Cricket World Cup 2011 - Team - By - Team Guide

It's a bit late but I've put a lot into this, so it won't go unread. Here is the preview (team-by-team) of the Cricket World Cup 2011.

For all that Australia are less fancied than India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, they’re still the top ranked team in the world and will come into the game with arguably the best form (at least from a mental perspective, regarding team confidence) thanks to their 6-1 series thumping over England; That series told us everything good about the Aussies, which included versatility in batting and bowling, something which will be crucial for this test especially, although a lot of the success they gained in their recent series win was due to shocking England shots. They won’t be far away though and boast many attractive options in all markets.

There’s an awful lot to like about Sri Lanka. One of the best teams in the world anyway, they have the advantage of being essentially at home for all of the tournament and they’ve won 14 of their last 19 games at ’home’, so they should essentially be favourites given the poor records of India and South Africa. They are strong at the top of the batting order, which features the star trio of Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene, and with the ball, where the legendary Muttiah Muralitheran and the dangerous Lasith Malinga will skittle the opposition.

For all that Pakistan have been in the headlines for only the wrong reasons in the last couple of months, they’re still a very talented squad who could easily make a bold bid to win this. The new format means that they need only avoid shock defeats until the quarters and it’s game on. The catch? Well firstly, they’re not exactly in the best of form (they’ve won less than half of their recent matches; A defeat of New Zeland may not be the best form) and secondly the still on-going trial Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Aamer and Salman Butt deprives the Pakistan team of three absolutely crucial players, one who’s their best opener (by far), one of the best swingers in the world and the other key for his line – and length. If everyone keeps their head and gives their best at the crucial stages, 9/1 will look big, but they’re already short of three very good players and there are at least 3 or 4 teams with equally good chances.

New Zeland have been a favourable choice as Dark horses in many of the last few world cups, and they’ve got quite a few appealing qualities at their best but The Black Caps are on a shocking run in all forms of the game and have won just two of their last 16 completed one-day internationals. They could easily bounce back but they’re just not appealing, even in such an open year.

It says a lot about the progress that Zimbabwe have made that they now they travel to the World Cup with renewed hope and a decent chance of reaching the last eight. They travel to this World Cup as the fifth ranked of seven in Group A and, in theory, need only to pull off one shock against one of the major nations to make the quarter-finals. And in a World Cup this open, no side isn’t there for the taking, especially on pitches that suit their emerging spin talent. In any case, Kenya and Canada are there for the taking with some ease on ranking and New Zeland are unbeatable by no means possible.

I hate to be disrespectful towards some teams, but Canada will probably be only fighting for the wooden spoon here, unless top man Rizwan Cheema can clobber a few fifties – He made the IPL Auctions list and I’m looking for him in the Canada top man markets.

There’s a bit of a feel good story with the Kenya squad, primarily because the undisputed hero of Kenyan cricket, Steve Tikolo (famous for leading Kenya to the semi – finals of the 2003 World Cup) coming out of retirement to play. There’s also the positive they they’ve taken a new and experienced coach on board in Johnty Rodes and then pre-World Cup tour of India, where they picked up plenty of runs, albeit against only youth sides in games which resulted in heavy defeats.

Moving onto Group B, the big guns are out in force and the first side here to go under the spotlight are pre – tournament favourites and opening match winners INDIA. The second ranked team in the world, they’re tournament favourites and rightly so.

They hold the best form courtesy of their closely fought series with South Africa (even in defeat, for two of their three losses were on the D/L Method and in any case South Africa are one of the world’s best teams, more at home than anywhere) and have already beaten Australia and New Zealand in warm-up games . Their win against Bangladesh was a simple summing up of why they can win this World Cup – Truly awesome batting. India’s 370 against Baangladesh ended the game as contest, no mean feat playing against the co – hosts in the Shere Bangla Stadium. Sehwag added 203 with Virat Kohli, who scored 100 not out on his World Cup debut as India racked up 370-4. If they can do that (and let’s not doubt for a second it’s possible) against any side in any big game in their own backyard all of the opposition will be on the back foot, and on pitches that will neutralise all but the best of bowlers, that’s a weapon not to be ignored. India have only lost once in their last 11 home ODIs, and have routed Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in that time as well.

India sound like certainties at this point but there’s one thing putting me off them just a little – Their patchy record. Winners in 1983. Finalists in 2003. Semi-finalists in 1987 and 1996. That sounds more than respectable, but it then goes; Second round in 1999. First round in 1975, 1979, 1992 and 2007. Not encouraging considering that three of the 4 most recent tournaments were under that banner. But nevertheless, it’s now or never for India and the gut feeling is to go for now with this explosive betting line up and home advantage.

Then it’s one of the best teams in recent ODI History, but the one with the ‘chokers’ tag. SOUTH AFRICA are at much the same stage as India in the fact that if their richly talented squad of players containing a handful of guys at the peak of their physical powers, then they may never.

Jacques Kallis. Cricketing GOD. Dale Steyn. The world's leading international bowler. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, so impressive against India recently. Grame Smith. Captain Crazy. Hashim Amla, just for the big runs. Give them the trophy, you say. Now for the record. Semi-finalists in 1992, 1999 and 2007.Quarter-finalists in 1996. First round in 2003. How? Undone by a calamitous run-out in '99, a Duckworth-Lewis cock-up in 2003 and a collective brain-freeze in 2007. If they can get over that, then there’s every chance that they can take down any team in the world, including Sri Lanka in Coloumbo.

After the glorious Ashes win, England were 9/2 for this title and rightly so. How things can change in one series. Now at 15/2 after a 6-1 drubbing by Australia, England are seen by rank outsiders as many but that’s being too quick to write them off. The main problem with England for this World Cup, as with every World Cup, is that they come here having been on the road since November.

The “ODI” rule that you must have a specific team for one dayers just don’t apply to England. Their test side is their best side and that’s it. And thanks to injuries that have kept Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, and Grame Swann fresh inadvertently for this tournament, they’re now a side with genuine prospects. The one downfall that prevents them from being quality bets, is their batting. Given that they’re in Group B, they’ll have to face Steyn, Tostobe, Khan and others and with the appealing shots in Australia still fresh in the mind, they’re regretfully passed over although if three fresh bowlers hit form they’re not far off the best in the world and they looked good in beating Pakistan in the Warm – Up match.

West Indies have the batting attack to go far here with Chris Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul, Dwanye Bravo and Kieron Pollard to hit the runs. However, in the last 12 months they’ve beaten only Zimbabwe (they‘ve lost to that team, too), Canada and Ireland while losing to nil in Series against Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Granted they’re good teams but they face South Africa again, India and Bangladesh in their group and may be heading for an early exit.

Bangladesh have plenty going for them. They boast two high class players in explosive opener Tamim Iqbal and canny all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and will play all of their matches in their own backyards. They’re in the stronger half of the seeding draw – Ireland and Holland will be no pushovers at all – but they should have enough about them to beat those two at home and a win against the West Indies, England or a South Africa side that’s home and hosed in the last game is a real possibility. They could easily go places and are massive underdogs.

Ireland (thanks to betting.betfair for the stat in their preview) actually have the best win-loss ratio in the world over the last two years and third best chance of a win won’t be just beating the Netherlands, as they got the better of Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2007. Things are different in the sub continent but they’ve only gotten better in the mean time and the coup of Ed Joyce is a real top notch addition to a useful squad.

After knocking out England in the 2007 World Cup, you’d be entitled to think that the Netherlands had a big shout of doing so again but travelling down to the sub-continent may just unsettle them and Ireland look to have their measure, with a 151 total against Canada not making good reading.

Advice

2 pts India to win Cricket World Cup (11/4 Blue Sq, 888Sport)

3 pts India to reach final of Cricket World Cup (5/4 Extrabet)

2 pts South Africa to win Cricket World Cup (5/1 General)


3 pts Sri Lanka to win Group A (13/8 Boylesports)

2 pts West India not to qualify for Quarter Finals (9/4 Blue Sq)