A new Caribbean dawn? Pull the other one

After their latest cricket humiliation - the 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan at the World Cup - West Indies coach Otis Gibson has taken some pretty serious action. From the ODI squad for the upcoming series against the same opponents, he has dropped Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and, most eye-catchingly of all, Chris Gayle.

Given that Chanderpaul is nearing 37, his omission isn't very surprising: he has no chance of playing in the next World Cup. The death of ODIs may have been greatly exaggerated, but the death of bilateral ODI series has not been. Where they are interesting, it tends to be because they are played before the Test series, lending them context. Piggy-backed onto the end of the Tests, they are essentially meaningless. So it makes sense to ditch Chanderpaul, in this form of the game at least.

Sarwan and Gayle, however, are both 30, so clearly haven't been dropped for reasons of age. Sarwan has struggled for form for some time now, and was never fluent at the World Cup. Gayle was, but the view that he doesn't care much has always lingered, albeit unfairly at times. If you are trying to build a new team with spirit and work ethic, it probably makes sense to dump Gayle. Keeping him in, for all the brilliance of his batting, risks sending a symbol that it's fine to act in such a nonchalant way with so little apparent passion for the West Indies (with his decision to arrive back from an IPL stint only two days before a Lord's Test perhaps the best example of this). To a degree, Gayle is probably slightly unlucky - he strikes me as a man for whom, like David Gower, endless hours of training would be counter-productive. Nevertheless, dropping him is a powerful symbol.

Yet the most disheartening aspect of the selection news concerns two all-rounders who should be integral to a West Indian revival. Both Dwayne Bravo and Kieran Pollard will miss international fixtures to play in the IPL - and the West Indies board don't even bother threatening not to select them in future. Of Pollard, the statement even said, "It was mutually determined that Pollard would be best served by being allowed to hone his T20 skills in the Indian Premier League, which will bring future benefit to West Indies cricket". Who do they expect will believe that?

With commitment levels like that from their best players, it is no wonder the board have said they want to make it 'special' to represent the West Indies again. And it's why talk that the West Indies won't exist as a cricketing entity in 2020, but a series of nations, continues to linger.

Tournament review: West Indies

Bowling Bangladesh out for 58 was perhaps the most impressive feat any bowling side managed but West Indies still can’t win against the ‘big eight’, having failed to do so since 28 June 2009. They seem to lack belief against the best, as the manner in which they subsided against Pakistan after Chris Gayle’s dismissal was testament to, and weren’t helped by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shiv Chanderpaul enduring grim spells. The bowling was better, with leg spinner Devendra Bishoo impressing.

Star man
Kemar Roach showed himself to be a genuinely incisive quick, and claimed 13 wickets – but he needed more support.

Disappointment
Sarwan and Chanderpaul failing to manage a 50 in 11 innings between them, utterly lacking in any fluency.

Prospects
They look a better-balanced side without skipper Darren Sammy – Andre Russell is a similar player but superior with bat and ball – so his position may come under threat. Coach Ottis Gibson has promised big chances after the quarter-final humiliation, and this side does have better players than the performances suggest. Vivacious all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be key on his return.

The Stanford fallout

It has led to widespread mutterings of ‘I told you so’, but what will the effect of Sir Allen Stanford’s arrest and subsequent enforced pull-out from cricket actually be? Will the ECB have more to contend with than wiping egg from its face and has West Indian cricket really been dealt a devastating blow?

ECB chairman Giles Clarke has been quick to underplay the significance of recent events. The Stanford 20/20 for Twenty millionaire match and its proposed replacement, an annual quadrangular tournament at Lord’s, were apparently bonus events, outside of the ECB’s budgetary process.

However, Stanford was also due to have a presence in the English domestic Twenty20 revamp and it is widely thought that the ECB threw their hat into the Stanford ring in order to develop a rival power base to India’s Twenty20 development and expansion.

English cricket faces an uncertain Twenty20 future, but it is at least guaranteed a future. West Indies are in a different position and their administrators are left contemplating the speed in which things can change – the optimism generated by the stunning win at Jamaica has given way to humiliation caused by the Sir Vivian Richards stadium fiasco and panic by the Stanford furore.

The financial implications in the Caribbean of the cancellation of the domestic Stanford 20/20 are too early to gauge – the Trinidad and Tobago board has already estimated a reduction in income of $195,000 – but an effect on the pitch will almost certainly be seen.

A reduced cash injection will have an impact further down the line on the infrastructure, marketing and development of the game, but we will perhaps imminently see a slowing in the West Indies team’s improvement.

The unity, professionalism and application that was at the fore of Chris Gayle’s Stanford Superstars win over England has transferred to the national team and whilst the impact of coach John Dyson should not be underestimated, West Indies’ recent development is an indirect consequence of Stanford’s financial contribution.

The Stanford 20/20 tournament in West Indies has been a great success and has made international players of Lionel Baker and Sulieman Benn. It gives West Indies players a foot-up on the ladder of career development and its cancellation will undoubtedly make the unearthing of talent in the Caribbean more difficult.

A contingency plan is needed if the effect of West Indies’ Sabina Park win is not to be negated. It is hoped that the WICB did not rely too heavily on the input of a billionaire businessman for the development of cricket in the region, although they should note the success a fresh approach can generate.

Written by Philip Oliver, an online sports writer who blogs about Twenty20 cricket.

Struggling New Zealand face up to life at the bottom

All eyes will soon be on the battle between Australia and South Africa, but a potentially more significant power shift might be occurring in a series contested between teams at the bottom of the Test rankings table.

Australia’s one-sided Test series with New Zealand represented something of a warm-up for both teams. The Aussies face a South Africa team that has designs on toppling the world number ones, whilst the Black Caps face West Indies in a more direct winner-takes-all meeting: the loser will be confirmed as the worst Test team after Bangladesh.

It is fair to say New Zealand are in a state of disarray (in Test terms at least – their prolonged malaise in the longer form of the game has had no impact on their ability to punch above their weight in limited overs cricket.)

The protracted departure of coach John Bracewell has destabilised a team that tastes Test victory on the rarest of occasions – they have only won overseas Tests in Zimbabwe and Bangladesh during Bracewell’s five year tenure.

Outspoken Kiwi legend Martin Crowe described New Zealand’s meek surrender in the second Test at Adelaide as his country’s ‘worst moment in Test cricket’, which suggests the only way is up for incoming coach Andy Moles.

Unfortunately this is not true, despite his new charges’ slide to the base of the Test rankings table. They are going in a different direction to Windies, who have been more competitive than the Black Caps since the teams’ last meeting.

New Zealand won the three match series in early 2006 by a 2-0 scoreline but have since been heavily beaten by South Africa, England and Australia, whilst West Indies’ highlights included a Test win in South Africa, a drawn home series against Sri Lanka and a competitive battle with the Aussies.

This is therefore a realistic chance for West Indies to win their first away series against a major nation since 1994/95.

Such a result would be significant for both teams. West Indies would have a tangible reward to go with the feel good factor generated by the Stanford Super Series, whilst New Zealand would be forced to embark on a rebuilding process that has been needed for some time.

Bracewell’s departure follows a rash of senior player retirements, with Stephen Fleming, Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle, Scott Styris, Shane Bond and Craig McMillan all hanging up their black caps in recent years. Moles and skipper Daniel Vettori face a tough transition period and only need to ask their opponents next month about how it feels to be Test cricket’s whipping boys.


Written by Philip Oliver, a sports writer who blogs about cricket betting.

Australia and West Indies show why Tests are best

For those of us for whom England's 12th consecutive match against New Zealand is a less-than-enthralling prospect, West Indies' Test with Australia has captivated and reaffirmed what we already knew: Twenty20 may come and go but Test cricket remains the pinnacle.

Three days in, the game has showcased cricket at its very best. A majestic century from Ricky Ponting in tricky circumstances, followed by a fine half-century from Brad Hodge, benefiting from a series of ill-fortune to earn a surprise recall. The West Indies then rallied commendably. Australia's bowlers struggled, but were bailed out by Stuart Clark. Exhibiting the virtues of line, length, a touch of seam and the most phlegmatic of temperaments, Clark showed why he has enjoyed such a phenomenal start to his Test career.

West Indies then fought back, before Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, having previously suffered from no-ball problems, responded superbly, in a way the shorter forms of the game allows ample time. Lee then hit Shivnarine Chanderpaul on the helmet. The West Indies feared he would go off. Chanderpaul remained resolute, exploding into life and reaching a majestic century. His performances over the last 12 months have been little sort of astounding; his idiosyncratic technique and unrivalled concentration making bowlers the world over thankful for the brittleness of his team-mates. In his last 16 innings, he has passed 50 on 11 occasions, with four centuries and many others denied by being undefeated or resorting to slogging when left stranded, as so often, with the tail. Despite his brilliance, an Australian lead of 119 seemingly made comfortable victory inevitable.

How can a game played over five days change so much in so little a timespan? How indeed. The West Indians were simply lethal on the third evening: Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell were outstanding, hostile and able to swing the ball late - with devastating results. The sight of Michael Hussey's stumps being decimated as Australia slipped to 12/4 was testament to the capacity of this game to produce sport at its most riveting and astounding. Twenty runs off an over simply does not come close to matching the simmering of tension; the personal, sometimes gladitorial, duels; and an even contest between bat and ball.

As the cricketing world threatens to lose all sanity in its approach to Twenty20, a worthy and sometimes captivating game but one that risks saturation, Test cricket has been done sterling service by this match just when many appeared willing to forget its merits. And if Test cricket is to enjoy a resurgence, wouldn't it help if these shoots of a West Indies revival grew into something more substantial?

The amazing crab-man

Idiosyncratic, crab-like and with extraordinary powers of concentration, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is in the midst of a quite phenomenal streak of form. He has scored at least 50 in each of his past seven Test innings - equalling the world record - but, more incredibly still, he has top-scored for West Indies in every of those innings.

Chanderpaul's batting seldom invites gushing tributes. He is not, and would never claim to be, any sort of stylist. But, as the unique way in which he marks his guard - with a bail - demonstrates, he has no qualms about not doing things by the coaching book. Almost uniquely amongst batsmen with comparable records, he virtually eschews the V as an area in which to score runs. His trigger movement may look bizarre, but it has helped him establish one of the finest defensive techniques in the world today. As importantly, he is the most phlegmatic of players. As if in a cocoon, he is content to leave balls indefatigably without seeming the slightest bit concerned. But he is invariably ruthless with loose balls outside off stump and with anything on his pads, flicking the ball to the legside boundary with tremendous placement.

How does one ruffle him? His technique occasionally leaves him susceptible to losing his balance early on in his innings. Over his 105-Test career, he has struggled relatively speaking, in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, averaging between 29 and 35 in each country. But, as he demonstrated today in his 253-ball vigil against a powerful pace-bowling attack, Chanderpaul is a better player than ever before now; his improved pull-shot makes him more comfortable dealing with pace bowling. Another weakness, oddly for a man for whom concentration has been so fundamental, has been his ability to convert 50s into centuries. But, much like another resourceful left-hander, Graham Thorpe, as his career has gone on Chanderpaul has learnt the art of conversion. He is now onto 17 Test centuries, though it would have surely been more had he not been handicapped by the perennial brittleness of the West Indian tail. But to his great credit, and unlike other players who place such a premium on their wicket, Chanderpaul is able to play a more expansive game when surrounded by tailenders.

At 33, Chanderpaul is in the form of his life. His sequence of epic innings in England defined the series in a manner almost unheard of for a man on the losing side. He averaged a scarcely believable 12 hours between dismissals. Chanderpaul is a certainty to be one of Wisden's Five Crickters of the Year - and a worthy candidate for Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year for 2007. He has indisputably raised his game after the retirement of Brian Lara, and should now have greatness in his sights. And, happily, it seems some of his team-mates are beginning to follow his lead.

Fast and Furious

It's all been rather enjoyable so far, in great contrast to the tediously elongated World Cup in the Caribbean. Already, we have witnessed one monumental upset - Zimbabwe's incredible victory over Australia - and one minor one, in Bangladesh beating - and knocking out - the West Indies.

With three games played a day, the tournament has already acquired a forward momentum totally lacking in the West Indies. Yet again, they were a ragtag outfit totally lacking in the bowling and fielding department, with Ramnaresh Sarwan seemingly far less effective than Chris Gayle, who memorably lifted the side for the ODIs in England. With Bangladesh's upward curve (not, it must be said, in Tests), and the impish, outrageously talented and increasingly consistent Mohammad Ashraful at the helm, it may not be too long before the Windies fall below them in the limited-overs rankings.

If they lose tomorrow, Australia, who have undeniably shown a lack of respect for this form of he game to date, will also exit: which is just the way it should be if a side loses its first two games. To date, it has been a vibrant, engaging tournament, and, with so many interesting asides (not least England's Twenty20 special forces, including the rejuvinated Chris Schofield) it should remain that way.

It is cricket reducto ad infinitum, but that is not to say it is bereft of skill: on the contrary, quality under pressure prevails. As for who will win, however, it remains very hard to tell: the nature of the game is that it can change irrevocably within a couple of overs; and, Australia aside, there are a clutch of evenly-matched sides.

Who's your tip for the title?

Super Eight’s Going Home Flops

It does exactly what it says on the tin! (NB: Players must have played at least 5 games):

1. Chris Gayle WIN
Inns: 9 Runs: 212 Average: 25.33 HS: 79 Bowling Average: 56.4

- Failed to be the explosive player the West Indies needed. Simply didn't show up and even his bowling was unusually wayward.

2. Shariar Nafees BAN
Inns: 6 Runs: 31 Average: 5.16 HS: 12

- Having showed so much promise in the last twelve months, Nafees just couldn't buy a run, averaging 5 from 6 innings.

3. Michael Vaughan (vc) ENG
Inns: 9 Runs: 209 Average: 23.22 HS: 79

- The similarities with Gayle are scary. Bowling better than batting, top score of 79 in his last match! His captaincy wasn't bad, but was rather dictated by the poor performances of his team mates. Vaughan hardly set the tone for them though, at the crease or in the field. Surely the end of his ODI torture.

4. Eoin Morgan IRE
Inns: 9 Runs: 91 Average: 10.11 HS: 28

- One of very few Irish players to have played county cricket, he failed abysmally and was a real let down. Many expected a lot more of a talented player, especially John Emburey.

5. Habibul Bashar (c) BAN
Inns: 8 Runs: 105 Average: 13.12 HS: 32

- The complete opposite of confidence personified! Bashar simply got worse as the tournament progressed, failing to set an example and having a penchant for the run out. His captaincy wasn't much better, hence why he gains the acrymonious honour of captaining our flop side.

6. Aftab Ahmed BAN
Inns: 9 Runs: 128 Average: 14.22 HS: 35 Bowling Average: 38.0

- Aftab is one of Bangladesh's promising young guns, but he failed to deliver in this tournament and only just managed to score slightly more runs than his captain, a dubious honour.

7. Andre Botha IRE
Inns: 7 Runs: 62 Average: 10.33 HS: 28 Bowling Average: 36.2

- His bowling was economical, but for a middle order batsman his contributions were very poor. Not helped by injury, but Ireland would have expected more from their overseas import.

8. Andrew Flintoff ENG
Inns: 7 Runs: 92 Average: 13.14 HS: 43

- Bowling was good, if a little expensive at times. No-one will question his place on bowling skill, but number six now appears a skyscrapper too high for Freddie. Against the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa Flintoff contributed just 26 runs from 5 innings, that becomes 11 from 4 if you remove yesterday's effort. That is woeful form and undeserving of even eighth place in the batting.

9. Dinesh Ramdin (wk) WIN
Inns: 6 Runs: 84 Average: 16.8 HS: 52

- Failed to dispel the notion that he is not a wicket keeper batsman. In fact at times his glovework didn't even suggest he was a wicket keeper!

10. Sajid Mahmood ENG
Overs: 48.0 Average: 32.37 Economy: 5.40 Batting Average: 1.0

- Another tale of wasted talent. Has a good slower ball, can top 90 m.p.h. Unfortunately this matters little when it shoots down leg, or is a wide half volley. A batsman's best friend, he really needs a first full season, or two, in county cricket to hone his skills.

11. Jerome Taylor WIN
Overs: 64.0 Average: 51.0 Economy: 4.78 Batting Average: 9.25

- He has failed once before and been dropped. However, he was very young then. Having looked like being back to his best before the tournament, Taylor could not live up to lofty expectations once again and tailed away. Just wasn't the strike bowler the Windies needed, but he was hardly well handled by his coach.

Preview: The end of an era

An emotional tie today pits Duncan Fletcher against Brian Lara. It would be hard to wish defeat on either of them. There really isn't much else to say, it is all about Lara and how Fletcher can motivate England. There will be some youngsters on view, but all eyes will be on the one legend on the field. It will be a timely reminder to England that none of their players are near reaching that level yet.

Prediction: West Indies win I'm afraid.

Players to watch: Brian Charles Lara and Michael Vaughan.

Preview: West Indies vs Bangladesh

At first this may appear as a nothing game, what with South Africa's brutal dismissal of England and with them, semi-final hopes of the remaining nations. However, a lot is at stake here today. West Indian circket is at an all time low and Brian Lara will want to bow out of One Day Internationals on some semblance of a high in front of home support. Where the Windies go from here is up for debate, but what is not is that Lara has been a fine player, if not captain and deserves a raptuous and victorious send off in these final two matches.

Standing in the way are of course Bangladesh who themselves have a point to prove. Having lost to Ireland they are now in danger of bowing out on a low. They will want to reassert themselves as a top nation and compete with a team who are not ranked that much higher than them at present. It will still be hard for both sets of fans to get excited about what is now a dead rubber though.

Prediction: West Indies to lift some gloom.

Players to watch: Chris Gayle and Saqibul Hasan.

Preview: West Indies vs South Africa

With Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka fairly certain of qualification for the semi-finals, only one spot is left up for grabs. It will be a fight til the death between South Africa, England, the West Indies and even Bangladesh. The first crunch match sees the West Indies look to reinvigorate their campaign against a dumbfounded South African side who lost to Bangladesh last week. The West Indies have won both of their last two World Cup encounters with South Africa and also the last two games in the Champions Trophy.

West Indies will need stella perfromances from their best batsman, especially Chris Gayle, who has so far failed to get the Windies off to characteristicly fast starts. Daren Powell will meanwhile need support with the ball and South Africa will be hoping that the offspin of Gayle and Marlon Samuels and legspin of Ramnaresh Sarwan will not prove to be as perilous as that of Bangladesh's triumvate spin attack. With the pitch at Grenada likely to favour bowling first though, it could be a seamers game, which will suit both sides, South Africa more so.

Herschelle Gibbs will miss the game with the injury which restricted him to batting at seven in the previous match. Loots Bosman is likely to open with Graeme Smith, while AB de Villiers, so far unsuccessful, should drop into a more comfortable position in the middle order. Andre Nel should maintain his place, having been one of the few positives against Bangladesh, while Andrew Hall, mysteriously absent against Bangladesh, should also return at the expense of either the disappointing Justin Kemp or Charle Langevelt.

Prediction: Whoever wins the toss and bowls should win. The tournament and of course England need the Windies to enact the Great Escape. Can South Africa react? Past history says no.

Players to watch: Brian Lara and Shaun Pollock.

Preview: West Indies vs Sri Lanka

It really is do or die for the West Indies today. Lose and they are all but out of this competition already and that would destroy the party atmosphere. The bad news for the Windies is though that Sri Lanka are a top side and having narrowly lost to South Africa earlier in the week, they desperately need the points too if they are to get their own qualification hopes back on track. Jerome Taylor should return for the Windies, but how will his confidence have been effected by being brainlessly discarded? Both sides will fight, but Sri Lanka's quality should ultimately tell. West Indies need their big players to fire in unison and it may be asking too much.

Prediction: Sri Lanka to grind out a result.

Players to watch: Jerome Taylor and Lasith Malinga.

What have we learnt so far?!

We now review the sides who have made it through to the Super Eight stage of the World Cup and what we can learn from the performances so far.

Australia

Strengths:

Phenomenal batting line-up: Matthew Hayden has been reborn as a One Day International opener and along with the destructive Adam Gilchrist forms the most explosive opening partnership in world cricket. The best player in the world comes in next in the shape of Ricky Ponting, followed by an ever improving Michael Clarke at four. Andrew Symonds of course needs no introducing as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. Then comes the dependable Michael Hussey, who will not remain runless for long and the powerful Shane Watson. This batting line up is the best in limited overs cricket and can win matches alone.
Awesome fielding: Symonds, Clarke, Ponting and Watson form the best inner ring in world cricket.

Weaknesses:

Bowling: Yes there is a visible weakness. Glenn McGrath can be taken apart by classy opposition and Shaun Tait and Watson can often prove expensive. Brad Hogg is an experienced campaigner, but he is not up there with the best spinners in world cricket. Currently, only Nathan Bracken is a reliable performer with the ball. They miss Brett Lee.

Star so far: Matthew Hayden.

Sri Lanka

Strengths:

One to four: In Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka have another of the world’s more explosive opening pairings and followed by Mahela Jayawardene at three and the world’s best wicket keeper batsman at four, Kumar Sangakkara, they offer a first rate top order.
Bowling variety: Chaminda Vaas is one of the best with a new white ball and everybody knows what the world’s best spinner can do. In Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka have a bowler who can win matches single handedly. Lasith Malinga is brilliant at the death and possesses a deadly in-swinging yorker. Meanwhile, Sanath Jayasuriya’s slow left arm spin and Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offspin complete a well varied attack.
Fielding: Exceptional, likely the best going. Almost every player contributes in the field, even the 37 year old Jayasuriya!

Weaknesses:

Lower order batting power: For all the class of the top four, if you get them early, there is not much to come in terms of a blistering batsman down the order. Although Chamara Silva at five is capable of rapid scoring, as he proved recently against New Zealand, he, Dilshan and Russell Arnold can not be described as power players and they can struggle to take advantage of the last overs if one of the top four is not still around.
New ball partner and fifth bowler: For all of Vaas’ quality there is no obvious partner for him in the Sri Lankan side when he is bowling with the new ball. Furthermore, the fifth bowler can prove to be a problem for Sri Lanka with both Farveez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando not quite up to standard. Prehaps Malinga Bandara’s leg spin could yet come in handy.

Star so far: Muttiah Muralitharan.

South Africa:

Strengths:

Batting depth: South Africa usually bat a long way down, with Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall nestling at eight and nine respectively. Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers are deadly when they fire and with explosive players such as Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp dotted between the rocks, Jaques Kallis and Ashwell Prince, they are capable of posting imposing totals.
Pace attack: Makaya Ntini, Pollock, Andrew Hall, Kallis and Charle Langevelt form a lethal pace attack for South Africa and that is without the aggressive Andre Nel. Given a helpful wicket, they will exploit it.

Weaknesses:

Opening combination: AB de Villiers has yet to really settle as an opener and this can lead to problems.
Missing Spinner: South Africa often go into games with no front line spinner, instead relying on Graeme Smith’s part time offies if they hit trouble. When they do play a spinner problems arise, firstly it weakens there batting line up as in the game against Sri Lanka and secondly the spinner in question, Robin Peterson, is not one of the game’s finest.

Star so far: Graeme Smith.

New Zealand

Strengths:

Batting depth: Another side that bats a long way down. With centuries to both of their names, Daniel Vettori and James Franklin can not be taken lightly and the sheer number of great allrounders in this Kiwi side allow them to bat to the bottom if they desire.
Bowling options: The pace of Shane Bond, the experience of Daniel Vettori, the left arm of James Franklin, the death ability of Mark Gillespie, the canniness of Jeetan Patel, the bounce of Jacob Oram and the accuracy of Scott Styris make this Kiwi side a very dangerous proposition when it comes to trying to score runs quickly against them.
Tactical nous: Stephen Fleming is the most intelligent captain in the world and his field placings demonstrate that.

Weaknesses:

Injuries: Having already lost Darryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills and Lou Vincent to injury, the Kiwis can not afford to suffer any more misfortune. There are though constant fitness worries over Oram and Bond and as the tournament progresses they may start to struggle.
An opening bowler and an opening batsman light perhaps: Running on from the injury problems, New Zealand do not seem to have a settled opening partnership with either bat or ball and if often shows.

Star so far: Scott Styris.

England

Strengths:

Middle order: With a line up from four to six of Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff, England have a middle order which most teams would die for. They need to come in with time to play with and runs on the board though.
Captaincy: A fit Michael Vaughan is second only to Fleming as a captain and he is as successful a captain as England have ever had in ODI’s.
Impetuous youth: England have a lot of young players and they are hungry for success, just listen to Ravi Bopara.

Weaknesses:

Top order batting: Much has been made of England’s woes at the top and rightfully so. Suffering from the reverse problem that Sri Lanka do, England have no power players up front. For all the skills that Michael Vaughan, Ed Joyce and Ian Bell have, exploiting the powerplays is not really one of them. Platform’s are good, but only if one of those top three players goes on until the end. They rarely do. It is crying out for Pietersen to move up to three.
Bowling depth: James Anderson, Monty Panesar and Andrew Flintoff are brilliant bowlers and wicket takers. Without back up though, opposition players can afford to see them off. England are undecided on who to bowl with them and both Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood have been expensive, whilst Collingwood is not always suited to the conditions. Jamie Dalrymple was tried and failed abysmally, whilst Bopara is still very raw, though a talent. A settled bowling line up that can take wickets throughout the innings is a must and England must find it soon.

Star so far: James Anderson.

West Indies

Strengths:

Individual brilliance: In Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul the Windies have the individual class to knock over the best of sides.
Home soil and support: Should the Windies get on a roll, the support will drop in behind them. They have to get rolling first though.

Weaknesses:

Too many weak links: For the all the individual brilliance, the West Indies are not a brilliant team. Marlon Samuels batting at four is an obvious sign of the deterioration in West Indian cricketing brilliance. Why Lara bats so low at five is a mystery, but it simply encourages collapses. Dwayne Smith appears to be a very limited batsman, despite his excellent fielding and doubts remain over the abilities of Dinesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons. In the bowling department, a spinner is obviously lacking and the pace men are just too inconsistent and nothing like the stars of yesteryear.
Reliance on bits and pieces: The Windies rely on using the bowling of the likes of Gayle, Smith and Samuels to regularly get them through their fifty overs. There just simply is not enough of a threat there to disturb the best international opposition. They must play the promising Jerome Taylor, but do not ultimately have the pace attack to compensate for their lack of spin options, unlike South Africa.

Star so far: Brian Lara.

Bangladesh

Strengths:

Youthful exuberance and spin options.

Weaknesses:

Inexperience and over-zealousness with the bat.

Star so far: Mashrafe Mortaza.

Ireland

Strengths:

Passion and ability to exploit bowler’s wickets.

Weaknesses:

Lack of quality batting depth.

Star so far: Jeremy Bray.


Chris Pallett

Preview: West Indies vs New Zealand

It's all happening with regards to this fixture. West Indies play for the third consecutive day, following the requirement of their reserve day against Australia and New Zealand are realing after an injury crisis. Brian Lara has played down the significance of playing over three days and he is right to. They have still played the same amount of cricket, it has just been less concentrated. The defeat against Australia will have been rather demoralising though and this game could decide the West Indies' future in this tournament. Should they lose, they may be leaving themselves with too much to do against sides like Sri Lanka and South Africa. They must improve their bowling performance and they do miss a top class front line spinner.

New Zealand meanwhile are going into the match with a much changed batting line-up. Peter Fulton has been promoted to opener following star fielder Lou Vincent's injury and Hamish Marshall is likely to come into the side at three for the recovering Ross Taylor. The bowling is uneffected, with Shane Bond, James Franklin, Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, Scott Styris and possibly Jeetan Patel, the main candidates. A lot will likely depend on the start for New Zealand. Fulton and Stephen Fleming are not known for their blistering strike rates and with Marshall not having played much cricket of late, a slow start could lead to mistakes and an increasing reliance on the middle order. This match should be keenly contested. A lot is riding on it, especially for the home side.

Prediction: Hard to call, New Zealand's injuries have opened the door for the Windies and they need the win more at this stage. Therefore, I'm going for the West Indies, by a narrow margin.

Players to watch: Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jacob Oram.

Preview: West Indies vs Australia

The Super Eight stage of the World Cup gets under way today with the hosts in action against the holders. This repeat of the recent ICC Champions Trophy Final in India last October is likely to end in the same result. Even with home support and conditions it is hard to see how a West Indies side, which has at times flattered to deceive, can overturn a powerful unit such as Australia, as they did in the group stages of the aforementioned competition.

Coming off the back of their recent demolition of World Number One side South Africa, Aussie confidence will be sky high. All of their batsman seem to now be coming into form and Matty Hayden looks back to his brilliant best in ODI cricket, after a long lean spell. With Andrew Symonds restored to the side and Shane Watson performing well with the bat at seven, Australia look like a side full of runs, despite Michael Hussey's lack of form thus far.

The bowling needs some work though, with Watson, Shaun Tait and even Glenn McGrath looking like they could go for a few. Still, the West Indies just don't appear to have the same wicket taking threat in their bowling department, aside from Jerome Taylor and their lack of a premier spinner is a problem. Expect runs, entertainment and an Australian victory.

Prediction: Australia to repeat their ICC Champions Trophy success.

Players to Watch: Chris Gayle and Michael Clarke.

Previews: India vs Sri Lanka and Ireland vs West Indies

Judgement day has arrived for India. Needing a win to stand a chance of qualification for the Super Eights, India face an exceedingly tough game tomorrow. Sri Lanka will not take this game lightly, as they are looking to ensure their own qualification and need victory to ensure that they take two vital points through to the next phase. Should India lose the toss tomorrow, then Rahul Dravid's men will likely be joing Pakistan in catching an early flight home. On a surface that offers encouragement for the seamers, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing the likes of Virender Sehwag with a new cherry. This one will be a hum dinger of a game! Match of the tournament so far in significance.

The latter match is now effectively a Super Eight confrontation and it should be a good contest between two spirited sides. West Indies should have too much for Ireland in front of their home support, but who would have predicted what has taken place to date in this group?!

India vs Sri Lanka:

Prediction: Sri Lanka to effectively dump India out of the tournament.

Players to watch: Rahul Dravid will fight tooth and nail, but so will Mahela Jayawardene. Anil Kumble vs Murali could also be a good battle!

Ireland vs West Indies:

Prediction: West Indies to end the run of the Irish.

Players to watch: Eion Morgan and Dwayne Bravo

Previews: India vs Bermuda and West Indies vs Zimbabwe

In the wake of Bob Woolmer's sad and tragic loss, the Cricket World Cup pales in significance. However, the show will go on and nobody would be happier about that than Bob himself, one of the most passionate men the game will ever know.

India will surely reignite their campaign with victory over the minnows. For all the entertainment that Ireland and Bangladesh have brought to this World Cup, the likes of Bermuda really are well out of their depth. Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan may come back into the India line-up while Virender Sehwag seems to be the popular choice for the axe.

The other game will be a tad closer, but the West Indies appear energised in front of their home support and following recent shocks they are unlikely to take Zimbabwe too lightly. The Windies showed against Pakistan that they know how to play on this pitch and it is hard to see past the hosts qualifying tomorrow.

India vs Bermuda:

Prediction: India to canter to victory.

Players to watch: Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (In his absence now, Yuvraj Singh) and Dwayne Leverock.

West Indies vs Zimbabwe:

Prediction: The West Indies to make it two out of two.

Players to watch: Chris Gayle and Sean Williams.

The Young Pretenders

With the World XI complete we now have an excellent idea of who exactly will be the main danger men at the World Cup. We now look at the up-and-coming youngsters in World cricket who are looking to make their mark in the Caribbean.

Mitchell Johnson (Australia)

At 25, Johnson is perhaps not quite so young, but he is fresh to international cricket after finally overcoming years of injury problems. Possibly the most hyped Australian bowler of the last decade, his fast left arm bowling style is in contrast to that of team mate Nathan Bracken, who is more of a swing bowler. Johnson of course accounted for Kevin Pietersen at the recent ICC Champions Trophy with a splendid one two set-up and he has also taken the prized wickets of Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar. Yet to play a Test match, 2007 is surely his breakthrough year. With an ODI average of 27.88 and strike rate of 31.38 at an economy of 5.33, he is a very promising package indeed.

Shahriar Nafees (Bangladesh)

A left handed opening batsman who debuted at the tender age of 19, he has quickly established himself as an international class player. Now 21, he is a typically aggressive batsman who is renowned for his audacious sweep shots. Averaging 33.50 in Test matches and 40.40 in ODI’s, he has a very bright future ahead of him, as he displayed in making his maiden Test match century against none other than Australia. Yet to score a century in ODI’s against one of the big boys, he will be looking to do precisely that in the Caribbean.

Liam Plunkett (England)

A surprise call up for the post-Ashes winter tours of Pakistan and India after injury to Chris Tremlett, Plunkett has gone from strength to strength, especially since the latest Ashes series. He is a typical Duncan Fletcher player, capable of fifties with the bat, good work in the field and of course, match winning spells of seam and swing bowling, at lively medium-fast pace. His 3-43 against Australia in the deciding second final of the recent CB series may just earn him a starting birth ahead of Jon Lewis. His Test batting average is nothing special at a mere 8.62, but his ODI average of 23.45 is indicative of a player who can bat. A Test bowling average of 37.56 and strike rate of 62.75 is proof that Plunkett is still learning, but in ODIs his performances have improved markedly and he is better than his average of 35.82, at a strike rate of 36.89, with a declining economy rate of 5.82 suggest. He has the potential to match Irfan Pathan’s best performances.

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (India)

At just 24, he seems to have established himself as India’s best pace bowler. A very aggressive “in your face” type of bowler, he enjoys bowling controlled outswing at a good fast-medium pace. His Test match bowling average of 25.97 and strike rate of 46.18 provide early evidence of his class. Though he can be expensive at times, with an ODI economy rate of 5.75, he is also a wicket taker and will be key to India’s challenge in the West Indies. He is still developing as an ODI bowler, but an average of 36.11 and strike rate of 37.62 is still nothing to ashamed of. Also capable of the odd heave ho with the bat.

Ross Taylor (New Zealand)

At 23 Taylor looks to have established himself in the Kiwi middle order for a long time to come. An athletic fielder and handy off spinner, this aggressive young right handed middle order batsman is highly reminiscent of Kevin Pietersen, with his preference for leg side shots, which can be his downfall when the ball strikes his pads. However, his timing is such that this is a rare event and he is a powerful batsman who adds impetus to New Zealand’s top order, with lusty blows over deep mid-wicket a favourite. Averaging 39.93 in ODIs, including fantastic hundreds against the Aussies and Sri Lankans, a Test call will surely follow later in the year.

AB de Villiers (South Africa)

A real team player, A.B. seems to have been around for ages. Still only just turned 23, he has yet to settle down into a regular batting position. He currently opens in the ODI side, though he has also batted throughout the rest of the order in both ODI and Test match cricket. A wicket keeper batsman, he unsurprisingly makes a superb outfielder with his customary acrobatics. Whilst not yet spectacular, his batting averages of 35.14 in Tests and 34.00 in ODI’s are indicative of a man still searching for the position which he can make his own. Watch out for his aggressive style of batting, which in conjunction with Graeme Smiths', can be a real pleasure to behold.

Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)

One of the “variety” bowlers within the varied Sri Lankan attack, his round-arm action can be extremely difficult for opposing batsmen to pick up, especially when the ball is spearing into their toes at 95mph. An exceptionally fast and aggressive bowler, a large number of his victims are bowled, because of his unique bowling style. He holds an ODI average of 26.97 and strike rate of 33.82, at a surprisingly low economy rate of 4.78 for a strike bowler. It is in Test cricket where his figures truly are remarkable for a 23 year old though. Possessing an average of 31.57, he has an outstanding strike rate of just 49.45. Quip “Malinga the slinger” at your peril.

Jerome Taylor (West Indies)

The spearhead of the West Indian attack at just 22, this genuinely fast bowler has a very bright future ahead of him. Though it took him two years to recover from being pushed into the Test team far too early, at just 18 years of age, he is now a much stronger character. His Test figures are recovering, with an average of 33.19 and strike rate of 57.61. He has though excelled in ODI’s, with a bowling average of 26.72 and strike rate of 32.83 at an economy of 4.88 and he already has an ODI hat-trick to his name against Australia in the recent ICC Champions Trophy. Possesses a deadly Yorker, which Darren Gough would be proud of.

Chris Pallett

West Indies vs Pakistan Preview

Both teams come into this match with varying levels of confidence. Pakistan will be buoyed by their success over World leaders South Africa in the final warm up match, whilst the West Indies suffered a huge blow to their confidence with a humiliating collapse against India in their last warm up game.

Counteracting this though is of course the fact that the West Indies will be opening this eagerly anticipated tournament in front of their own fans on their own soil, a proud moment for any nation. Pakistan meanwhile are still all to aware that the recent losses of Shoaib Aktar, Mohammad Asif and Abdul Razzaq could destroy their World Cup challenge.

With many predicting the pitches to be slow and low though, Pakistan's Danish Kaneria will be looking for the chance to firmly establish himself as Shane Warne's successor on the World stage. With Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez in the side though it remains to be seen whether he will be given that opportunity. Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels will be looking to match the Pakistani spinners in what could be a relatively low scoring affair.

This game appears to be almost too close to call. The West Indies have the upper hand in previous World Cup meetings between the two sides, winning five and losing just two. However, Pakistan will remember fondly their last meetings with the West Indies in the Caribbean, when they whitewashed them with a 3-0 series win in 2005.

Prediction: West Indies to get off to the start this tournament needs them to, with a narrow victory over their sub-continental opposition, in a reasonably low scoring encounter.

Players to Watch: Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Mohammad Youssef.

What do you think?

World Cup 2007 Who are the Possibles

Just 12 days to go now and following my look at the minnows for the forthcoming tournament, in this article, I will focus on three teams who I believe will come up short in the Super 8 stage.

Pakistan
Pakistan played in England last summer, losing comprehensively the test series, even before the debacle at The Oval and drawing the One Day series. To put this performance into context, the Sri Lankans had earlier in the summer put England to the sword in the most one sided series of matches that you are ever likely to see. Now England have improved beyond all recognition since those matches, whereas Pakistan seem to be going backwards and were recently walloped in South Africa.

The Pakistani task has now been made even harder by the loss to injury of probably their three most critical bowlers, Razzaq, Akhtar and Asif. (Whether Akhtar and Asif should be available anyway due to their failed drugs test is now a moot point). This makes the form of Rana Naved critical to any chance of success, while hoping that the back up seamers, Umar Gul and Mohammed Sami, can fill in the gaps. The spin option of Kaneria is interesting as he hasn’t played a ODI for over a year.

On the plus side, Pakistan has the best middle order in world cricket in Younus Khan, Mohammed Yousuf and Inzimam, and destructive lower middle order batsmen in Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal. The presence of Afridi means that any target is attainable. However, relying on Afridi to fire is not going to get the Pakistani team into the semi-finals. They will win matches, but are not consistent enough to progress.

India
Similar to their great rivals Pakistan in that all of their strength is in their batting. Even with Virender Sehwag in terrible form, any line up that includes Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dhoni is going to score plenty of runs. However, their seam attack looks weak and their best line of attack may be to play both Kumble and Harbhajan, making use of the slow pitches in the Caribbean, with Tendulkar and Ganguly also seeing some work as bowlers as well as batsmen.

India toured the West Indies in 2006, losing the ODI series 4-1 (although they did gain revenge in the test series), but gained revenge at home more recently, where they also defeated a weakened Sri Lankan team.

Like Pakistan, there are too many weaknesses and too many other good teams for India to progress to the semi-final stages, and with Bangladesh in their group (with Sri Lanka and Bermuda), it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they may not even make the Super 8 stage.

West Indies
The host country has never won the World Cup, and despite the fabulous support that the team will receive, it’s not going to happen this time either. Having said that, in Chris Gayle, the hosts have an imposing all rounder, capable of scoring large and quickly at the top of the innings. His off-spin is also much more dangerous than it looks and is remarkably economical.

Captained by Brian Charles Lara (as the Sky promo keeps telling us), there is little for the other countries to fear with the rest of the squad. Sarwan and Chanderpaul have never looked the same players at ODI as they are in test matches, and with the exception of Jerome Taylor, the bowling has little variety, with the pace men that the Weat Indies has been traditionally associated becoming a thing of the past. However, they have two wild cards in Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons and the throwing in of such inexperienced youngsters must be seen as desperation.

Lara thinks that the West Indies should get to the semis and take it from there. While I admire his confidence as much as I admire his batting, it is misplaced.