FILE
From left, Brian Lara (WI), Rahul Dravid (India) and Stephen Fleming (New Zealand).
Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
THE FINISHING touches (we hope) are being put to the region's stadia and the protagonists at this year's Cricket World Cup (CWC) are fine tuning now for the second-greatest, single-sport event on this planet.
With a less than a month and a half to go before the fest of cricket, that leaves us, the humble fans, with the simple task of sorting the wheat from the chaff and picking a winner and, for those that way inclined, placing a 'Sir Donald' (Sangster not Bradman) or two with the local bookie.
Of no surprise whatsoever, the premier betting houses have listed reigning champions Australia as prohibitive favourites at the unpalatable odds of about 6-4.
I have seen a 'Manley' and, from what I remember, it looked very nice, but if I ever had one for myself, I certainly wouldn't waste it on the Aussies at such wee odds.
Although the Cup is realistically only an eight-horse race, the nature of the game and the relative closeness of the sides makes 6-4 way too miserly for my liking and I have also chosen to frame a far(-ish) more generous board.
The Aussies at 2-1 sounds about right to me and that may even be a bit short given the fact they are going into the tournament with a 12-game Cup-winning streak and no side has ever pulled off a CWC hat-trick. They've gotta lose at least once, don't they?
If I were going to have a flutter, I'd put some 'hard-earned' on Sri Lanka who boast a handful of matchwinners and the world's most successful international bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan, and are reasonable value at about 8-1.
In one-day cricket, it only takes one stellar individual performance to swing and/or win a match and if you've got five in your XI who can do that, you are in good shape.
Hence, by that reasoning, it's pretty safe to write off England and New Zealand. The Poms are simply the sorriest of the 'Big Eight' teams going around at the moment while the dogged Kiwis seem to lack that little something to get them over the hump against the heavyweights.
Sub-continental enigmas
Consistency also counts and that should knock out sub-continental enigmas Pakistan and India who both possess an abundance of talent that just doesn't seem to come together and they are also terrible road teams.
The host West Indies are a team apparently in the ascendancy but they face the home curse and look a little light in the bowling department and middle order.
Skipper Brian Lara seems content to drift farther and farther down the order and could come in at 11 soon but for the Windies to have a real chance, he's got to bat at No. 3 and give himself the most time at the crease to influence a match - that's what the world's best are supposed to do.
Chris Gayle also has to strike form because he's the most important player in the team - opening the batting and then sealing up an end in the middle overs with his little right-arm 'wobblies'.
As I've already said, I like Sri Lanka from a betting perspective but, like their Asian mates, they are prone to inconsistency and may be a top-line bowler or two short.
That just leaves Group A rivals South Africa and Australia.
These sides are tremendous in the field, boast the two best seam attacks at the Cup and bat deep. South Africa defeated Australia 3-2 in a one-day series at home last year and will have nothing to fear from the world champs.
That series culminated with the 'Perfect Storm' game at the 'Bull Ring' in Johannesburg where both sides amassed more than 400 runs apiece. The hapless bowlers were simply swamped by in-form batsmen on a perfect batting pitch set in the middle of a small field made of green carpet. However, it should also be noted that Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting did not play in the first two games of the series which SA won.
With a slightly-stronger batting line-up and better all-rounders, Australia have a slight edge. Toss in Cup pedigree (three World Cup crowns to none) and the Antipodeans should validate the cheap bookieses' odds, but I'm still not putting a 'Sir Don' on 'em.
INDIA
A BATTING line-up to die for but more often than not just leaves you wanting to slash your wrists.
Skipper Rahul Dravid, the little maestro Sachin Tendulkar, one-day great Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman and Adam Gilchrist- wannabe Mahendra Dhoni are all match- winners but have a dreadful time gelling and often play far less than the sum of the parts.
In Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble and the more-than-useful part-timer Tendulkar, India boast the best spin attack at the tournament and that could well be their trump card on slow Caribbean pitches.
The pace comes from Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar who are good but not usually match winning. Were runners-up in 2003 but will have to show marked improvement to get so far this time around.
WEST INDIES
THE HOSTS have one of the best and deepest batting line-ups but they are wildly inconsistent in every facet of the game.
Legendary Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Shiv Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo and Runako Morton/Devon Smith are capable of ripping any attack apart but can a three-man seam attack of (probably) rapidly- improving Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell and Ian Bradshaw, plus all-rounders Gayle, Samuels and Bravo restrict opponents to reasonable totals on benign pitches in small grounds.
Playing before the home fans should provide this improving combination with a huge boost, but it should also be remembered no team has won the Cup on a home pitch. Still, there's always a first time.
SRI LANKA
HAVEN'T DONE much wrong in recent times and may just be sneaking under the radar.
In Muttiah Muralitharan they possess the most dangerous bowler in the tournament and veteran leftie Chaminda Vaas and slinger Lasith Malinga are dangerous with both the new and old ball.
However, the strength of this team is a dangerous batting line-up led by devastating veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, consistent skipper Mahela Jayawardene, the classy Kumar Sangakarra and Marvan Atapattu.
They are also an exceptional fielding side and well coached by Tom Moody. Don't sleep on the 1995 champs.
NEW ZEALAND
ALMOST THE exact opposite of India. What the Black Caps lack in skill they make up for with heart and solid fundamentals.
Captain Stephen Fleming is the 'must-get' wicket in the side but he receives solid support from Peter Fulton, emerging-star Ross Taylor, Craig McMillan and all-rounders Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, James Franklin and Daniel Vettori.
The bowling attack, led by oft-injured speedster Shane Bond, gives little away through the likes of Oram, Franklin, the deceptively-fast Mark Gillespie and canny left-arm spinner Vettori. They are supported brilliantly in the field. A dangerous floater, but winning it all could be a push.
AUSTRALIA
THE UNDOUBTED class of the 2007 field.
No side has anything close to Australia's world-beating blend of batting depth, bowling potency and fielding brilliance.
Ricky Ponting, the best player wielding the willow at the moment, leads a seasoned and highly-skilled batting order which includes lethal opener Adam Gilchrist, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey and possibly Cameron White.
Venerable medium-quick Glenn McGrath will bow out on this stage as a first-change bowler behind ultra-quick Brett Lee and leftie Nathan Bracken, while Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson will battle it out for the fourth-seam spot. The 'other 10' overs will be completed by a combination of Clarke, Symonds, White or Brad Hogg.
The only area of concern to the defending champs is struggling Matthew Hayden's opening spot, which could go to a fit Watson. Used to big-game pressure and on a 12-game Cup streak, the Aussies are unbackable favourites, but it only takes one loss on one day to lose the title.
PAKISTAN
INTERNATIONAL CRICKET'S greatest enigma. When they are good they are very good and when they are bad you want to shoot them.
The batting pretty much revolves around the 'big three' of captain Inzamam ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, while the key bowling duties fall to dangerous seamers Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Naved ul-Hasan and, if ever fit, the frighteningly-quick Shoaib Akhtar.
Plenty of all-world talent in the light-green uniforms but they are a hard team to trust - particularly on the road.
ENGLAND
INJURY-BATTERED and morale-shattered England are going to have to pull off a greater comeback than Lazarus to even challenge for world cricket's greatest prize.
Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff provide some pop to the batting order and captain Michael Vaughan, when able, adds some starch at the top, but the rest look at sea against quality bowling which can clinically pick their technical deficiencies apart.
The bowling looks even worse with only medium- fast James Anderson and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar looking like getting wickets on a semi- regular basis among the crop currently Down Under.
Funnier things have happened, but it would be a real rib-tickler if this side got up and won it all.
SOUTH AFRICA
BOAST A seam attack every bit as good as Australia through the likes of Makhaya Ntini, André Nel, Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kalllis.
Also, have no fear of the champs, having beaten them 3-2 in a one-day series early last year which included the 'Perfect Storm' match in Johannesburg where the Proteas chased down a target of 400-plus.
Their Achilles heel is an inconsistent batting order. Skipper and opener Graeme Smith must fire to provide a base for A.B. de Villiers, Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher.
Worthy second favourites, but they are also Cup underachievers.
