The Dream Cup 2015 -PREPARATION THREAD

SQUADS

With a little over a month left for the biggest event in cricket, here's the list of squads (in alphabetical order) of participating countries.

Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (captainain), Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Afsar Zazai (wicketkeeper), Najibullah Zadran, Nasir Jamal, Mirwais Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Javed Ahmadi, Usman Ghani

File photo of Afghan cricketers with the World Cup trophy when it toured their country.

AFP

Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), George Bailey (vc), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wicketkeeper), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty

Can Michael Clarke take his team to a World Cup win or will his hamstring injury pull him down?

AP

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taijul Islam

Bangladesh cricketers have a habit of registering upsets in big tournaments.

AFP

England: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes

Eoin Morgan (R) will be the leader of the English men as they look for their first World Cup.

AFP

India: MS Dhoni (captain & wicketkeeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Akshar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Stuart Binny

MS Dhoni led India to triumph in the last World Cup. He recently retired from Tests to concentrate on ODIs and is looking for an encore.

AFP

Ireland: William Porterfield (captain), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andrew McBrine, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien (wicketkeeper), Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson (wicketkeeper), Craig Young

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (captain), Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Luke Ronchi (wicketkeeper), Ross Taylor

Like Australia, New Zealand too would be looking to shine in front of home fans. Captain Brendon McCullum (L) has been in devastating form.

AFP

Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq(captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfraz Ahmed, Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Ehsan Adil, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz

Misbah-ul-Haq is looking to grab the World Cup trophy and not just pose with it. Pakistan last won the title in 1992.

AFP

Scotland: Preston Mommsen (captain), Kyle Coetzer, Richie Berrington, Frederick Coleman, Matthew Cross (wicketkeepert), Joshua Davey, Alasdair Evans, Hamish Gardiner, Majid Haq, Michael Leask, Matt Machan, Calum MacLeod, Safyaan Sharif, Robert Taylor, Iain Wardlaw

South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn

Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been named in the side despite being injured. Can he reover in time to help Proteas win their first World Cup?

AFP

Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga (subject to fitness), Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake

Lasith Malinga can be devastating on Aussie tracks, provided he is fit to fire.

Reuters

West Indies: Jason Holder (captainain), Marlon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin (wicketkeeper), Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor

The West Indies team is getting younger by the day. Their captain - Jason Holder (centre) - is just 23.

BCCI

UAE: Mohammed Tauqir (captain), Khurram Khan (vice-captain), Swapnil Patil, Saqlain Haider, Amjad Javed, Shaiman Anwar, Amjad Ali, Nasir Aziz, Rohan Mustafa, Manjula Guruge, Andri Berenger, Fahad Al Hashmi, Muhammad Naveed, Kamran Shahzad, Krishna Karate

Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Craig Ervine, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Solomon Mire, Tawanda Mupariwa, Tinashe Panyangara, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams