associate teams plus Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland. Ten teams in all, fighting for two World Cup spots.

So who made it?
Sri Lanka and Netherlands.

Netherlands?
Indeed. A weakened Netherlands team, that too, who did this to West Indies and this to Scotland in a gloriously improbable turn of events.

And that means West Indies, two-time champions, are…
Yup, not at the World Cup for the first time ever.

Brutal, eh? So where is this World Cup happening?
India. They have co-hosted it before, in 1987, 1996 and 2011. Now they are hosting the entire thing themselves.

All part of their grand plan to win it themselves, no doubt?
True, it has become a thing for host teams to win World Cups. India beat co-hosts Sri Lanka to win the 2011 final, then Australia beat co-hosts New Zealand in 2015, and four years later it was England's turn to win by virtue of being hosts.

Hey, that's not fair. They also won by virtue of … *checks notes* … boundary count-back. Is that going to be a thing again?
Ah, no. Super Overs will decide tied games throughout the tournament, and if the Super Over is tied, they will just play another, and another, until they get an actual winner.

Cue the final that never ends. Anyway, before we get that far, what's the format of the tournament?
Just like 2019. Each of the ten teams plays every other team once in the league stage, and the top four go through to the semi-finals.

Who are the favourites to get there?
India are hosts, and they are also the No. 1 ODI side in the ICC rankings. They have a team with almost every base covered, particularly in their home conditions. England may not have the same aura they went into the 2019 World Cup with, but they are defending champions, won a T20 World Cup last year, and remain the deepest and fastest-scoring batting line-up in ODIs. Then there is Pakistan, who held the No. 1 ranking until India took it from them - their top order and fast bowling are serious strengths, though they have weaknesses elsewhere.

New Zealand were losing finalists at the last two ODI World Cups as well as the 2021 T20 World Cup. They have a core group of highly experienced, skilful players who will want to go one better this time. And you can expect Australia and South Africa, who recently tussled in an incredibly high-scoring five-match series, to be fiercely competitive at a world event.

Won't the conditions negate non-Asian teams' strengths somewhat?
Possibly. Even though pitches at ICC white-ball events tend to be flat, spin could be hugely influential at least at some of the venues. Australia might find themselves seriously tested by Sri Lanka in Lucknow, for instance, and New Zealand by both Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Chennai. Afghanistan may also pose a big threat to Pakistan, who don't really have a gun wicket-taking spinner, when they meet in Chennai.

Where and when will the really high-profile contests take place?
Well, mostly in Ahmedabad. The biggest, highest-capacity, and most self-congratulatory venue in the world can't stop hosting big games. The opening game on October 5, pitting 2019 finalists England and New Zealand, will be in Ahmedabad. So will Australia-England on November 4. And the final, of course, on November 19.

Not to mention the small matter of India-Pakistan on October 14.

India-Pakistan! I have to be in Ahmedabad for it.
Lol.

Okay, what other big games should I call in sick for?
India and Australia have played some cracking games in Chennai, including a thriller during the 1987 World Cup. They meet again in Chennai, on October 8, to open their respective campaigns. England and South Africa are among the most power-packed batting line-ups in the tournament, and their meeting at the Wankhede Stadium on October 21 should be full of runs. There could be a bit of help for fast bowlers in Dharamsala, where Australia meet New Zealand on October 28. The two best ODI teams of the last two World Cup cycles, India and England, face off in Lucknow on October 29, and then there is the rivalry to end all rivalries, the Naagin derby, on November 6 in Delhi.

Right. So at what time do these matches begin?
There will be six day games, starting 10.30am IST (0500 GMT), but every other match will be day-night contests, starting at 2pm IST (0830 GMT).

Are there reserve days in case of rain?
Yup, there will be reserve days for both semi-finals - which are scheduled to take place in Mumbai and Kolkata on November 15 and 16 - and the final.