ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Predictions

The 2011 cricket world cup is just around the corner, and all around the globe people must be engrossed in the preview shows. 14 teams, 43 days and a total of 49 games. That is what it will take to decide the ultimate champion. The past 2 decades have seen Australia as being a clear favorite. But in this world cup, there is certainly no clear favorite. This is something most of us will agree upon. Now looking at the venues and the ICC world cup 2011 schedule, 3 teams, namely India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have a great chance of coming out on top. Bangladesh too can cause more than just one upset in the tournament. The simple reason for this is, these teams always do well on the sub-continent wickets and weather. Though, reigning champions Australia should not be forgotten, and then England, who are current T20 champions and also high on an Ashes victory, can go a long way into the tournament. Lastly, don't forget South Africa, one of the best teams, and a team who has always come so close to winning the cup, but actually never done so. There are numerous aspects that need to be taken into consideration before coming close to any ICC cricket world cup 2011 predictions. Now, though forecasting will not be an easy task, let us see what we can analyze to get some good predictions about the 2011 cricket world cup.

Who Will Win the ICC World Cup 2011

Australia

Best Performances 4 times winner 2 times runner-up

I put Australia right at the top in my predictions about 2011 cricket world cup, even though the tournament is being played on the sub-continent. Their record speaks for themselves. And even though one might argue that with Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath not being there anymore, they aren't such a force to reckon with. There is no denying the fact that they still have some great match winners in Ponting, Watson, Lee, etc. And then combine that with their awesome fielding which always seems to deprive the opposition of 30 - 40 runs, and their never-say-die attitude. The reigning champions know what it is to win a world cup and are undoubtedly the best bet. If I were a betting crazy person, I would definitely have put my money on them.

India

Best Performances 1 time winner 1 time runner-up

I give India a great chance too, as they have the home advantage. Spin is going to be their main weapon throughout the world cup, so it won't be a surprise to see the pitches made accordingly. Not to forget that they are the top ranked ODI team for some time now, not without a reason. Sachin Tendulkar will be desperate to get this one trophy that is missing in his cupboard, and the team plays well as a unit under the excellent captaincy of Dhoni. Yuvraj and Sehwag are match winners in their own ways. Fielding is one aspect that can let this team down in the crunch situations.

Sri Lanka

Best Performances 1 time winner 1 time runner-up

Sri Lanka is another team that can pull this one off. Sub-continent weather and wickets is a big advantage for them too. They have won a world cup and the last time came so close to repeating that feat, only to be deprived by the Aussies. The team has some great match winners like Sangakara, Mathews, Jayawardene and Malinga. Again, not one of the best fielding sides around the world, and that is something they can tighten the screws on, if they want to do well.

South Africa

Best Performances Never reached a final

Now South Africa is as good as a team as they come. On their day, they can demolish any opposition with ease. Somehow, they need to shrug off the tag of chokers, as we all know that they are probably the only team which should have won a world cup by now, but hasn't. All aspects of their game are good, and the players to watch out for are Smith, DeVilliers, Amla and Morkel. Is this the world cup that South Africa have been waiting for?

England

Best Performances 3 times runner-up

England are the reigning T20 champions, but ODI cricket is a different ball game. This team will also be high on an Ashes victory. Thrice they have reached the finals of a world cup, but stumbled at the last hurdle. Is 2011 their year? Well T20 and ODI world champs would be an awesome tag for any team. The players who can make a difference are Peterson and Collingwood. The others will have to chip in, while these 2 can come up with the great performances.

Pakistan

Best Performances 1 time winner 1 time runner-up

One of the most unpredictable teams of the tournament, with Pakistan you can expect the unexpected. They have been hit by many scandals lately and the team is in some turmoil. And expecting them to reach the heights of the Imran Khan team will be a little too much to expect. But as I said, they are one bunch of talented cricketers, and if they get their act together, watch out. A lot of their fortunes will depend on how Afridi performs in the tournament, and it's high time he puts up some consistent performances, don't you think!

New Zealand

Best Performances Never reached a final

To be fair, New Zealand will not have much of a chance of winning the cup. Sure they will put up some inspiring performances along the way, but consistency will be their main problem. Nevertheless, players like Taylor, McCullum and the likes can take a match away from any opposition. One thing is that, they can play spoil sport to any of the favorite teams by upsetting them during the course of the tournament.

West Indies

Best Performances 2 times winner 1 time runner-up

Clive Lloyd must be wishing he was playing now, and could add to those 2 world cups the West Indies won right at the start. Well that achievement is now decades back, and this West Indies team's problem is the same, inconsistency. They can put up some good performances as a unit, but for how long, is the real question. Gayle can murder any attack on his day and give the Windies a dream start, but will he be able to do it match after match, and will the others give him ample support, is something that does not seem very likely. Still, never count the Windies out of any predictions.

I hope these early predictions of cricket world cup 2011 are not very far away from what actually transpires in reality. I have listed the teams according to what chances I feel they have in this world cup. Of course there are 6 other teams besides the ones mentioned here, but my guess is that they will be happy if they can even reach a semi-final in the world cup. Different aspects of the game like weather, pitches, bowling strength, batting strength, fielding level, current form, etc. have been taken into account, and then I have come up with this sequence. Obviously, these are my views, and everyone will have their own predictions too, but I tried to be as fair and neutral as possible in my analysis. You can express your views here in the comments and even cast your vote in the poll available here. Stay tuned to Buzzle for some exciting updates related to world cup. I shall see you there. Howzat!