The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 starts on May 30 in England and Wales. All ten teams have finalised their preliminary squads and have May 23 deadline to make any changes. Out of the ten captains, seven will be leading their team for the first time in the World Cup. England’s Eoin Morgan, West Indies’ Jason Holder and Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza are the only captains to have led their side before in a World Cup. The trio were in charge of their respective teams in the 2015 World Cup as well. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Schedule in PDF: Ticket Prices, Dates, Venue Details & Timetable Available for Download Online.

As we near the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, here’s a look at the ten captains who will be leading the charge of their respective teams. While some will be captaining for the first time in a 50-over World Cup, for others it will be the first time as a captain in any ICC event.

Aaron Finch, Australia: After the ball-tampering episode that saw Steve Smith suspended for a year, opening batsman Aaron Finch was handed the responsibility of leading the side. Even though Smith is back, but Finch will lead Australia at the World Cup. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Warm-Up Matches Schedule: Check India’s Fixture Dates Against New Zealand and Bangladesh.

Gulbadin Naib, Afghanistan: Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) shocked everyone by naming the bowling all-rounder as captain for the World Cup. Naib replaces Asghar Afghan, one of the successful captain, as the team’s leader. The decision also left some of the Afghan cricketers baffled.

Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh: The fast bowler will be leading Bangladesh side for the second time in the World Cup. In 2015, under Mortaza’s captaincy, Bangladesh reached the quarter-final stage for the first time.

Eoin Morgan, England: Just like Mortaza, Eoin Morgan will lead his side for the second time in the World Cup. Though under his leadership, England faced an early exit in the 2015 World Cup. However, since then the English team has become a strong unit in the 50-over format and are one of the favourites going into the tournament.

Virat Kohli, India: Arguably the best batsman in ODIs, Virat Kohli will lead his side for the first time in a 50-over World Cup. However, he has led India before in an ICC event. Interestingly, this will be Kohli’s third World Cup as a player.

Kane Williamson, New Zealand: Kane Williamson will play his first World Cup as a captain. In 2015 edition, Brendon McCullum-led New Zealand finished as runners-up. Under Williamson, the Kiwis will be looking for their maiden World Cup title win. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 All Teams Squad: Full Players List of Nations Participating in CWC 19.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan: Months before the World Cup, there were some questions over Sarfaraz Ahmed place in the team. His captaincy was under scrutiny as well. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) went ahead and named him as the captain for the World Cup. It was under Sarfaraz’s leadership that Pakistan lifted its maiden Champions Trophy in 2017. At U-19 level he has won the World Cup as well.

Faf du Plessis, South Africa: Middle-order batsman Faf du Plessis has been in charge of the South African team for a while now. In 2017 he was named as ODI captain and since then South Africa have done fairly well under him.

Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka: After having led Sri Lanka to a historic 2-0 sweep in a Test series against South Africa, opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne was surprisingly named as team’s ODI captain. He is yet to lead Sri Lanka in an ODI and will begin his duty at the World Cup. Interestingly, Karunaratne’s last ODI was during the 2015 World Cup. He will replace Lasith Malinga, under whom Sri Lanka lost ODI series against South Africa, as captain.

Jason Holder, West Indies: Having led the team in 2015 World Cup, Jason Holder has some experience of leading a side at the World Cup. He has been leading from the front as West Indies look to add third World Cup to their kitty.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 30, 2019 01:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).