The Rising Stars of Australian Cricket

It’s currently an exciting time for Australian cricket. The Ashes have been regained comprehensively, with the Australians outplaying England in all facets of the game in the series so far. After the Ashes series is complete, the Aussies will then take part in five ODIs against England and four T20Is against England and New Zealand. Following this, a tour of South Africa begins, which will be a fierce battle for glory. Furthermore, the domestic scene is doing extremely well at the moment, with the BBL, One Day Cup, and Sheffield Shield providing some terrific entertainment, quality cricket, and superb individual performances.

With these exciting times ahead, we at WFC thought we’d look at the rising stars of Australian cricket; individual players who are exciting prospects and full of potential, who will one day be regulars in Australian colours. So, we have compiled a Test, ODI and T20I team made up of future stars of Australian cricket. All the players we have selected are young and yet to be afforded a regular place in Australian cricket setups.

Test Team:

1. Marcus Harris

Age: 25 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: Victoria | First-class batting average: 32.80

2. Jake Weatherald

Age: 23 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: South Australia | First-class batting average: 36.78

3. Marnus Labuschagne

Age: 22 | Role: Right-hand bat, Right-arm leg spin  |Team: Queensland | First-class batting average: 32.87 | First-class bowling average: 50.08 | First-class bowling strike rate: 67.3 | Economy: 4.46

4. Kurtis Patterson (vc)

Age: 24 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: New South Wales | First-class batting average: 40.52

5. Hilton Cartwright (c)

Age: 25 | Role: Right-hand bat, Right-arm medium-fast | Team: Western Australia | First-class batting average: 43.38 | First-class bowling average: 48.47 | First-class bowling strike rate: 74.4 | Economy: 3.90

6. Jake Lehmann

Age: 25 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: South Australia | First-class batting average: 42.15

7. Sam Whiteman 

Age: 25 | Role: Wicketkeeper, Left-hand bat | Team: Western Australia | First-class batting average: 34.64 | First-class catches/stumpings: 163/6

8. Thomas Rogers

Age: 23 | Role: Right-arm fast-medium | Team: Tasmania | First-class bowling average: 16:06 | First-class bowling strike rate: 34.7 | Economy: 2.77

9. Mitchell Swepson

Age: 24 | Role: Right-arm leg spin | Team: Queensland | First-class bowling average: 33.89 | First-class bowling strike rate: 49.7 | Economy: 4.08

10. Simon Mackin

Age: 25 | Role: Right-arm fast-medium | Team: Western Australia | First-class bowling average: 28.62 | First-class strike rate: 56.2 | Economy: 3.05

11. Gabe Bell

Age: 22 | Role: Right-arm medium-fast | Team: Tasmania | First-class bowling average: 22.00 | First-class bowling strike rate: 42.7 | Economy: 3.08

ODI Team:

1. Nic Maddinson (vc)

Age: 26 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: New South Wales | List A batting average: 38.09 | List A strike rate: 88.36

2. Jake Weatherald

Age: 23 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: South Australia | List A batting average: 44.35 | List A strike rate: 101.47

3. Sam Heazlett

Age: 22 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: Queensland | List A batting average: 52.57 | List A strike rate: 94.84

4. Ryan Gibson

Age: 24 | Role: Right-hand bat | Team: New South Wales | List A batting average: 35.09 | List A strike rate: 86.93

5. Ashton Turner (c)

Age: 24 | Role: Right-hand bat, Right-arm off spin |Team: Western Australia | List A batting average: 32.29 | List A strike rate: 93.68 | List A bowling average: 57.16 | List A bowling strike rate: 59.0 | Economy: 5.81

6. Clint Hinchliffe

Age: 21 | Role: Left-hand bat, Left-arm off spin | Team: Western Australia | List A batting average: 25.33 | List A strike rate: 65.51 | List A bowling average: 35.33 | List A bowling strike rate: 33.0 | Economy: 6.42

7.  Harry Nielsen

Age: 22 | Role: Wicketkeeper, Left-hand bat | Team: South Australia | List A batting average: 49.00 | List A strike rate: 95.45 | List A catches/stumpings: 8/1

8. Cameron Valente

Age: 23 | Role: Right-arm medium-fast, Right-hand bat | Team: South Australia | List A batting average: 35.09 | List A batting strike rate: 80.75 | List A bowling average: 26.56 | List A bowling strike rate: 29.9 | Economy: 5.32

9. Joel Paris

Age: 25 | Role: Left-arm fast-medium | Team: Western Australia | List A bowling average: 20.80 | List A bowling strike rate: 27.2 | Economy: 4.58

10. Jhye Richardson

Age: 21 | Role: Right-arm fast | Team: Western Australia | List A bowling average: 30.00 | List A bowling strike rate: 34.6 | Economy: 5.20

11. Billy Stanlake

Age: 23 | Role: Right-arm fast | Team: Queensland | List A bowling average: 30.75 | List A bowling strike rate: 36.0 | Economy: 5.12

T20I Team:

1. Marcus Harris

Age: 25 | Role: Left-hand bat | Team: Melbourne Renegades | T20 batting average: 23.69 | T20 batting strike rate: 125.57

2. D’Arcy Short

Age: 27 | Role: Left-hand bat, Left-arm leg spin | Team: Hobart Hurricanes | T20 batting average: 33.84 | T20 batting strike rate: 160.58 | T20 bowling average: 30.5 | T20 bowling strike rate: 18.5 | Economy: 11.14

3. Hilton Cartwright (c)

Age: 25 | Team: Perth Scorchers | T20 batting average: 22.90 | T20 batting strike rate: 106.77 | T20 bowling average: 45.50 | T20 bowling strike rate: 24.50 | Economy: 9.89

4. Ben McDermott

Age: 23 | Role: Right-hand bat | Team: Hobart Hurricanes | T20 batting average: 33.22 | T20 batting strike rate: 153.33

5. Alex Ross

Age: 25 | Role: Right-hand bat | Team: Brisbane Heat | T20 batting average: 27.04 | T20 batting strike rate: 124.89

6. Ashton Turner (vc)

Age: 24 | Role: Right-hand bat, Right-arm off spin | Team: Perth Scorchers | T20 batting average: 19.67 | T20 batting strike rate: 138.63 | T20 bowling average: 16.00 | T20 bowling strike rate: 13.7 | Economy: 6.97

7. Alex Carey

Age: 26 | Role: Wicketkeeper, Left-hand bat | Team: Adelaide Strikers | T20 batting average: 38.00 | T20 batting strike rate: 127.73

8. Arjun Nair

Age: 19 | Role: Right-arm off spin, Right-hand bat | Team: Sydney Thunder | T20 batting average: 16.66 | T20 batting strike rate: 108.69 | T20 bowling average: 21.55 | T20 batting strike rate: 16.6 | Economy: 7.76

9. Ben Dwarshius

Age: 23 | Role: Left-arm fast-medium, Left-hand bat | Team: Sydney Sixers | T20 batting average: 17.85 | T20 batting strike rate: 121.35 | T20 bowling average: 23.15 | T20 batting strike rate: 16.5 | Economy: 8.41

10. Jhye Richardson

Age: 21 | Role: Right-arm fast | Team: Perth Scorchers | T20 bowling average: 25.17 | T20 bowling strike rate: 17.2 | Economy: 8.73

11. Billy Stanlake

Age: 23 | Role: Right-arm fast | Team: Adelaide Strikers | T20 bowling average: 24.56 | T20 bowling strike rate: 19.2 | Economy: 7.65

By @WFC_Seb @WFC_17

Top 10 Team Power Rankings (Week 29/12/17)

With fewer games of football being played over the past week due to many leagues taking breaks over the Christmas period, teams to rank were scarce. However, from the games that were completed - especially in a jam-packed schedule in England, the WFC World Power Rankings did shuffle around from the previous instalment.

So here is how it looks after the past week,

The top 3 stay as is for a second week in a row as all teams won to continue their dominance in their respective leagues. Despite Manchester City beating lower quality teams recently, including a 1-0 victory over Newcastle, they remain on top above Barcelona in the rankings due to the sheer dominance they express in all facets of every game they play. That being said, Barcelona were also extremely dominant against biggest rival Real Madrid, racking up a 3-0 away win to go 14 points ahead of Real Madrid and 9 points above Atletico Madrid, to seemingly have La Liga wrapped up before the turn of the year.

Juventus and Bayern swap positions due to the Italian club having a dominant spell that has seen them rise up the Serie A table to 2nd, with a win over title contention rivals AS Roma and sit 1 point behind Napoli, after being written off earlier in the season.

As for the rest of the Power Ranking list, 3 English clubs (Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool) rise or enter the top 10 after convincing league victories, where goals flowed (12 between the 3 clubs). Something all managers and fans like to see. To add to this, with the multitude of games upcoming in the English top flight, expect these teams to push on.

Real Madrid drop down the rankings from 8th to 10th after their loss to Barcelona. They don't drop out completely from the top 10, as they put in a very strong display in the Clasico, where at times they outplayed, out possessed and camped inside the Barcelona half, with it appearing that they were the team that would come out victors. 

FC Porto remain in the top 10 as they attempt to rekindle and rebuild their winning streak, after recent back-to-back draws, beating 5th placed Maritimo 3-1, controlling 74% of possession and having 21 shots. They remain top of the Primeira Liga with no losses and only 6 goals conceded. Despite this they still see a 2 place drop in the Power rankings as their match dominance hasn't been as great as that of the other clubs above them.

By Luke Scali - Twitter @WFC_LS_Potzi 

English Premier League Team of the Season (So Far)

So far this English Premier League (EPL) season, there have been numerous stand out performers. With half the season now complete, we at WFC have selected the best EPL team of the season to date.

Formation

4-3-3

Starting Line-Up

GK - David de Gea

The Spaniard ranks 1st in the league for clean sheets (10) and 2^nd for saves (71). Undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, and possibly even in the world.

LB - Sead Kolasinac

The summer signing from Schalke 04 has looked like the real deal so far this season. Currently, he ranks 4^th for shots by defenders (15), =2^ndfor big chances created by defenders (5), and =2^nd for assists by defenders (4). Has also been extremely solid in defence, winning 79% of all tackles and 66% of aerial duels.

LCB - Nicolás Otamendi

The big Argentine defender has bossed opposition sides this season. He has won 47 aerial duels, and completed 85% of his attempted tackles. Moreover, he ranks =1^stfor goals scored amongst defenders (4), 2^nd for shots among defenders (21) and tops the league for completed passes per game (89.3).

RCB - Phil Jones

Jones has finally lived up to his potential this season, controlling the Red Devils’ backline with calmness, making crucial interceptions and tackles. The quality he has shown this season is highlighted by the fact that his side only kept 1 clean sheet in 5 games when he was out injured.

RB - César Azpilicueta

In the first half of this season, Azpilicueta has again been one of the best defenders in the league. Currently, he sits 1^st among all defenders for assists and big chances created. His superb all round performances so far this season are evidenced by the fact that he has collected the most bonus points among defenders in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) this season.

  

CDM - Wilfred Ndidi

Ndidi has filled the shoes of Kante brilliantly for Leicester this season, leading the league for attempted tackles (78) and tackles completed (49). Pair that with 3 assists, Ndidi has been a standout performer in central midfield this season. 

LCM - David Silva

With his craft and vision, the Spanish magician does things that no-one else in the world can. He has been absolutely outstanding this season, ranking 3^rdfor passes per game (83), =1^st for assists (8) and also netting 5 goals.

RCM - Kevin De Bruyne

The Belgian wizard has reached another level this season, controlling matches with class and composure. He is =1^st for assists (8), 1^st for chances created (56), and 1^st for big chances created (10). To go with this, he has netted 6 goals from 41 shots and ranks 5^th for passes per game (74.3).

LW - Mohamed Salah

The Egyptian has been unstoppable this season. Currently leading the goal boot race with 15 goals (equal with Harry Kane), as well as providing 5 assists. In terms of shooting, he is ranked 2^nd for shots (71) and 2^nd for shots on target (37). He is also ranked 2^nd for completed take-ons (46). If the PFA Player of the Year award was given out now, Salah would almost definitely win it.

ST - Harry Kane

Sits atop the league for shots (97 @ 6.1 per game) and goals (15). The Englishman is a goal scoring phenomenon, sitting 2^nd behind Messi for goals in a calendar year (53), as well as equal 1^st with Alan Shearer for Premier League goals in a calendar year (36). 

RW - Raheem Sterling

With 12 goals (=2^nd in the league) and 7 assists (2^nd in the league), Sterling has found greater consistency this season. He has used his pace superbly, and defenders have struggled to contain him.

Bench

GK - Nick Pope

Called into action on match day 4 to replace Tom Heaton, and has proven to be a more than capable replacement. With 9 clean sheets in 15 games, averaging 3.5 saves per game, Pope has shone this season.

LWB/LB - Marcos Alonso

Alonso has carried on well from his breakout 2016/17 season. At the halfway point of the season, he ranks =1^st for goals scored by defenders (4) and 1^stfor shots by defenders (34). Whilst attacking strongly, he has also contributed to 8 Chelsea clean sheets so far.

CB - James Tarkowski

Tarkowski has filled the shoes of Keane excellently so far this season. He has been a calm presence in the Burnley backline, keeping 9 clean sheets. Also, he has dominated opposition forwards in the air, currently ranking 1^st in the league for aerial duels won (89).

CDM/CM/CAM - Aaron Mooy

The Australian has controlled the Huddersfield side with composure and skill. At the halfway point of the season, he ranks 3^rd for crosses and 4^thfor tackles. Creating 26 chances, no other defensive midfielder has assisted as many shots as Mooy. He has also popped up with some important goals (4) for his side, contributing greatly to gaining 3 points against Newcastle, Manchester United and Watford. Thus, Mooy has stood out for both his defensive and attacking capabilities. 

CDM/CM/CAM - Aaron Ramsey

The Welshman has re-found his 2013/14 form this season, excelling in numerous areas. On the attacking front, Ramsey has done very well, ranking 10^thamong all midfielders for shots (40), =5^th among all midfielders for shots on target (17), and =1^st among all players for assists (8). He has also completed 85% of his passes. Additionally, on the defensive front, Ramsey has completed 20 tackles, which is  great for someone who has is involved in so much attacking play.

CAM/LW - Philippe Coutinho

The Brazilian is a world class player who is having one of his best seasons yet. In 11 starts, he has netted 6 goals and provided 6 assists, meaning that so far this season, he has directly contributed to a goal per game. He also ranks =1^stfor shot frequency, with 1 every 20.2 minutes.  

LW/RW - Leroy Sané

Sané has been untouchable for the most part of the first half of this Premier League season. Creatively, he has excelled, ranking =1^st for assists (8) and big chances created (10). He has also been a potent goal scoring threat, with 6 goals. Full of confidence, he also ranks 4^th for take-ons completed (37).

ST - Sergio Agüero

Written off at the beginning of the season as being past his peak, the Argentine has proven doubters wrong in the first half of the 2017/18 season. In 12 games where he has played 60+ minutes, Agüero has netted 12 goals and provided 4 assists – more than 1 direct goal contribution per game. Furthermore, he is ranked 2^nd overall for shot frequency, with 1 every 20.3 minutes.

Manager

Pep Guardiola

The Spanish mastermind has transformed Manchester City into arguably the best team in the world.

How the squad looks:

Have any comments to make? Do you agree or disagree with our selections? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting us.

Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas.

By @WFC_Seb @WFC_17

Top 10 Team Power Rankings (Week 22/12/17)

The WFC World Team Power Rankings is a Top 10 ranking system of teams from across all countries and league's around the footballing world. The list is derived from a collaboration of data of current form, statistical analysis of players, threat and threat potential, team cohesion and competition difficulty, along with opinions of fans and the teams style of play (exciting/tactical/etc). All these factors are taken into account by WFC to form the Top 10 list of World Football.

So with that being said, here is the current list:

Manchester City are atop the power rankings, after continuing their outrageous form, that has seen them extend their current ridiculous winning streak, albeit in a penalty shoot-out in the league cup. Lots of shots, lots of goals and amazing creativity and team-work has made the blue side from Manchester one of, if not, the most watchable teams on the planet at the present time.

As for the rest of the top 10, Barcelona pip PSG to second after some nice performances recently that have them in full control over the Spanish league title with the biggest club match in the world - El Clasico - at the weekend.

Chelsea, at bottom end, just scrape into the top 10 after 3 wins on the bounce, with them looking like they could turn the tide on some inconsistencies, despite recent competitive matches being against lower calibre opposition.



The World Team Power Rankings is continually updated week-to-week so check back regularly on our blog http://worldwidefantasyclub.blogspot.com.au/ or visit the @WFC_17 Twitter account to find out if your favourite team makes the Top 10 each week




By Luke Scali - @WFC_LS_Potzi

GW19 Preview

Top Captain Picks

1. Raheem Sterling vs Bournemouth (home) - £8.6 (TSB 25.4%)

Sterling has been on fire this season, especially at home, where he has 7 goals and 3 assists in 7 games. In form, with 2 goals and 2 assists in the past 2 GWs, Sterling is ready to tear apart the Cherries backline. After all, he does love playing against Bournemouth, with 6 goals and 1 assist in his 4 appearances against them. If you don’t have Sterling though, Agüero, De Bruyne or Sané will be just as good captaincy options. For the purpose of this list though, we try not to make all captain picks from the same team.   

2. Marko Arnautovic vs Newcastle (home) - £6.8 (TSB 1.1%)

After a slow start to the season, the Austrian is hitting form at the right time. With 2 goals and a shot frequency of 1 every 18.15 minutes (4.96 per game) over the past 3 GWs, Arnie is primed to do well against a Magpies defence who have only kept 1 away clean sheet all season and are winless in 9 games.

3. Harry Kane vs Burnley (away) - £12.8 (TSB 38.8%)

Injuries to Tarkowski and Ward have come at the right time for Kane, who will be attacking against a severely weakened Burnley backline. That provides a great chance for Kane to rediscover his best FPL form, and for his side to bounce back from their embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in GW18.

Punt Captain Picks

1. Sadio Mané vs Arsenal (away) - £9.3 (TSB 7.3%)

The Senegalese international has a great record against the Gunners, with 4 goals and 2 assists in his past 6 games against them, including 3 in 3 while at his new club Liverpool. He is also fresh, having been rotated heavily lately. This puts Mané in a great position to replicate his average of 11.5 points in his past two away matches.

2. Charlie Austin vs Huddersfield (home) - £6.2 (TSB 5.1%)

Austin has been one of the most dangerous players over the past month or so. Each game, he finds himself in great positions to score and is a constant threat. This has seen him net 4 goals in his past 4 games. Rested in GW18, Austin will return to the Southampton starting line up in GW19. Against a Terriers defence who have conceded on average 3 goals per game in their past 5 away games, expect Austin to return FPL points in GW19.

3. Jesse Lingard vs Leicester (away) - £6.0 (TSB 3.6%)

Over the past 3 away games, Lingard has been unstoppable, averaging 12.33 points per game. In this time, he has scored 4 goals (7 shots on target) and provided 1 assist (7 chances created). Having been rested in the Carabao Cup mid-week, Lingard will most likely be deployed just behind the striker in GW19, and be involved in much of Manchester United’s attacking play. Furthermore, Leicester’s confidence will be low after their 0-3 loss to Crystal Palace at the King Power in GW18.

Score Predictions

ARS 1 (Lacazette) | LIV 3 (Mané, Salah, Can)

EVE 1 (Rooney) | CHE 2 (Hazard, Willian)

BHA 0 | WAT 0

MCI 6 (Sterling x2, Sané, Agüero, De Bruyne, Otamendi) | BOU 0

SOU 2 (Austin x2) | HUD 1 (Depoitre)

STK 2 (Allen, Shaqiri) | WBA 1 (Rondón)

SWA 0 | CRY 0

WHU 4 (Arnautovic x2, Antonio, Chicharito) | NEW 0

BUR 1 (Mee) | TOT 2 (Kane, Son)

LEI 0 | MUN 3 (Lingard, Lukaku, Pogba) 

Star Picks XI

Have any questions or need some advice? 

Feel free to contact us on twitter or comment in the section below.

By @WFC_Seb @WFC_17