World Cup 2019: Graeme Swann predicts the winner of the tournament

The ongoing World Cup in England and Wales is into its business end with each group stage match carrying lots of importance for other teams as well. The hosts have found themselves in a spot of bother after losing to Sri Lanka and will have to win two out of three matches to make it to the semi-finals. While they were being deemed the top favourites when the tournament started, England hasn’t played their best cricket yet.

However, despite struggling to meet the expectations, the former cricketer Graeme Swann thinks that Eoin Morgan and his men will lift the trophy on July 14 for the first time in the history of England’s ODI cricket. They are currently playing against the arch-rivals Australia and will be hoping to get past the in-form side to relieve the nerves a bit. Swann has also backed his team to get better of the Men in Yellow at the Lord’s on Tuesday.

England’s prime off-spinner during his playing days, Swann, also remarked that India are looking a very good side but still backed the hosts to go all the way.

They will have regrouped after Sri Lanka loss

“India were brilliant against Pakistan and they have every right to be up there in the betting, but I still fancy England to go all the way. I’m backing England to win the match. They will have regrouped after the Sri Lanka defeat and should have reached the conclusion that their only problems have come when they’ve been too conservative. Hopefully, they will kick out the caution and get back to throwing the first punch, so to speak,” Graeme Swann said while speaking to Betfair.

When asked if Australia had any chance of defending the title and win the trophy for the sixth time, the 40-year-old termed their style of play as old fashioned. “Australia have been a little bit lucky so far – their batsmen play a little bit old-fashioned and they were bailed out by Mitchell Starc against Sri Lanka. ‘I wouldn’t put them in the same bracket as England or India,” Swann further added.