How the contenders stack up for ICC World Cup 2011
How the World Cup contenders stack up
By Dhananjay Devasper
The World Cup is the ultimate in cricketing glory, especially for the greats who have never won it. The 2011 edition is just hours away from getting under way. The marketing czars have gone into an overdrive and so have the news channels. There’s a lot to look forward to. The statisticians are having a field day and so are Kapil’s “Devils”, who seem to be getting much more TV time than they ever did in the past decade. Now that we’re in the home stretch, let’s see how the horses for the courses stack up.
India: “The Team to beat”…All round favorites with their recent performances, especially in the sub continent. The form of “Captain Cool” was a worry, but his hundred against New Zealand in the warm-up game is something that will cheer the Indian team lot. However, India’s bowling, especially in the death overs, is a concern. The return of the Big Guns Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will only add to the team’s confidence.
South Africa: In good form, but known for choking. Will this be the World Cup that they turn it around? Over 1 billion Indians will be hoping not! Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis are the batsman who can make the Proteas dream come true. Dale Steyn and Mornie Morkel were deadly in South Africa, but their form in the sub continent remains to be seen.
Australia: The team seems to be peaking and coming together nicely, just at the threshold of the World Cup. Add to that a relatively weak and unpredictable set of teams in their group schedule and you might have a team that could make it easily to the semis. Lack of a quality spinner, however, might be their problem.
Sri Lanka: Never count out the Lions of the sub continent. Their form has been good of late and they are always a force to reckon with in home conditions. Again, placed favorably in a weaker group.
Pakistan: Mercurial – brilliant one day, pedestrian the next, controversial the third. They might just as well come together as a team at the World Cup. How far they can go is anyone’s guess.
New Zealand: Not expected to make an impact. Being Brownwashed twice in the continent, (once to Bangladesh), and losing the ODI series at home, does not augur well for their confidence or their fortunes.
England: Desperately need Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood to step. Jonathan Trott‘s form is welcome news. However, their inability to defend large totals, especially on batsman-friendly pitches might be their undoing.
West Indies: The underdogs with the firepower to match the best. However recent form, squabbles and overall team morale may have them making an early exit.
Bangladesh: Capable of an upset or so, but not expected to go too far. They might just win that crucial game, that could put a team out of the reckoning.
The remaining teams Zimbabwe, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands, Kenya are not expected to do much at the World Cup.
Let the games begin and heroes be born.
Stay tuned…
(Dhananjay Devasper is an “IT guy” by profession and a sports fanatic at heart. He has an unbridled passion for sports and Indian achievements in sport. Extremely opinionated, he attempts offering perspectives around sports which are simple to understand and easy to relate with)