COMMENT – The World Cup is returning to the sub-continent after a gap of 15 years. Following is the preview of defending and four times champions Australia, one of the hosts Sri Lanka and England which perhaps got their best chance of winning the World title since the tournament’s inception in 1975.
Australia: Ricky Ponting and his men are the three times defending champions. However, the team has completely changed since the last World Cup with the retirement of stars like Glenn McGrath and Matthew Hayden. Just before the start of the tournament, the Australians were dealt a severe blow when Michael Hussey was ruled out due to injury. Still Australia have a formidable batting line and a bowling line which can adapt to sub-continental conditions well. Aussies certainly have the World Cup class and one can’t write them off irrespective of their record in the last couple of months.
Strengths & Weaknesses: Australians have a good pace attack to boast of. The likes of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson can be a threat in any given condition. And then there is Shane Watson giving Australia the most balanced attack in the tournament. However, the absence of a quality spinner can be a big handicap for them. Jason Krejza can certainly tweak the ball but has just played a solitary ODI coming into the World Cup while the other spinner Steve Smith is also an unproven commodity something which can backfire in a World Cup in the sub-continent.
One to watch out for: Shane Watson is arguably the best all-rounder in the game today. Opening the batting he can be merciless for the opposition, and with the ball his tidy bowling can be more than handful. With loads of IPL experience, he is definitely the one who can make the difference for Australia’s progress in the tournament.
The Group: Australians are placed in Group A where they can face stiff challenge from hosts Sri Lanka and a mercurial Pakistan side. However, the Aussies shouldn’t be having much of a problem in disposing off other group teams which include New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka the 1996 World Champions have got one of the best combinations required for sub-continental conditions. The Lankans can be a very hard nut to crack at home and that’s where they play five of the six league matches.
Sri Lanka have also been doing well in recent time under the dynamic leadership of Kumara Sangakkara. Their ODI series win in Australia shows what they are capable of. With form and the squad, not many can bet against Sri Lanka.
Strengths & Weaknesses: Sri Lanka’s strength lies in their three classy batsmen i.e. captain Kumara Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillekaratne Dilshan. These three have the class and talent to take Sri Lanka forward and with them occupying the crease it will be very difficult for opposition to dislodge them. Sri Lanka’s slight weakness is their fast bowling department. While Lasith Malinga is a proven performer, others like Dilhara Fernando and Nuwan Kulasekara can be found wanting against explosive batting sides like Australia and Pakistan.
One to watch out for: At his swansong tournament as he retires after this World Cup, Muttiah Muralitharan will be the man to watch from Sri Lanka. The champion spinner has got the most number of wickets in international cricket both in Tests and ODIs and will definitely want to sign off on a high.
The Group: Sri Lanka will most probably top group A. With Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada being the other teams in the group, Sri Lanka have every chance of topping their group.
England: After their comprehensive Ashes victory in Australia, England will come into this tournament on a high. Although Andrew Strauss’ men lost the subsequent ODI series, yet one can’t take them lightly as they have been showing good limited overs form over the last year or so which was also evident with their T20 World Cup triumph last year in the Caribbean. They also beat Australia and Pakistan at home last summer in the ODI series. England have a capable unit on hand but playing in sub continent can test them quite a bit.
Strengths and weaknesses: England’s strength will rest in the fact that they are accustomed to winning with good showing in Australia recently. The likes of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss will boost their batting department while in bowling Graeme Swann along with James Anderson and Stuart Broad will hold the key. But their long, tough tour Down Under has taken its toll with quite a few injuries in the lead up to the World Cup which can affect the team’s longevity in the tournament beyond the first round.
One to watch out for: After spending the past three-and-a-half months in Australia, Kevin Pietersen might be a tired man yet he is going to be pivotal to England’s progress. Pietersen certainly has that X Factor which England will need. He is a champion batsman and if he gets going, England will have a really good chance of doing well.
The Group: England are placed in Group B alongside India, South Africa, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands. They should make it to the quarter-finals but may lack the stamina after an arduous Australian tour and enough firepower to go all the way.
