Gavaskar backs England to defend World Cup title

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes England are comfortably placed to become the first back-to-back champions since Australia claimed three-in-a-row in 2007.

"Because of the kind of talent that they have at the top of the order... they have got two or three world-class all-rounders who can change the game with both bat and ball," Gavaskar told Indian broadcaster Star Sports.

Enland's formidable fast bowling line-up has Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes alongside Stokes, who came out of one-day retirement ahead of the World Cup although he will play only as a batsman.

England have eight members from the squad that triumphed on home soil in the last World Cup in 2019 under Eoin Morgan.

Jos Buttler has slipped into the role of England's white-ball captain with relative ease since Morgan's retirement, leading them to the Twenty20 World Cup crown in Australia last year.

"We're going to try to win a World Cup - we don't see ourselves as defending champions," said Buttler.

"It's very much a new tournament and we know it's going to be tough because there are some top, top teams," he added.

"But we know we're a really good team, a dangerous team, we've got a lot of experience in the group and we back ourselves."