Renowned and pioneering fast bowling coach and a regular contributor with his exclusive blog on PakPassion.net, Ian Pont writes about ten names to watch during the 2015 World Cup with a Wild Card thrown in for good measure.

By Ian Pont (27th January, 2015)

These things are always a bit of a lottery. Trying to predict who will perform well, win matches and be key players at a World Cup, is not an easy project. But I am having a stab at it based on some inside knowledge plus good old fashioned guess work.

Clearly there are some usual suspects and some of them will clearly be 'ones to watch". Also the Australian pitches vary from ground to ground and are different to the Kiwi tracks. So it does depend exactly on where teams play if certain batsmen/bowlers are to excel. Others can just shine regardless of the conditions.

Based on the above, here is my list of the potential match winners and ones to watch at the upcoming World Cup :

1. AB De Villiers, South Africa - not difficult to add him to the list following his recent terrific batting efforts albeit against a very weak West Indies side at home. AB is possibly the best batsman in the world right now. A match winner. A game changer. A legend in the making.

2. Dale Steyn, South Africa - interestingly, Steyn does not have an amazing track record in 50 overs cricket. However, the conditions should suit him and I am backing him to have his best World Cup ever. It may be his last one, too. He will want to lift the trophy so expect him to step up.

3. Steve Smith, Australia - If his current form in Tests and ODIs is any yardstick, Australia's young stand-in Test captain will be a force to be reckoned with at home. Smith has been underrated for years as a player and is now emerging from the shadows of Michael Clarke. He is a natural replacement for Clarke in Test and ODI formats. In this World Cup, the media and home crowd will get behind the team and Smith might just respond well to that.

4. Adam Milne, New Zealand - Unexpectedly quick and somewhat unknown, Milne has pace and bounce. This might be a World Cup too early for him but he could be someone to surprise a few with his aggression and has a great slower ball. A mystery package.

5. Brendon McCullum, New Zealand - Again a home berth for the Kiwis will play nicely into the hands of a great batsman/captain like McCullum. He is in amazing form and wins matches from some crazy positions. Some of the grounds might not be big enough for him.

6. Taskin Ahmed, Bangladesh - Perhaps I have a vested interest in this lad who was a young net bowler while I was in Bangladesh but this lad could turn out to be the best quick The Tigers has ever produced. Pacey, tall with a good action, if he can stay fit he might do a good job. Can't see the Bangladeshis making it too far in the competition though and we might not see the best of him due to that. But keep an eye on him.

7. Haris Sohail, Pakistan - This left hander has a ton of potential and needs to be confident and given a chance to shine. The management needs to back him to get the best from him. A middle order batsman, Haris can either play a dynamic role in the team or be a rebuilder of the innings. Again someone to look out for. He might just enjoy the ball coming onto the bat.

8. Mohammed Nabi, Afghanistan - he was excellent in the BPL and is a talented cricketer. Afganistan face an uphill task but Nabi is a leader and can hold a bat and bowl more than decent, effective, economical spin. At 30 he has enough experience of the game to lead the team and perhaps surprise a few.

9. Quinton De Kock, South Africa - QdK will likely turn out to be the best wicket-keeper/batsman South Africa has ever produced. This is his first World Cup and De Villiers may keep instead of him for now (dependent on the South African line up) but this lad is a wonderful talent that will become a household name in years to come. A natural hitter and run scorer.

10. Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka - Mathews is also an underrated cricketer with a superb ability to win matches and turn games around from the middle order with his batting, plus take crucial wickets at key times. The pitches should suit him in the World Cup. I expect to see him stand out if he does his job properly and the captaincy allows.

WILD CARD:

Chris Woakes, England - I added this entry as here is a player that is destined to have a very decent career and we might get to see glimpses of that at this World Cup. I am loathe to add ANY England cricketer, since they have perennially underperformed in recent years in 50 overs World Cups, but Woakes is made of sterner stuff. A simple, repeatable action and decent pace, he is someone who can also launch the willow. The 2013/14 Ashes will have given him an insight. 2015 might just be his year starting with the World Cup.

Discuss!