South Africa's golden generation, Pakistan's mission impossible

“This team has the spirit of cornered tigers. If they play to their potential this team can surprise the world.”
Published January 28, 2015

Eyeing the Cup: Battle of eight

Depleted Pakistan can spring a surprise

If there is one team among the top eight at the World Cup which could either crash out embarrassingly in the first round or romp to the title, it's Pakistan.

The talented yet unpredictable side are haunted by injuries to their fast bowlers, the suspension of match-winning spinner Saeed Ajmal and a tussle for the captaincy between Misbah-ul Haq and Shahid Afridi.

All seems to have settled down as Misbah's men embark on a mission to match Imran Khan's World Cup triumph -- Pakistan's only win -- in Australia some 23 years ago.

“This team has the spirit of cornered tigers,” said chief selector and former captain Moin Khan, a key member of 1992 winning team. “If they play to their potential this team can surprise the world.”

Captain Misbah, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, is also confident of the best results.

“The format of this World Cup is such that teams have a lot of opportunities,” said Misbah, who will retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup.

“It would be the icing on the cake if I end my one-day career with the trophy. “But Misbah knows his bowling will miss Ajmal, who has single-handedly won matches for Pakistan before being suspended for an illegal bowling action last September.

Spinning all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez -- suspended in November last year also over an illegal bowling action -- needs to clear a reassessment test to allow the right combination to Misbah.

“It will be important that Hafeez clears the test because he is two-in-one and his bowling gives us the right combination,” said the captain.

Irfan could be a nightmare for batsmen on the bouncy and seaming pitches of Australia and New Zealand. — AFP
Irfan could be a nightmare for batsmen on the bouncy and seaming pitches of Australia and New Zealand. — AFP

Lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan -- the tallest man to ever play international cricket at 7 feet, one inch -- is expected to be the X-factor in an otherwise inexperienced pace attack which will miss Umar Gul, not fit enough for the event after knee and ankle problems.

“To me the X-factor in our team is Irfan. With his height I think he can be dangerous,” said coach Waqar Younis, who missed Pakistan's World Cup win in 1992 with a back problem.

In Ajmal's absence, leg-spinner Yasir Shah, along with all-rounder Afridi, will handle the spin department.

Afridi, who will also quit one-day cricket after the World Cup, will be important too as a batsman in the slog overs as will be Umar Akmal, Misbah and Sohaib Maqsood.

Pakistan's top-order problem persists and will continue to haunt them as Hafeez opening the innings with Ahmed Shehzad doesn't always guarantee a trouble-free start.

They will hope experienced the Younis Khan and Misbah provide stability to the batting, for which the main problem lies in playing too many dot balls.

Pakistan has the worst run-rate among the top ten teams in playing dot balls from over 11 to 40.

Pakistan must win one of their first two matches -- against arch-rivals India and the West Indies -- in order to have easier passage into the last eight.

If not, their qualification will rely on their last group B match against a dangerous Ireland team, the same opponents who ousted them in the first round of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

Squad:

Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed, Junaid Khan (subject to fitness), Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Ehsan Adil Coach: Waqar Younis

Fixtures - Pool B:

Feb 15: India, Adelaide Feb 21: West Indies, Christchurch March 1: Zimbabwe, Brisbane March 4, UAE, Napier March 7, South Africa, Auckland March 15, Ireland, Adelaide

World Cup record:

1975: Pool Stage 1979: Semi-finals 1983: Semi-finals 1987: Semi-finals 1992: Champions 1996: Quarter-finals 1999: Runners-Up 2003: Pool Stage 2007: Pool Stage 2011: Semi-finals

Key player:

Mohammad Irfan - With his astronomical height -- seven feet, one inch -- Irfan could be a nightmare for batsmen on the bouncy and seaming pitches of Australia and New Zealand but much depends on his fitness. Irfan is seen as Pakistan's key bowler and someone who can fill the void left by ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, withdrawn from the World Cup because of his suspension over an illegal bowling action.


Sri Lanka bank on Sanga-Mahela hit show

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will join hands for the last time in their brilliant careers to plot Sri Lanka's World Cup campaign, hoping to make amends for two successive heartbreaks.

The missing link in the enduring partnership between the two 37-year-olds that started at the turn of the century is the absence of a World Cup triumph despite coming so near.

Jayawardene was captain when Sri Lanka reached the final of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, only to see Australia cruise to a 53-run win in near-darkness in Barbados.

Four years later in India, Sangakkara was at the helm in the title clash when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's home team inflicted a six-wicket defeat despite a magnificent 103 off 88 balls by Jayawardene.

The two veterans, who go into the World Cup as the leading run-getters in one-day cricket among those still playing, took the setbacks in their stride and looked positively ahead at the future.

“We may not have won those two tournaments, but reaching two successive finals showed we played consistently well,” said Jayawardene. “Hopefully we can cross the line this time.“

At 37, Sangakkara shows no signs of ageing, nor has his insatiable appetite for runs diminished. — AFP
At 37, Sangakkara shows no signs of ageing, nor has his insatiable appetite for runs diminished. — AFP

Jayawardene will hang his boots after the World Cup, having already retired from Test and Twenty20 cricket last year to concentrate on his fifth appearance in the showpiece event.

Sangakkara will also bid farewell to limited-overs cricket after the World Cup, but remains undecided about prolonging his Test career after enjoying a tremendous run with the bat in recent months.

The World Cup gives both a last chance to bow out in a blaze of glory and the signs are already encouraging that this could be Sri Lanka's year in Australia and New Zealand.

In Sangakkara and Jayawardene's final T20 appearance last April, Sri Lanka won the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh to end a drought of major titles since they took the World Cup in 1996.

Angelo Mathews' men won more one-dayers (20 out of 32) than any other team in 2014, including the Asia Cup title that also featured defending World Cup champions India and Pakistan.

Sri Lankans dominate the run-getters' list for the year gone by with left-handed Sangakkara leading the pack with 1,256 runs, followed by Mathews in second place with 1,244 and opener Tillakaratne Dilshan in fourth with 990.

Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis topped the bowling charts with 38 wickets, but still failed to make the World Cup squad as the selectors went with left-armer Rangana Herath and off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake instead.

Sri Lanka will sweat over the fitness of pace spearhead Lasith Malinga, who was picked for the World Cup in a gamble by the selectors despite being sidelined following an ankle surgery in September.

The devastating sling-armer, 31, who is the only bowler in history to claim three hat-tricks in one-day internationals, is expected to be fit by the tournament opener against New Zealand on February 14, but is not guaranteed a place in the side yet.

Squad:

Angelo Mathews (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake. Coach: Marvan Atapattu

Fixtures -- Pool A:

Feb 14: New Zealand, Christchurch Feb 22: Afghanistan, Dunedin Feb 26: Bangladesh, Melbourne Mar 1: England, Wellington Mar 8: Australia, Sydney Mar 11: Scotland, Hobart

World Cup record:

1975: First round 1979: First round 1983: First round 1987: First round 1992: First round 1996: Champions 1999: First round 2003: Semi-finals 2007: Runners-up 2011: Runners-up

Key player:

Kumar Sangakkara At 37, the veteran batsman shows no signs of ageing, nor has his insatiable appetite for runs diminished. He was the world's highest run-getter in both Test and one-day cricket in 2014. The icing on the cake would be being part of a World Cup winning team after ending on the losing side in the last two editions in 2007 and 2011. This will be the final one-day tournament for both him and long-time team-mate Mahela Jayawardene and the duo will look to sign off on a high, just as they did in their last T20 international where Sri Lanka won the World Twenty20 last year.


England face tough task to end World Cup jinx

England have never won the World Cup, despite hosting four tournaments, including the first three editions, while it is nearly 25 years since they last appeared in a final.

They certainly won't be among the favourites in Australia and New Zealand, where they will have to conquer longstanding problems of a lack of penetration with the ball and an inability to up the run-rate in the final stages of an innings if they are to beat the world's top one-day sides repeatedly.

But thus far England's decision to ditch Test captain Alastair Cook, who had scored just one fifty in his last 22 one-day innings, from the World Cup squad on the eve of the team's departure for Australia, and replace him as skipper with Eoin Morgan, appears to be working out.

Ian Bell, who made a superb 141 in a three-wicket defeat by Australia in Hobart last week, and Moeen Ali have formed a sound opening partnership in Cook's absence.

Meanwhile the new captain neatly evaded a verbal bouncer from Kevin Pietersen when the axed England batsman -- playing in Australia's domestic Big Bash Twenty20 tournament -- said Morgan would “love to have me in the England team”.

James Anderson, who burst on the international scene at the 2003 World Cup, has long been the leader of England's attack. — AFP
James Anderson, who burst on the international scene at the 2003 World Cup, has long been the leader of England's attack. — AFP

But if Pietersen's comments about England have a certain predictable quality, recent revelations that Morgan had been the subject of a blackmail attempt by the current partner of his former girlfriend were bizarre.

The England and Wales Cricket Board following talks with British police, contacted the potential blackmailer, who they said had “apologised”, with ECB managing director Paul Downton insisting the issue had been “brought to a swift conclusion”.

Quite what it did for Morgan's peace of mind is another matter, with the former Ireland batsman insisting it had no bearing on his duck in Hobart.

On the field, it appears England are content to keep the big-hitting Alex Hales in reserve for the time being. With Bell and Ali putting on 113 for the first wicket in 18 overs in Hobart, before Joe Root helped Bell add 121 in 19 for the third wicket, the top order looks in reasonable shape.

However, the final 10 overs yielded only 59 runs and it was in this instance that Pietersen's absence left some England fans thinking of what might have been.

“We played good cricket in stages...the last 10 overs let us down a little bit,” said Morgan afterwards in words that could be applied to so many of England's one-day performances.

England's attack lacks extreme speed or sharp spin, although fast bowler Steven Finn showed signs of a return to form with five wickets in the recent Tri-Series win over world champions India.

But that England were unable to defend a total of over 300 against Australia in Hobart was a concern, especially as senior pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad, both returning from injury, had a combined return of none for 117 in 19 overs.

Squad:

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes Coach: Peter Moores

Fixtures -- Pool A:

Feb 14: Australia, Melbourne Feb 20: New Zealand, Wellington Feb 23: Scotland, Christchurch Mar 01: Sri Lanka, Wellington Mar 09: Bangladesh, Adelaide Mar 13: Afghanistan, Sydney

World Cup record:

1975: Semi-finals 1979: Runners-up 1983: Semi-finals 1987: Runners-up 1992: Runners-up 1996: Quarter-finals 1999: Pool stage 2003: Pool stage 2007: Super Eights 2011: Quarter-finals

Key player:

James Anderson Early indications from the Tri-Series are that England can make enough runs to at least keep them competitive with the world's best one-day sides. What is likely to decide the success of a quest for a first World Cup title is their ability to restrict teams with the ball.

James Anderson, who burst on the international scene at the 2003 World Cup, has long been the leader of England's attack and if opposing teams 'collar' the 32-year-old Lancashire swing bowler then Eoin Morgan's men face a tough time in the field.


Blunted bowling leaves champs India vulnerable

Loaded with free-stroking batsmen but missing match-winning bowlers, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's India will look to chase down -- rather than defend -- the World Cup title they won four years ago.

In Rohit Sharma, the only batsman with two 200s in one-day internationals, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and the explosive Dhoni, India possess destructive batting firepower.

But the frail bowling attack remains a worry, as was evident during the recent Test series in Australia where the hosts piled up 500-plus totals in each of the four matches during a 2-0 win.

The brash, arrogant youngster has matured into one of the most devastating batsmen in modern cricket. — AFP
The brash, arrogant youngster has matured into one of the most devastating batsmen in modern cricket. — AFP

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at the present set of seamers comprising Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav, saying India needed to unearth new bowlers.

“You can't keep them going because they have done nothing in the past few years,” Gavaskar said.

“They are not penetrative enough and it did not look as if they wanted to take 20 wickets.”

The same seam attack will feature in the World Cup alongside three frontline spinners in off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-armers Ravindra Jadeja and young Akshar Patel.

“Big totals are needed to win,” India's first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev told AFP.

“We will be better off chasing targets rather than giving bowlers a target to defend.”

India won the title under Dhoni in 2011 with an experienced squad that included seasoned campaigners like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh.

The present squad has just four players -- Dhoni, Kohli, Raina and Ashwin -- who were part of that winning combination, leaving the team short of World Cup experience.

The nucleus of the squad is the same which helped India win the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in England in 2013, but a power-packed batting display is needed to succeed again.

Rohit Sharma, who followed his one-day 209 against Australia in 2013 with a scintillating world record score of 264 against the West Indies last year, is expected to fire at the top of the order despite a poor Test series.

Kohli, recently appointed Test captain after Dhoni quit the longer format, is one of the finest batsmen in the modern game with 21 one-day centuries in the last five years, a testimony of his hunger for big scores.

Dhoni, the peg around whom India's fortunes will revolve, is a leader and batsman tailor-made for limited-overs cricket whose improvised big-hitting has won many a battle for India.

But the current tour of Australia resembles the one in 1992 when Mohammad Azharuddin's men were thrashed 4-0 in the Test series, lost out in the tri-series also featuring the West Indies and failed to make the knock-out cut in the World Cup.

This time, Dhoni's team have lost the Tests and are in danger of missing the tri-series final, indicating an over-exposure to Australian conditions could again prove detrimental.

But a win over Pakistan in their first match in Adelaide on February 15 -- India have never lost to their arch-rivals in the World Cup -- will be the tonic Dhoni needs to revitalise the side.

Squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Stuart Binny. Coach: Duncan Fletcher

Fixtures -- Pool B:

Feb 15: Pakistan, Adelaide Feb 22: South Africa, Melbourne Feb 28: United Arab Emirates, Perth Mar 6: West Indies, Perth Mar 10: Ireland, Hamilton Mar 14: Zimbabwe, Auckland

World Cup record:

1975: First round 1979: First round 1983: Champions 1987: Semi-finals 1992: First round 1996: Semi-finals 1999: Super Sixes 2003: Runners-up 2007: First round 2011: Champions

Key player:

Virat Kohli The brash, arrogant youngster has matured into one of the most devastating batsmen in modern cricket and a key component of India's World Cup campaign.

The 26-year-old smashed four centuries in the Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia, where he also scored his first Test century on the previous visit in 2011.

In his outstanding 146-match one-day career, Kohli has already struck 21 hundreds and 33 half-centuries. One of his best one-day knocks was played in Adelaide when he hammered an astonishing 133 not out off 86 balls against Sri Lanka to help India chase down 321 in under 40 overs.

Now the Test captain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement from the longer format, Kohli will plot India's strategy as Dhoni's deputy at the World Cup.


In-form Aussies chase fifth World Cup

Australia are peaking at the right time for a crack at their fifth World Cup triumph and will go into next month's tournament at home on top of the rankings.

Under the attacking coaching of Darren Lehmann, the Australians have registered some impressive results and have only lost one of their last 11 ODIs.

Australia accounted for the third-ranked South Africans 4-1 in a series at home last November and have begun their current tri-series with wins over England and India.

Lehmann and fellow selectors have assembled a strong playing group around a core of key players -- David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson and possibly skipper Michael Clarke, fitness issues depending.

Clarke has been troubled by hamstring and back problems throughout the southern summer and selectors have imposed a deadline of February 21 on the star batsman to add some certainty to their team deliberations.

Given Smith's phenomenal form with the bat this season -- three ODI centuries since October -- there are those who say Australia may not even miss Clarke's leadership and batting.

Australia's biggest challenge will be how the team handles the external pressures as the host nation that will decide its winning chances.

The Australians didn't cope in 1992 when they last hosted the sport's showpiece and they missed out on the semi-finals.

Steve Smith capped a remarkable season by sweeping the main awards at the annual Allan Border Medal ceremony, including Australian player of the year. — AFP
Steve Smith capped a remarkable season by sweeping the main awards at the annual Allan Border Medal ceremony, including Australian player of the year. — AFP

“How they deal with that pressure is going to be as important because they've got the players and the skill sets to be able to win this World Cup, it's just how they manage the pressure around being the home team,” Indian batting great Rahul Dravid argued.

The home team have traditional rivals England first up on February 14 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the venue for the March 29 final.

The Australians also have Sri Lanka, New Zealand Bangladesh and associate teams Afghanistan and Scotland in their pool and will have home advantage for all but their pool game with the Black Caps in Auckland on February 28.

Much will depend on Australia's ability to get quick runs at the top of the innings and they have the right ammunition with adventurous opening pair of Aaron Finch and Warner.

Warner has three ODI centuries, including a recent 127 off 115 balls against England in the tri-series, while Finch has five tons, four of them last year.

Throw in Smith, the experienced Shane Watson, possibly George Bailey depending on Clarke's availability, batting all-rounders Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh and Australia have plenty of runs in their ranks.

Mitchell Johnson, the ICC Cricketer of 2014, leads the attack with fellow left-armer Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins offering pace and venom.

While the Australians are well stocked with fast bowlers, there is some concern over the selection of Xavier Doherty as the specialist attacking spinner.

The Australians relish playing aggressive cricket under Lehmann and Warner has already been told by Cricket Australia to “stop looking for trouble” after his recent clash with Indian batsman Rohit Sharma.

The explosive opener was fined half his one-day match fee by the ICC for confronting Sharma and demanding he “speak English” during Australia's four-wicket win in Melbourne this month.

New Zealand cricket great Martin Crowe called Warner's behaviour “thuggish” and slammed him as being the most juvenile cricketer he had ever seen.

But it's like water off a duck's back for coach Lehmann, who said: “David's an aggressive character and we support that. It's just making sure he does the right thing on the ground. We'll work with him with that.

Squad:

Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson. Coach: Darren Lehmann

Fixtures -- Pool A:

Feb 14: England, Melbourne Feb 21: Bangladesh, Brisbane Feb 28: New Zealand, Auckland March 4: Afghanistan, Perth March 8: Sri Lanka, Sydney March 14: Scotland, Hobart

World Cup record:

1975: Runners-up 1979: Pool stage 1983: Pool stage 1987: Champions 1992: Pool stage 1996: Runners-up 1999: Champions 2003: Champions 2007: Champions 2011: Quarter-finals

Key player:

Steve Smith: In the form of his life with three ODI centuries since October and coming off four tons in the Test series against India. Fidgety, quirky batsman who likes to get on with it and shapes as a match-winner. Wonderful catcher in the slips cordon and throw in some leg-spin and he will be a key man for Australia.


South Africa pin hopes on golden generation

South Africa's hopes of ending a World Cup hoodoo will rest with some of the finest players currently active in the one-day game.

Captain AB de Villiers is the top ranked one-day international batsman and will arrive at the tournament after displaying dazzling form in a series against the West Indies, including the fastest one-day international century, made off a scarcely credible 31 balls.

Not far behind him is Hashim Amla, who has reached a succession of milestones in fewer innings than anyone else -- 2000, 3000, 4000 and most recently 5000 runs.

As an opening batsman in one-day cricket, Amla sets the tone for many an innings.

Both De Villiers and Amla have career batting averages in excess of 50 and their runs have been scored at a rapid rate -- De Villiers with a strike rate of close to 100 and Amla at just under 90.

Amla will be partnered at the top of the order by the prodigious talent of wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, provided the 22-year-old left-hander has fully recovered from an ankle injury.

And there are other good batsmen, too, with Faf du Plessis, David Miller, who hit his maiden one-day century against the West Indies on Sunday, and JP Duminy all having shown their class at international level.

At his best De Villiers has the ability to destroy the best bowling attacks with strokes that most other batsmen would not even attempt. — AFP
At his best De Villiers has the ability to destroy the best bowling attacks with strokes that most other batsmen would not even attempt. — AFP

In Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, South Africa have two of the most potent fast bowlers in the world game, while new ball bowler Vernon Philander is an accurate exploiter of any life in a pitch.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir made his debut at the 2011 World Cup and was one of the tournament's leading wicket-takers. He has continued to pick up regular wickets and is among the all-time top ten in terms of strike rate.

The bowlers can look forward to being packed up by energetic fielders who in recent times have taken almost all the chances that come their way.

Unusually, though, South Africa do not possess all-rounders of the quality that has been a hallmark of their teams since their first appearance in a World Cup in 1992.

Duminy is a capable off-spinner but only bowled a full 10 overs in four of his first 132 one-day internationals. South Africa have therefore had to decide whether to load their batting or their bowling.

They appear to have settled on a formula of seven batsmen and four specialist bowlers, with Duminy and medium-pacer Farhaan Behardien -- who has yet to establish himself fully at international level -- sharing the role of the fifth bowler.

It could be a risky strategy, especially if one of the four main bowlers has a bad day -- as was the case for both Philander and Morkel on occasions during South Africa's one-day tour of Australia late last year.

That will put pressure on the other leading bowlers and particularly on the part-timers.

If their specialist batsmen and bowlers hit their best form, South Africa will be serious contenders for the world crown although “death” bowling remains a problem.

The big imponderable, though, is the ability of South Africa to respond in pressure situations.

They have been criticised in the past for lacking tactical flexibility, while they will have to overcome the mental hurdle of never having won a knockout match in a major ICC tournament.

Squad:

AB de Villiers (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn Coach: Russell Domingo

Fixtures - Pool B

Feb 15: Zimbabwe, Hamilton Feb 22: India, Melbourne Feb 27: West Indies, Sydney March 03: Ireland, Canberra March 07: Pakistan, Auckland March 12: United Arab Emirates, Wellington

World Cup record:

1992: Semi-finals 1996: Quarter-finals 1999: Semi-finals 2003: Pool stage 2007: Semi-finals 2011: Quarter-finals

Key player:

AB de Villiers

De Villiers is likely to go into the World Cup as the world's number one ranked one-day international batsman. South Africa's captain underlined his outrageous ability when he broke the world record for the fastest ODI fifty and century, reaching the latter mark off 31 balls on the way to scoring 149 off 44 deliveries against the West Indies in January.

At his best De Villiers has the ability to destroy the best bowling attacks with strokes that most other batsmen would not even attempt. But he is also able to adapt his game to circumstances and if necessary to bat with a tight defence in a crisis situation, although seldom eschewing a scoring opportunity.

If South Africa are to break their hoodoo of never having won a World Cup knockout game they will be looking to De Villiers to bat deep into an innings.


Disaster plants seeds for New Zealand dream

When South Africa rolled New Zealand for 45 in a Test innings two years ago little did they know they had also sown the seeds for the Black Caps to become strong contenders for the 2015 World Cup.

Notables such as South African skipper AB de Villiers and India's Rahul Dravid head a worldwide chorus of predictions that New Zealand, playing on home wickets through to the semi-finals, will be in the final four at least.

Such sound support reflects the depth of talent building within a squad producing consistent performances far removed from the innings in South Africa which ignited deep soul searching by the New Zealanders.

It may have been a Test match but it brought an across the board shake up of player attitudes with New Zealand's one-day unit developing into a fiercely competitive unit.

The pattern of a top-order failure leading to an innings collapse has been replaced by a culture where they believe they can beat any team; the image of a side filled with individual agendas has been turned into a “team effort” ethos.

“You can't have a team-first mentality if only a few people are buying into it. When you have players sacrificing their own personal records for what the team needs, that's what it's all about,” says coach Mike Hesson.

As a result captain Brendon McCullum takes his side into the World Cup off the back of a series win against Sri Lanka and a reputation as team that fights to the end.

Much of the New Zealand game is built around their innovative captain. — AFP
Much of the New Zealand game is built around their innovative captain. — AFP

In 2012, the year prior to the frank self-analysis, New Zealand had a disappointing 4-10 ODI win-loss record. After the South Africa debacle, it improved to 7-10 in 2013 and progressed to the right side of the ledger at 9-5 last year.

Three times in the past two years, New Zealand have successfully chased down a target of more than 250 -- beating India, Pakistan and England -- as they worked on their World Cup strategy.

“It's nice to win games when you're under the pump and that's something we pride ourselves on,” says Hesson.

“Chasing under pressure is important. We're going to have a lot of chases in the next few months and we're going to be in pressure situations. “New Zealand are opening their innings with McCullum, a renowned big-hitter, tasked with setting a commanding run-a-ball rate from the start.

“If Brendon doesn't come off it's someone else's opportunity,” says Hesson, stressing his philosophy that the loss of key wickets does not have to have a negative impact.

Recent performances show New Zealand are capable of pacing themselves with proven run-scorers Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor following McCullum to steer them deep into the innings.

The reliable Grant Elliott is there should the top order fail and destructive big-hitters Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi are capable of finishing off.

Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Mitchell McClenaghan will vie for the strike bowler positions with the squad also including quality spinners Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum with Elliott and Anderson proven all rounders.

Much of the credit for New Zealand's revival centres around McCullum's leadership with Williamson saying the captain's “lead from the front” approach rubs off on the rest of the squad.

Squad:

Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Luke Ronchi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Dan Vettori, Kane Williamson. Coach: Mike Hesson

Fixtures -- Pool A:

Feb 14: Sri Lanka, Christchurch Feb 17: Scotland, Dunedin Feb 20: England, Wellington Feb 28: Australia, Auckland Mar 08: Afghanistan, Napier Mar 13: Bangladesh, Hamilton

World Cup record:

1975: Semi-finals 1979: Semi-finals 1983: Pool stages 1987: Pool stages 1992: Semi-finals 1996: Quarter-finals 1999: Semi-finals 2003: Super Six 2007: Semi-finals 2011: Semi-finals

Key player:

Brendon McCullum

Much of the New Zealand game is built around their innovative captain. A renowned big hitter, he is tasked with opening the innings at a run-a-ball rate.

In the field, his astute rotation of bowlers -- at times using one-over spells to break stubborn partnerships -- is capable of controlling the pace of the game.

McCullum's skillset includes relentless energy when chasing the ball which rubs off on the rest of the team to make New Zealand an extraordinary fielding side.


Windies plagued by conflict and decline

Once the undisputed kings of cricket, two-time champions West Indies head for the World Cup plagued by infighting, political intrigue and poor form.

The fear factor once generated by the world's fastest and most intimidating battery of pace bowlers has given way to a pop-gun attack and a batting line-up which too often relies on the mercurial talents of Chris Gayle.

Until their dramatic one-wicket win in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, their previous three matches saw them swept aside by South Africa with the Proteas, one of the favourites for the World Cup, coasting to wins by 61 runs, 148 runs and nine wickets.

One of his struggling team's few world class performers, Gayle is capable of stunning, muscular pyrotechnics with the bat. — AFP
One of his struggling team's few world class performers, Gayle is capable of stunning, muscular pyrotechnics with the bat. — AFP

Where once the West Indies made history, now they are a footnote -- their defeat to South Africa in Johannesburg last weekend saw them concede 439 runs, and take just two wickets.

AB de Villiers romped to the fasted ODI century in history off just 31 balls. Three days later, the West Indies were bowled out for just 122.

The 35-year-old Gayle has played 262 ODIs with 8,881 runs to his name but his recent form has been poor.

He has just one half-century in his last 16 innings and seems to thrive only in the Twenty20 format where he has become an international batsman for hire.

Gayle was out for just one in the nine-wicket loss to South Africa in East London last week and there remain serious questions over his attitude after he accused selectors of victimisation for dropping Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the World Cup squad.

Bravo was captain last year when the West Indies abandoned their tour of India over a pay dispute.

Barbados fast bowler Jason Holder, just 23, has been installed as captain for the World Cup.

The squad does not lack experience with Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin and Darren Sammy all having played over a 100 ODIs while opener Dwayne Smith is closing in on the three-figure mark.

"I believe we have selected a very good team which will do West Indies proud at the World Cup," said Clive Lloyd, the West Indies chairman of selectors and the man who skippered the team to the 1975 and 1979 World Cup wins.

The responsibility of taking wickets will fall on the shoulders of seamer Kemar Roach and off-break bowler Sunil Narine.

Roach became just the sixth bowler to claim a hat-trick in a World Cup on his way to career-best figures of 6-27 against the Netherlands in 2011.

He was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 wickets from six matches as West Indies made the quarter-finals, their best run since 1996.

Narine has 73 wickets from his 52 ODIs but in a further sign of tensions in the set-up, he was one of two players to turn down the offer of a central contract from the West Indies board last month.

Squad:

Jason Holder (captain), Marlon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor Coach: Stuart Williams

Fixtures -- Pool B:

Feb 16: Ireland, Nelson Feb 21: Pakistan, Christchurch Feb 24: Zimbabwe, Canberra Feb 27: South Africa, Sydney Mar 06: India, Perth Mar 15: UAE, Napier

World Cup record:

1975: Champions 1979: Champions 1983: Runners-up 1987: Pool stage 1992: Pool stage 1996: Semi-finals 1999: Pool stage 2003: Pool stage 2007: Super Eights 2011: Quarter-finals

Key player:

Chris Gayle

One of his struggling team's few world class performers, capable of stunning, muscular pyrotechnics with the bat -- he is the only player in the history of the game to hit the first ball of a Test match for six. The 35-year-old is closing in on 9,000 ODI runs and boasts an average of almost 40 with a high score of 153. He has also become a consummate master of the short-form Twenty20 where his 90 off 41 balls earlier this month helped West Indies to a record-setting win against South Africa.

Had a dismal 2011 World Cup where he managed just one half-century against the minnows of the Netherlands. Controversy is also never far away. A former captain, Gayle once refused to play for the national team over a contractual dispute and has also accused the selectors of "victimisation" in their treatment of Dwayne Bravo who was axed from the squad for his role in the abandoned tour of India last year.


-AFP