There are four teams who can do it

Way back in the English summer of 1983, India’s captain Kapil Dev strode to the wicket at Tunbridge Wells with his side reeling at nine for four wickets.

This was the World Cup and India were very much out of it with that score line. The captain himself had made the initial mistake by choosing to bat on wicket which was seaming all over the place.
Even the weak Zimbabwe attack managed to make major inroads and India were reduced to 17 for five soon after. Then Kapil decided to do things his way. He played the only way he knows n smashing everything out of sight.
Kapil scored 175 off just 138 balls with 16 fours and six sixes in a brutal assault which not only secured his side but also took them eventually to a famous victory.
A few days later, Kapil was holding the World Cup aloft with his teammates. This was the first shock result in a World Cup final. The West Indian dominance in the one-day form of the game was broken.
In the 1990s, there were two upsets when Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992-1993 and the Sri Lankans in 1996.
So who is going to upset the Australian applecart this time? There are four teams who can do it, if they get things right.
New Zealand will be one of the outsiders to win the cup. The Kiwis are on a high now after whitewashing Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee series recently.
It was not the result alone but the way they went about winning which has made the Kiwis strong contenders. Chasing totals of nearly 350 is never easy but the Kiwis did it in style and with conviction.
The New Zealanders have always done fairly well in previous World Cups but somehow have got shunted out in the last stages.
On paper, the Kiwis have a well-balanced side with a genuine fast bowler in Shane Bond, good back-up medium pacers and a world-class spinner in Daniel Vettori.
Stephen Fleming is among the best captains in the world and is a top batsman in his own right. Ross Taylor is an upcoming star while Brendon McCallum is proving to be torch-bearer for the next generation of Kiwi cricketers.
Crucially two players who were left in the cold have begun to warm the hearts of the Kiwi cricket fans. Lou Vincent has again made one of numerous comebacks while Craig McMillan can delay his plans of being a salesman for at least a few more years. Both batsmen have shown devastating form at just the right time.
So if the Kiwis don’t get bogged down by their own self-doubts, they could be first choice to cause an upset.
Pakistan will be rueing the fact that their two top bowlers – Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif – will be reduced to watching the World Cup in their homes instead of playing in the West Indies.
The injuries to these two have reduced Pakistan’s chances by at least half. Still Pakistan have always sprung surprises and they could still pull it off if everything works well.
There is a huge amount of talent in the Pakistan side but unpredictability has always been a huge drawback for them. On some days they can look the best side in the world and on others just ordinary.
In Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammed Yousuf, they have two world-class players who can turn the complexion of the game with their superb strokeplay. Inzamam, it must be recollected, played two crucial knocks in the 1992-93 edition which helped Pakistan win the cup.
By picking Danish Kaneria, the Pakistanis have taken a bold step. The leg spinner is among the best in the trade and his repeated omissions have been baffling.
Pakistan will also hope that Shahid Afridi uses his brains along with brawn when he walks to the wicket. A potent Afridi could change games around in a jiffy.
Consistency will be the keyword for the Pakistan team. And if they are song, then the World Cup may find its way back to Karachi.
Sri Lanka are an emerging force once again in one-day cricket. After their heroics of 1996, they have been a little flat in the one-day version.
However, this year they have had a good run and may peak during the World Cup. With the explosive Sanath Jayasuriya set for a swansong and a batting lineup full of talent, Sri Lanka will be a hard team to beat.
The bowling has lots of
experience and Muttiah Muralitharan and Chamida Vaas have been always been successful in one-dayers.
Lastly, there is England. After a miserable run in the Commonwealth Bank series, they came back strongly to win it.
England will have to show great spirit and determination if they are to have any hopes of winning the cup. The return of Michael Vaughan as captain will remove some of the burden from the shoulders of Andrew Flintoff, who could well be the key for England.
With Kevin Pieterson back after injury and Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood in top form, England will be the rank outsider.
Now that they have got into the winning mode, England may at last bring the elusive trophy home.

Up for the cup! Babu Kalyanpur