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Predicting what Pakistan are going to do in any given tournament is the most thankless task going, not least because it so often seems to be a mystery to Pakistan themselves. Two years ago they came off a poor streak and an indifferent group phase to win the Champions Trophy with emphatic victories over England and India, and that win-when-it-counts triumph is the biggest comfort the men in green have, because their form in 2019 is nothing short of shocking. A warm-up defeat against Afghanistan is just the latest in a lengthy run of adverse results that's seen them lose 4-0 to England, 5-0 to Australia and 3-2 to South Africa, and in a bid to shake things up, Junaid Khan and Abid Ali have been replaced by Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz.

Their record at the World Cup is a proud one. 1992 remains the only time they've lifted the trophy despite strong showings throughout the Eighties and Nineties, and after underperforming in the 2000s, this decade has seen them in contention again. If they're to repeat the exploits of two years ago then Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam will be key contributors with the bat, while veteran left-arm quick Riaz is a reliable wicket-taker in an attack that also boasts the exciting young talent of Shaheen Afridi, who won his first Test cap after just three first-class games. Ten players from the Champions Trophy survive into this World Cup, and they've got the knowhow to go all the way again. But they've got to dig themselves out of a sizeable rut very, very soon.

Highest World Cup total: 349 vs Zimbabwe (Kingston, 2007)
Lowest World Cup total: 74 vs England (Adelaide, 1992)
Leading World Cup run-scorer: Javed Miandad, 1083 runs
Leading World Cup wicket-taker: Wasim Akram, 55 wickets


Tournament Schedule: West Indies, England, Sri Lanka, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Bangladesh