For the first time in One Day World Cup history, all participating teams are set to be led by new captains, assuming no changes occur in the next few months. Since the 2019 World Cup in England, a wave of retirements and other factors have led to a change in leadership for almost all teams.
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New Zealand’s Kane Williamson was the last remaining captain from the previous tournament, but his participation in the mega event scheduled in India this October is uncertain due to a severe knee injury he sustained during the opening match of the IPL.
Williamson, who was the player of the tournament in the last edition, scored an impressive 578 runs in 9 innings, guiding the Kiwis to the final. New Zealand has yet to announce his replacement, but it is widely expected that Tom Latham will be handed the responsibility of captaincy, as he has already led the team during Williamson’s absence.
Other teams that have secured their place in the World Cup have also witnessed changes in leadership. Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi has taken over from Gulbadin Naib; Australia’s Pat Cummins has stepped in for the retired Aaron Finch; Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal has replaced the retired Mashrafe Mortaza; and England’s Jos Buttler has succeeded Eoin Morgan, who retired last year after more than seven years at the helm.
For India, Rohit Sharma has assumed the captaincy across all formats, as Virat Kohli was removed from the position in 2021. Meanwhile, Babar Azam has been leading the Pakistan team since May 2020, following Sarfaraz Ahmed’s departure.
Both Sri Lanka and West Indies, part of the 10 teams in the previous World Cup, will have to play in the qualifying event this year, and their leadership has undergone changes as well. Dasun Shanaka has taken over as captain from Dimuth Karunaratne for Sri Lanka, while the West Indies team is now led by Shai Hope. Jason Holder lost the captaincy after a disappointing 2019 World Cup campaign, with Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran subsequently stepping in as ODI captains.
South Africa, yet to secure a spot in the mega event, may have to play the qualifiers if Ireland can whitewash Bangladesh in the upcoming series and improve their run rate. The Proteas have also experienced a change in leadership, with Temba Bavuma now taking the reins from Faf du Plessis.
List of All Probable Captains by Team in Upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023:
| Team | Expected Captain |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | Tom Latham |
| Afghanistan | Hashmatullah Shahidi |
| Australia | Pat Cummins |
| Bangladesh | Tamim Iqbal |
| England | Jos Buttler |
| India | Rohit Sharma |
| Pakistan | Babar Azam |
| Sri Lanka | Dasun Shanaka |
| West Indies | Shai Hope |
| South Africa | Temba Bavuma |
The Men’s World Cup is tentatively scheduled to take place from October 5 to November 19. The qualifying event will be held in Zimbabwe from June 18 to July 9, setting the stage for an exciting new era of cricket leadership.
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