We assess New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies in part two of our Cricket World Cup team guide.
Check out part one HERE...
NEW ZEALAND
World Cup best: Runners-up (2015)
2015 result: Runners-up (lost to Australia)
Sky Bet odds: 8/1
Talking point: International cricket's perennial dark horses. Brendon McCullum took them all the way to the final in 2015 and, four years on, almost half of that squad remain as they try to go one better under Kane Williamson. With a powerful batting line-up, a potent seam-bowling attack and a couple of very handy spinners, they have the talent and balance in their squad to match their know-how but will it be enough to pip those more-celebrated sides to the post?
Nasser says: It's now a cliched thing to refer to them as dark horses, because they're always there or thereabouts. You look at their squad and it's consistently the same names time after time. The likes of Williamson, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor - lots of experience. I'm backing them to get through to the last four.
Nasser's one to watch: Williamson will be most people's pick, understandably. But, for me, I'm picking Taylor. His form in white-ball cricket has been exceptional over the last 18 months or so - averaging over 80. He had an eye operation, and he now seems to be picking up the ball better than ever. He is a rock in that New Zealand middle-order and has a lot of experience playing in England.
Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor
PAKISTAN
World Cup best: Winners (1992)
2015 result: Quarter-finals (lost to Australia)
Sky Bet odds: 10/1
Talking point: Pakistan's woeful form coming into this World Cup - 10 defeats in their last 11 ODIs (a washout the other) - was only worsened with defeat to Afghanistan in a warm-up game. Their 4-0 series drubbing by England prompted three changes to their squad, the most notable of which is the return of Mohammad Amir. His sensational six-over spell of 3-16.
Nasser says: Don't write them off. They are going into the tournament in abysmal form, but just remember what happened in the Champions Trophy in England two years ago. Usually with Pakistan, you say that their bowling is brilliant and their batting is a bit suspect, but it is the odd way round heading into this World Cup.
Nasser's one to watch: With the likes of Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam, the batting looks strong. But I'm going for Babar as their key man - he is up there with some of the best white-ball batsmen in the world at the moment.
Squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz
SOUTH AFRICA
World Cup best: Semi-finals (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015)
2015 result: Semi-finals (lost to New Zealand)
Sky Bet odds: 8/1
Talking point: Should Hashim Amla have been picked? It might seem sacrilege to question a man with over 7,900 one-day international runs, 27 hundreds and an average a lick under 50 but the 35-year-old has passed three figures just once in his last 17 ODIs for the Proteas, against Pakistan in January. The selectors decided to pick Amla over Reeza Hendricks but may not have done had Hendricks fared better in the 5-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in March - a best of 29 in four innings possibly costing him his spot.
Nasser says: I think South Africa have quite liked people writing them off a little bit, going into a World Cup under the radar for the first time in a while. But they've got a pretty good bowling attack - if they can all stay fit - with Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Imran Tahir. The only problem is, I'm not sure if they can afford to play them all, as it would leave them with a very long tail.
Nasser's one to watch: Faf du Plessis. He will get runs, but also as a captain - working out the best balance to their team - he will be key.
Squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Rassie van der Dussen
SRI LANKA
World Cup best: Winners (1996)
2015 result: Quarter-finals (lost to South Africa)
Sky Bet odds: 40/1
Talking point: A team with a mix of experience and inexperienced players, who have spent little time playing with one another, Sri Lanka's biggest challenge will be ensuring they can come together as a team on the field. Avoiding slipping up against Afghanistan and Bangladesh may be their top priorities, with a win against one of the stronger teams in tournament looking like a steep challenge.
Pundit says: From what I've seen of them of late, they're just not the side they used to be. It's a real shame, because they've always been a big-match and big-tournament side, but I just can't see them doing much.
Pundit's one to watch: Someone like Angelo Mathews, with all of his experience. With Sri Lanka, 50 overs sometimes looks a long time for them to bat, so Mathews in those middle overs is going to be vital.
Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Dhananjaya de Silva, Avishka Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Milinda Siriwardana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay
WEST INDIES
World Cup best: Winners (1975, 1979)
2015 result: Quarter-finals (lost to New Zealand)
Sky Bet odds: 14/1
Talking point: Chris Gayle's farewell from international cricket? Or perhaps not? Gayle appeared to backtrack on his announcement that he'd retire following this World Cup after blasting England around the Caribbean in their tied ODI series earlier this year. But, at the very least, it will be the last World Cup for the Universe Boss, and he comes into it in blistering form and with a West Indies team that arguably has its best shot at causing a stir for quite some time.
Nasser says: The West Indies look a very strong side. They've selected well, being able to pick their IPL boys. On their day, they have some simply destructive batsmen - Gayle, Evin Lewis, Andre Russell, Shai Hope. One thing I would say is that they are maybe one bowler short, maybe in the spin department - they have no mystery spinner - and so that is an area teams can target.
Nasser's one to watch: Russell will be the key man, for me. He is obviously a hugely destructive T20 player - arguably the best all-rounder in world cricket - but can he transfer that into 50 overs? You have to bat longer, bowl longer spells. Can his body cope?
Squad: Jason Holder (captain), Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas