The 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup hasn’t gone to plan for England, who have mustered just one win so far. However, the old enemy will be intent to reverse their fortunes in their clash with Australia on Saturday night.
While England are playing for pride, the Aussies are in the hunt for the top prize, and a win will just about confirm their spot in the final four.
Draftstars has put up $10,000 for the main contest, so check out our full preview with fantasy tips below.
2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup Fantasy Tips
Australia vs England
Australia Predicted XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
England Predicted XI: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid
Australia have hit top form in their pursuit of another World Cup crown, winning four matches on the trot. The victories have been mostly comprehensive, with a previously maligned batting line-up managing three 350+ scores in succession. In saying that, Australia’s most recent triumph against New Zealand wasn’t without some nervy moments. Batting first, Travis Head (109 off 67 balls) and David Warner (81 off 65) propelled the men in green and gold to 388, aided by Pat Cummins who blasted 37 off 14 balls in a timely cameo. The Black Caps made a great fist of the chase, taking the game right to the final ball, but Australia held their nerve by completing a five-run win. Adam Zampa was the pick of the bowlers yet again, taking three wickets to shoot to the top of the tournament wicket-taker standings. Glenn Maxwell was another handy contributor (41 and one wicket), although he will be missing from the XI for the game against England due to a freak golfing accident which resulted in a concussion. I expect Marcus Stoinis to return as his replacement, leaving Australia with just one spinner for this encounter.
England, on the other hand, are having a tournament to forget, sitting at the bottom of the table with just a few matches to play. The batters have been particularly disappointing – England have scored over 300 just once, and their last three totals have been sub-200. It’s a sad state of affairs for one of the great white ball teams of the modern era, and one senses that a changing of the guard is about to occur. Very few individuals can hold their head high, although Adil Rashid has been serviceable with eight wickets. Given England’s imminent exit from the 2023 World Cup, the playing XI will likely be injected with youth for the last couple of games. As such, I can see Gus Atkinson and Harry Brook playing in this one, perhaps alongside Brydon Carse. The potential omissions are unclear, but Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood could make way.
Draftstars Tips
Love It – Adam Zampa $17,100
Zampa has been one of the best bowlers in the tournament, taking 16 wickets to average 65 DFS points. Spin to win has been the tactic of the competition, and England’s batting has been among the most fragile, so if Australia win as expected then Zampa will likely have a huge say on the outcome.
Love It- Marcus Stoinis $11,800
Stoinis should return to the lineup in the absence of Glenn Maxwell, filling the all-rounder role. With Maxwell out, Stoinis should see a lot more opportunities with ball in hand, which can only be good for his fantasy scoring. Furthermore, we have yet to see the best of the burly enigma with the bat, so there is plenty of room for growth.
Don’t Love It- Ben Stokes $13,900
Shipped in as England’s expected saviour, Stokes has underperformed at this World Cup, averaging just 23 DFS points. Batting in the middle order, Stokes has too often become bogged down, scoring far below his usual rate, and he isn’t bowling which reduces his scoring avenues. As such, $14k seems a hefty price to pay.
Don’t Love It- Mitch Marsh $16,800
Marsh has shown flashes of brilliance in this tournament, but his current role isn’t conducive to consistently high fantasy scoring. With Travis Head back in the XI, Marsh has shifted down to first drop, a position which doesn’t suit him as well. In addition, Marsh has bowled very few overs in this campaign, leaving his batting as the sole source of DFS scoring.
Who Knows- Joe Root $15,500
England’s best player, Joe Root, has put together a strange tournament, following up three strong performances with three stinkers. In terms of DFS scores, the first three matches translated to 80+ outcomes while the subsequent three have been 2, 3 and -10. This makes him the definition of a ‘who knows’ proposition.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup
