The ICC Cricket World Cup is now underway on the Indian sub-continent. Cricket’s quadrennial showcase will almost certainly reveal the standard haves-versus-have nots division in world cricket, which, while arguably the world’s second most popular sport, does not go especially deep in terms of world-class teams. There are likely nine sides that see themselves as having a legitimate claim to the quarterfinals (Australia, Sri Lanka, India, South Africa, Pakistan, England, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and West Indies) and five that most see as minnows (Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, Kenya, and Canada).
The Aussies come in as heavy favorites because, well, the Aussies always come in as heavy favorites. And the Proteas, Africa’s only hope in the World Cup (all due respect to Kenya and Zimbabwe, but let’s be realistic, shall we?) maintain their standing as the best team never to win a major championship. South Africa always manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and this year’s World Cup represents the last best chance for Graeme Smith and company. It is thus perhaps for the best that the Proteas are able to slip in a bit under the radar as a team that everyone knows is very good but that very few people expect to win.
The Proteas enter the tournament in fine form, and I am predicting that this will be the year because, well, one of these years I have to be right. Law of averages, yes?
Just for posterity’s sake, my Group A Quarterfinalist predictions have Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand advancing while in Group B the Proteas, India, England, and Bangladesh will go forward.
Australia will defeat New Zealand for regional supremacy in advancing to the semis, and Sri Lanka will defeat Pakistan, setting up an Australia-Sri Lanka semifinal, which will represent a rematch of the 2007 championship finals. On the other side of the ledger I have South Africa handling Bangladesh and India frustrating England, and then South Africa will overcome a hostile crowd to defeat India to advance to an epic finals against Australia where the Proteas will defeat their longtime foes.
Of course given my record of predicting football’s World Cup results, I would NOT encourage you to take any of these predictions to the bank, and I might run to your local bookmaker and lay your pay packet on the opposite of everything I have written here.
