Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
West Indies begin their defence of the Champions Trophy with the hope that their brittle middle order shows some solidity for a change.
The West Indies certainly showed marked improvement to make the final of the DLF Trophy in Malaysia only to collapse timidly against the might of the Australians.
West Indies will need to change the script on the friendlier Indian wickets to have any hope. That would mean a large dose of concentration and application, something not displayed by the West Indies in decades.
But hope springs eternal till captain Brian Lara is there. The star player has rediscovered some of his magic and this will be a major boost for the team.
The bowling has also improved tremendously and the virtues of line and length have been followed. If the non-existent middle order makes its presence felt, then the West Indies will be in the driver’s seat.
The Australians will start favourites again. Though their performances in the DLF series left much to be desired, the Australians will certainly nose ahead with their grit and determination.
The new world number one Michael Hussey will be a key factor and his superb form will give the Aussies the extra edge.
With Glenn McGrath still as mean as ever and Brett Lee at the peak of his game, the Australians will give the others a run for their money.
India will be banking on home advantage to push them into contention. However, there are too many chinks in their armour.
If India do get anywhere, they will have to bank heavily on Sachin Tendulkar to continue his good form of late. They will also keep their fingers crossed that captain Rahul Dravid regains the touch which seems to have eluded him recently.
Pakistan will also hope to maintain the one-day form they showed in England. Now in the more familiar surroundings of the Sub-Continent, they will be a force to reckon with.
The South Africans will be in full strength with the return of Jacques Kallis and captain Graeme Smith. Weakness in the spin department will be a cause for concern.
England will once again try to grapple with the complexities of the one-day game and will try to wipe out the recent spate of defeats. The return of captain Andrew Flintoff will be the big plus.
However, the two teams to watch out for will be New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Both teams are giant-killers. The Kiwis can be unpredictable but the Lankans have shown the kind of form which won them the World Cup.
With most of their players in good nick, the Lankans seem to be favourites to make the final. The irony is that they first have to qualify to get into the elite group.
But they are in good company. The defending champions West Indies also have to do the same.
