WORLD CUP: Group B Squads - England

England World Cup Squad

Batsmen
Andrew Strauss (Captain) - 33 - Left Hand Opening Batsman
Matthew Prior - 28 - Wicket Keeper - Right Hand Opening/Middle Order Batsman
Jonathan Trott - 29 - Right Hand Top Order Batsman
Kevin Pietersen - 30 - Right Hand Top Order Batsman
Ian Bell - 28 - Right Hand Top/Middle Order Batsman
Ravi Bopara* - 25 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman

All-rounders
Paul Collingwood - 34 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman - Right Arm Medium Bowler
Luke Wright - 25 - Right Hand Middle Order Batsman - Right Arm Medium Fast Bowler
Michael Yardy - 30 - Left Arm Orthodox Spin Bowler - Left Hand Middle/Lower Order Batsman
Tim Bresnan - 25 - Right Arm Medium Fast Bowler - Right Hand Lower Order Batsman

Spin Bowlers
Graeme Swann - 31 - Right Arm Off Spin Bowler
James Tredwell - 28 - Right Arm Off Spin Bowler

Fast Bowlers
Stuart Broad - 24 - Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler
James Anderson - 28 - Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler
Ajmal Shahzad - 25 - Right Arm Fast Medium Bowler

*Edit: Bopara replaced original squad member Eoin Morgan who was withdrawn due to a finger injury.

England have the talent in their squad to sweep all before them in the World Cup and be No.1 team in the world. The ever-reliable trio of Strauss, Trott and Bell are improving every day as one-day players and will support the X-factor Pietersen adequately. Anderson, Broad and Swann are one of the best wicket-taking trios in the world, and when in form the gruff workmanlike efforts of Collingwood and Yardy are of perfect value in ODI cricket, particularly in India. But yet again the timing of a World Cup after an Australian Ashes summer has taken its toll. England cannot use this as an excuse. Yes the Australians may have the luxury of being at home as opposed to being in what equates to an endless 6 month touring party, but they have to play the same amount of Cricket over these summers. Even after this load Australia have managed to win the last two March centred World Cups.

The majority of England's squad seem to either be out of form or carrying niggling injuries and English chances of World Cup glory have slipped from the best in 20 years in November, to being most unlikely. Two thirds of England's vital bowling triumvirate are out of condition as both Swann and Broad are returning from injury layoffs. James Anderson, by some miracle perhaps, has survived so far without major injury and with the burden of carrying the attack on his shoulders. England need him to survive the tournament which is far from guaranteed with his extended workload. Jonathan Trott impressed in Australia but may not score his runs fast enough for a subcontinental World Cup. Collingwood and Prior are in bad stretches of form, and Pietersen remains as petulant and inconsistent as ever. On top of that, England's premier One-Day batsman Eoin Morgan is out of the tournament, more due to bad management than anything else. 

If England are to be a threat in this World Cup though, they'll need to sort out their side's structure. For a few games in Australia as injuries took their hold, the selectors experimented with a strange looking batsman heavy line-up with Collingwood at No.7. As soon as the system took hold it was abandoned in lieu of a more traditional setup. Aside from the fact that this seven batsman line-up managed England's only win of the series, it was a cleverer idea than it might have appeared. It didn't work primarily because every front-line bowler was missing, and because Matthew Prior opening created a structural imbalance. If Anderson, Broad and Swann are all healthy and in form, England have all the strike power they need. The variety of medium pace like Collingwood and Trott would genuinely be of more value than playing Bresnan or Shahzad as a strike weapon. With the front-line trio bowling 30 overs, it leaves just 20 to be shared by a plethora of useful bowlers: Yardy, Collingwood, Trott, Pietersen and whoever plays out of Bopara and Wright. Yardy more often than not can be relied upon to bowl all or most of his 10 overs as well. Morgan's absence may have weakened my theory slightly from a middle-order standpoint, but it remains the way to go providing Bell or Bopara open and Prior is moved down to No.7 as a specialist keeper, who's batting talents are a bonus and can anchor the lower order. What batting depth it would be to have genuine all-rounder Yardy at 8, Test centurion Broad at 9 and the very handy Swann at 10.

Prediction

The format of the tournament could be England's saving grace. If those out of form can find some form, and those in form can be taken care of so they don't break down, England should do enough to reach the Quarter Finals 3rd in the group. At full strength England would fancy their chances over any of the seven teams in Group A. Once it comes down to those final 3 games to decide a champion, it's any one's guess and if the English boys can keep their bodies going and peak at the right time they have the potential to beat anyone. My pick? Quarter-finals.

Hosford's XI

Strauss, Bopara Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Prior, Yardy, Broad, Swann, Anderson