Analysing the 2011 Cricket World Cup Squads
From February 19 to April 2 - the cricketing world will once again come together and fight it out for the title of World Champion of One Day International Cricket.
India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh are the host nations, with Dhaka hosting the opening game on Feb 19 between India & Bangladesh and then Mumbai hosting the Final on Apr 2.
We're now in mid-January and as each nation names their 15 Man Squad for the Tournament -
wdnicolson.blogspot.com will analyse each team's squad, identify their wildcard, give you our Best XI from the squads and judge the chances of each team lifting the World Cup.
We'll add in the odds for each team closer to the start of the tournament and give you our predictions before the first game on February 19.
Here we go...
AUSTRALIA
15 Man Squad Named January 18:
BATSMEN: R Ponting (c), M Clarke (vc), B Haddin (wk), M Hussey (OUT), C White, T Paine (wk), C Ferguson (IN).
ALL-ROUNDERS: J Hastings, D Hussey, M Johnson, S Smith, S Watson.
BOWLERS: D Bollinger, N Hauritz (OUT), B Lee, S Tait. J Krejza (IN)
SQUAD ANALYSIS:
Australia have had no answers at the selection table for the English over the summer and now the same decision makers have made a bunch of head scratching decisions for their World Cup defence. Despite incredible domestic form there is no place for Brad Hodge and seemingly incumbent batsman Callum Ferguson has been punted despite a career ODI average of 46.07 (Ferguson was recalled after Michael Hussey was ruled out with a hamstring injury). Ricky Ponting returns to skipper the team which features some batting class in Watson & Clarke. Shaun Tait, Brett Lee & Mitchell Johnson will lead the attack with Steve Smith, David Hussey & late call up Jason Krejza fighting for possibly two spinning roles. Tim Paine has been included to keep pressure on Brad Haddin for the wicketkeeping spot, while John Hastings will fight Doug Bollinger for the 4th seamer ranking. It's a good squad but it is not a great one on paper and it doesn't help that key men Ponting (finger) is still in doubt for the start of the tournament and Michael Hussey will not play.
WILDCARD:
Mitchell Johnson - he can spray it all over the place in four straight games and then bowl a spell that is so devastating in the next game that it can turn his team's fortunes around. In a World Cup you'll take those four dud performances if the stellar display is in a World Cup Final. Handy with the bat but it is with the ball that Johnson can make his biggest contribution for Australia's title defence.
Best Australian XI:
- S Watson
- B Haddin
- R Ponting (c)
- M Clarke
- C White
- C Ferguson
- D Hussey
- M Johnson
- J Krejza
- B Lee
- S Tait
CAN THEY WIN?
They can but they are not the best in world cricket any more.
Australia have won three consecutive World Cups (1999, 2003 & 2007) but they enter the 2011 Tournament no longer holding the mantle as the best team in the world. That doesn't mean they cannot reclaim the title and hold onto the title as the best One Day team but their Ashes defeat has them on the backfoot entering the competition. That being said they still have the likes of Ponting, Watson, Johnson & Michael Hussey - all match winners on their day, so you cannot write them off.
INDIA
15 Man Squad Named January 17:
BATSMEN: M Dhoni (c/wk), V Sehwag (vc), G Gambhir, V Kohli, S Raina, S Tendulkar.
ALL-ROUNDERS: Y Pathan, H Singh, Y Singh.
BOWLERS: R Ashwin, P Chawla, Z Khan, P Kumar (OUT), A Nehra, M Patel, S Sreesanth (IN).
SQUAD ANALYSIS:
If Dhoni stays in the Top 4 then India have the best top order on paper in the World Cup. Sehwag and Tendulkar (if both are fit) will get them off to a flier and Gambhir and Dhoni could make teams pay off the back of a good start. With a variation of Yuvraj Singh, Kohli, Raina and Pathan in the middle order - India should keep coming at their opposition with plenty of batting but they may go with an extra spinner instead of a batsman which may weaken them if early wickets fall. Khan must take wickets with the new ball, while Harbhajan Singh needs to make full use of his 10 overs every game. The rest of the attack is nothing flash to be honest but there's not many teams that have a deep bowling unit.
WILDCARD:
Harbhajan Singh - his batting at Test level lately puts him in the all-rounder category now but it is with the ball that the prodigious off-spinner must make his impact. Could be the one bowler no-one wants to face all World Cup long...
Best Indian XI:
- V Sehwag
- S Tendulkar
- G Gambhir
- M Dhoni (c)
- Y Singh
- V Kohli
- Y Pathan
- H Singh
- Z Khan
- A Nehra
- M Patel
CAN THEY WIN?
Of course... but we've been waiting for a while.
India are the team everyone is waiting for to seize a World Cup with their talented roster but they haven't made a serious challenge since 2003 when the Australian's bashed them in the World Cup Final in South Africa. This will surely be Tendulkar's last World Cup and his Test form suggests he has plenty left in the tank... he can get them to another Final but Harbhajan Singh & Zaheer Khan must be the ones who win it for them.