England have great chance to win 2019 World cup, feels Liam Plunkett

England, hosts of the 12th edition of the World Cup next year, have won 13 of their last 16 bilateral ODI series and their fast bowler Liam Plunkett believes they have every chance to lift the next world title. This will be the fifth time England will be hosting the World Cup though they have never won the trophy earlier and finished runners-up as many as three times.

Their lowest point in ODIs came in the 2015 World Cup when they lost to Bangladesh in the group stage to crash out of the tournament. Thereafter, it has been a remarkable turnaround for the side and in the last three years, they have won 48 matches while lost only 20 while one game was tied and two games remained inconclusive. The only three series that England lost in this time are against 2-3 against Australia at home; 2-3 against South Africa in South Africa and 1-2 against India in India.

We have a great chance of winning it

Plunkett, 33, who has taken 114 ODI wickets and played a key role in England’s resurgence as a 50-over side since their devastating exit from the last World Cup in Australia, was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “I’m 33, is this the last one? You want to put everything into it. I’m so excited. We fell short in the Champions Trophy last year but we’ve got better at playing around the world in different conditions and that will keep us in good stead for the World Cup. We feel like we have a great chance of winning it. I don’t think we’ve had a better chance.”

England are now ranked the No.1 side in ODIs with 6,470 points – 497 more than the second place holder India who they defeated 2-1 in an ODI series at home in July despite trailing a game.

England lost the final of the 1979 World Cup to Clive Lloyd’s West Indies by 92 runs; of the 1987 World Cup to Allan Border’s Australia by 7 runs and of the 1992 World Cup to Imran Khan’s Pakistan by 22 runs.

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