Cricket World Cup 2015: Team-by-team guide

A look at the 14 teams competing in Bangladesh

Michael Clarke batted for 47 minutes and even bowled two overs against a Bangladesh XI at Allan Border Field yesterday (Getty)

POOL A

England

ICC ODI ranking: 5th

World Cup best: Finalists 1979, ’87, ’92

Coach: Peter Moores

Captain: Eoin Morgan

Star player: Jimmy Anderson

Chances: Morgan will rely on strong bowling from Anderson and Stuart Broad – and hope that Steve Finn keeps firing – in case the batting does one of its trademark collapses.

Odds: 8-1 (William Hill)

Australia

ICC ODI ranking: 1st

WC best: Winners 1987, ’99, 2003, ’07

Coach: Darren Lehmann

Captain: Michael Clarke

Star player: David Warner

Chances: Clarke will hope to beat his chronic hamstring problems to lead the favourites, who can call upon England’s nemesis Mitchell Johnson and explosive but divisive Warner.

Odds: 2-1

Sri Lanka

ICC ODI ranking: 4th

WC best: Winners 1996

Coach: Marvan Attapattu

Captain: Angelo Mathews

Star player: Kumar Sangakkara

Chances: The experienced batting trio of Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene may be getting on but they can still set up victories despite a weak bowling line-up – Malinga apart.

Odds: 10-1

New Zealand

ICC ODI ranking: 6th

WC best: Semi-finals 1975, ’79, ’92, ’99, 2007, ’11

Coach: Mike Hesson

Captain: Brendon McCullum

Star player: Brendon McCullum

Chances: In great form – none more than the captain. They have a great record in the competition and are hosting, so they will be dying to get to the final for the first time.

Odds: 5-1

Bangladesh

ICC ODI ranking: 9th

WC best: Super 8s 2007

Coach: Chandika Hathurusingha

Captain: Mashrafe Mortaza

Star player: Shakib Al Hasan

Chances: A famous World Cup win like the one against India in 2007 seems a big ask, with the priority perhaps to make the most of matches against Afghanistan and Scotland.

Odds: 200-1

Afghanistan

ICC ODI ranking: 11th

WC best: N/A

Coach: Andy Moles

Captain: Mohammad Nabi

Star player: Nabi

Chances: Cup debutants have played just 45 one-day matches, and will need their highest run-scorer and second-highest wicket-taker Nabi to excel in order to compete.

Odds: 500-1

Scotland

ICC ODI ranking: N/A

WC best: Group stage 1999, 2007

Coach: Grant Bradburn

Captain: Preston Mommsen

Star player: Calum Macleod

Chances: This is their third World Cup but they have yet to make a mark – though Calum Macleod can punch above his weight. Paul Collingwood might show them a trick or two.

Odds: 1,000-1

POOL B

South Africa

ICC ODI ranking: 3rd

World Cup best: Semi-finals 1992, ’99, 2007

Coach: Russell Domingo

Captain: AB de Villiers

Star player: De Villiers

Chances: The great underachievers in the showpiece will hope that the incredible form of De Villiers can inspire them – and they avoid their habitual ‘choke’ moment.

Odds: 3-1

India

ICC ODI ranking: 2nd

WC best: Winners 1983, 2011

Coach: Duncan Fletcher

Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Star player: Virat Kohli

Chances: The defending champions have huge batting talent and finally fast bowlers in Kumar and Shami to back them up. The crunch group game will be against rivals Pakistan.

Odds: 8-1

Pakistan

ICC ODI ranking: 7th

WC best: Winners 1992

Coach: Waqar Younis

Captain: Misbah-ul-Haq

Star player: Shahid Afridi

Chances: Mercurial as ever, they will be wondering if mystery spinner Saeed Ajmal can join the squad after his action was finally cleared by the ICC yesterday. They have lost all their five World Cup games against India.

Odds: 16-1

West Indies

ICC ODI ranking: 8th

WC best: Winners 1975, ’79

Coach: Richie Richardson

Captain: Jason Holder

Star player: Chris Gayle

Chances: No other team boast as many caps, 1,156, and with major talents like Gayle and Samuels anything is possible. At least in ODIs they have less time to mess things up.

Odds: 20-1

Zimbabwe

ICC ODI ranking: 10th

WC best: Super 6s 1999, 2003

Coach: Dav Whatmore

Captain: Elton Chigumbura

Star player: Brendan Taylor

Chances: Chigumbura’s unfancied side have improved lately but will struggle to make it out of the group stage. Facing neighbours South Africa in their first match is a bad start.

Odds: 500-1

Ireland

ICC ODI ranking: 12th

WC best: Super 8s 2007

Coach: Phil Simmons

Captain: William Porterfield

Star player: Kevin O’Brien

Chances: Ireland pulled off a shock defeat of England in 2011 but their challenge this time is to beat Zimbabwe to the fourth qualifying spot from this group.

Odds: 500-1

United Arab Emirates

ICC ODI ranking: N/A

WC best: First round 1996

Coach: Aaqib Javed

Captain: Mohammad Tauqir

Star player: Khurram Khan

Chances: UAE are back after 19 years and may just pull off an upset in the first match against Zimbabwe

Odds: 1,000-1