Predicting the World Cup Semi-Finalists

Later today, West Indies, going by current form, will make their exit from the World Cup. After all, when Lara vs Roberts starts becoming the headlines, instead of Gayle vs Vaas or Lara vs Murali, the sign is on the wall. Even if they somehow scrap past Lanka, they will need to win each of their remaining 3 matches, which will be more than a simple herculean task. Bye-bye West Indies, it's going to be, sooner or later.

That leaves us with South Africa, Sri Lanka, Newzealand, England and Australia. Only 25% of the Super-Eight matches have been played yet, and we are already as good as down to 5 teams. So much so for the most open World Cup ever. ( Which were the 6-8 teams that Dravid and Duncan talking about? And who did this silly scheduling for the Super-Eight - Windies play their 3rd match tonight while quite a few have not even played their second.)

Can we zero down further?

1. Australia - 6 points already, a mismatch against Ireland still left amongst 4 more matches. Through.

2. Newzealand - 4 points, 2 mismatches to go amongst 5 more matches. Through.

So that leaves us with just 2 empoty Semi-final slots.

SA, SL and England have each 5 matches left to play in the Super-Eight. Each country has just 2 points to show as of now. SA has the advantage in that it will play both Bangladesh and Ireland, while the other 2 competitors have just one easy affair to go. Unlike SA, the two others also need to tackle Australia, which looks like the World's No.1 team by a fair margin, yet again.

With a fair amount of certainty one can predict that South Africa should make the cut too. That will leave England and Sri Lanka to fight out for the last remaining spot in the Semi-Finals. We should have that answer in another 3 days - England vs Sri Lanka, Wednesday 4th Apri, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua.

The last of the 24 matches in the Super-Eight stage will be played on the 20th April. But there is a very real danger of a very huge part of the most exciting stage of the World Cup becoming renundant - not that it already has, but things may get worse. What was being touted by almost everyone as the Most Open World Cup ever, may turn out to be the most closed and boring one. Let's just hope that Australia will have a bad day on either the 25th or 28th of April. If that doesn't happen, it will be tough handling the kinds of things the big-mouth Ponting will be doling out in the next few days, or even weeks!

The World Cup doesn't make a difference to the Indian captain

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, on the eve of Team India's departure for the West Indies, Dravid said he would not be under any added pressure because he was leading the side in this, his third, World Cup. "I've never viewed going into a tournament as being under less or more pressure. Obviously as captain there are some more responsibilities, the hunger to perform and to do well for the team does not matter if I am a captain, vice-captain or just a player," he said. "It does not make a difference to me. "

Dravid also dismissed the idea of the World Cup being "a final frontier", a term made much famous by the very successful ex-Aussie captain, Steve Waugh.
Just as the Indian captain was giving this soundbytes to the Indian media in Mumbai, a few hundred miles up northwest in Varanasi, a crowd of a thousand plus were participating in a "Shubhkamna Yatra". The procession moved towards the Ganges where they offered prayers to 11 cricket bats.

Now I'm not justifying the actions of these Varanasi crowd or anything, but the Indian captain needs to understand that he is not just leading any other nation into the Cricket World Cup - but India, which is home to close a billion cricket fans including millions of cricket fanatics like the ones at Varanasi. Even outside home, the stadiums in quite a few other countries are filled up with more Indian fans than locals. The Indian team doesn't need a Barmy-Army to travel across the world supporting the team, there is one, often more than one in every cricket centre across the world. Dravid needs to factor this in before speaking - he has a responsiblility, unlike any one else in the world.

Even if I were to remove the above factors for the sake of an argument, Dravid's words were unbecoming of any leader. How can the World Cup not make a difference? How can his being the captain not make any difference to him? Shouldn't it goad him on, motivate him only that much more. Can you even imagine Mike Brearley or Saurav Ganguly or Mark Taylor even saying that?

A World Cup win can stir the nation, leave a billion people happier, i would daresay that - even if temporary, the Sensex will rise. It makes a difference to me, Mr. Dravid and it makes a difference to a billion more like me. And I'm sad that we have chosen someone like you to lead us - someone, to whom it doesn't make a difference.

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Read this quote by Dravid to see for yourself how amibitious / aspirational / inspirational my cricket captain is:

" India is one of the most dangerous ODI teams. There will be 7-8 teams that will be capable of winning the World Cup, and I want India to be one of them."

Now who can stop India from being one of the top 7 or 8 ? Is he fearing Bangladesh whom me see in our first match on the 17th March or Bermuda?!!

Want more gems from Dravid? I quote the Indian captain again.

" The World Cup is a big event, but i don't think you can base your career on winning it. There's a lot more you can achieve. You can't judge everything from one tournament."

Who will win the World Cup of Cricket?

Suddenly, the cricket's become more exciting...

England beats Australia (fluke), England beats Australia (fluke), England beats Australia (fluke), Newzealand beats Australia (fluke), Newzealand beats Australia (fluke), Newzealand beats Australia (fluke)

England, and not Australia win the VB series (surprise), Australia are dismantled from the top of the ICC One-day Cricket rankings (surprise) and the Blackcaps black-wash the Ozzies 3-0. (surprise)

So is it time to stop getting surprised by yet another fluke? Are Australia no more invincible? Is it just a passing fad? Afterall Symonds is injured, and Ponting & Gilchrist were not in Newzealand. But how do you dismiss the fact that NZ were playing without Oram, Bond & Vettori. That on a list of the top 3 run chases in one-day history, suddenly there is one common name now - Australia, on the losing sides! And if Symonds alone decides the fate of Australia, then it hardly deserves to be called the world's best, afterall which team today is not saddled with injuries.

Post this World Cup, Australia will no more have the services of Glenn Mc Grath. Warnie is already gone, and Gilchrist will not be around for long. Are we finally going to see the end of the unipolar cricket world? The timing couldn't have been better - the World Cup is suddenly wide open. England is suddenly a contender, the Kiwis look more than just dangerous, India have bounced back and their top order looks back in form, Sri Lanka is my favourites to lift the Cup, South Africa is the official no.1 team in the world and the West Indies will be a potent force in their own backyard and Pakistan, well you should never rule out the world's most talented bunch..and of course, there are defending champions Australia, i had almost forgotten them! Except for some really boring one-sided encounters in the league phase, I am waiting for my life's most exciting Cricket World Cup. Just that this time, i am no willing to put any bets on any team and i will be enjoying all the action with my money firmly in my pockets. What are your plans?

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For complete information on the Cricket World Cup 2007 match schedules, venue details, tv & radio schedules across the world, check out the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 blog.

India Team for the Cricket World Cup 2007

Cricket Australia has already announced the list of 30 probable for the World Cup which is now just 62 days and 5 hours away. India will follow suit in a couple of days - but the real questions will be answered only next month when the final team of 15 is announced. ( Feb 13th is the deadline) Meanwhile, India's tour of South Africa has come to a close and as we take stock of the future, I couldn't resist myself from picking a possible squad for the big show coming up in the Caribbean. So, here i go...

In batting order, this is my first XI:

1. Sachin Tendulkar
2. Saurav Ganguly
3. VVS Laxman
4. Yuvraj Singh
5. Rahul Dravid
6. M S Dhoni
7. Irfan Pathan
8. Harbhajan Singh
9. Anil Kumble
10. S. Sreesanth
11. Zaheer Khan

( the only real confusion i had was over the no.9 batter, whether Kumble or Sreesanth! Dravid's turnaround in One-day cricket happened when he started coming in at no.5, and that's where he should stay. Laxman would make for a good no.3, though it's a good idea to promote Pathan sometimes. But that should be a surprise weapon only and treated like one. Yes, i have chosen Pathan for his twin abilities - his inclusion provides the team with just the right balance, just what Dravid's did the last time round.)

12. Ajit Agarkar
13. Virender Sehwag ( only if he does something in between now and Feb 13th)
14. Ashish Nehra
15. Mohammad Kaif

It's the biggest stage in the world of cricket, and if performances in past World Cups are any indication, experience has mostly triumphed over rookiness. Among Indian players, Navjot Singh Siddhu is the only rookie i can remember who made his presence felt in a World Cup.

By this yardstick, Nehra and Kaif come in. Nehra was impressive recently, on a flat Kotla track in the capital, he took a fiver. He was one of India's stars in the previous World Cup and my vote goes for him over a very lazy Munaf Patel. ( Munaf should never be allowed to represent the country as he might be having a very bad influence on kids watching cricket - his running speed is just amazing.)

If Sehwag doesn't do anything of note by 13th February, Karthick could be a definite consideration. He was most impressive in the last test against the Proteas and the Indian selectors seem to prefer picking up an extra wicket-keeper. ( Parthiv Patel was in the team last time, though he never played a match)

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Attempt a very interesting World Cup Cricket Quiz. Click here