Well, the first ODI match, between the West Indies and Pakistan, of the ICC's Cricket World Cup begins today in the Caribbean. The tournament has been reported to have cost around US$ 400 Million to stage. With 16 teams (the largest ever), it seems to have been modeled after the tournament format of FIFA Football.
Australia and South Africa, followed by India and Sri Lanka, are tipped to be strong contenders for the cup. There are a few new teams (including "what the fuck?!" The Netherlands) playing in the World Cup for the first time.
But it looks like that the defending champions, Australia, don't have any legit spinners and that is going to be tough for them in the Caribbean pitches (that usually James Bond likes to play in, if you get my drift). The Aussies recently had a series of five consecutive defeats in ODI. That might just have been a ruse on their part to deceive people into thinking that they are going into the World Cup without form.
Nevertheless, it is going to be a very exciting tournament!!
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