It is tough to believe that it has been almost 4 years since the last world cup already. What is tougher to believe that it has been only 4 posts on my blog since then. Not a pretty average whichever way I look at it. After my unfailingly-clairvoyant predictions for the previous world cup (which can be found here and here), it was tempting to tap into my psyche to bring out the psychic once again (No, I am not addled by psychosis. If anything, I'd rather prefer the vaguely ambivalent word psychedelic instead). However, I have decided not to. I know that I end up disappointing my faithful fan following of two and a half people (2 people who actually read what I write and the other well intentioned person, who begins to read my long winded posts, only to reach dosage capacity half way through). The reason, partly, is that, over the last few weeks, I have read more than enough predictions about the upcoming World Cup. About which team is going to win it and why, or, which team is not going to win it and why not. How they are going to go about winning it and even when and at what time the World Cup will be won (the mother of all predictions surely)! Another reason is my ideology of faithful adherence to Bill Watterson's (of Calvin and Hobbes fame) philosophy: "quit while ahead."
But, I wonder. What lies in store for us this time around at the cricket world cup? At least one thing is assured. India (and Pakistan) will play more matches than the last World Cup (Sighs of relief, all around). Is that a prediction? You ask. I say no. Look at the fixtures. Compare them to the initial fixtures from last time. India has 6 matches. Previously? Only 3 matches in the group stages had people awaiting the all awaited clash B1 vs. D2 (India vs. Pakistan) in the super six stage, which eventually turned out to be not quite the World Cup classic people expected it to be, but a classic World Cup match nevertheless - Bangladesh vs. Ireland. This should give both the Indian and the Pakistani paint wielding, effigy burning, arm-chair fan/critic enough fodder.
I do need to talk to you about the down-under (how apt!) teams. Clearly, both Australia and New Zealand seem to be on a downward spiral. Ever since the Australia downsized on experience (circa 2007), the downtrend has been gathering momentum, right up to the point when they were utterly downtrodden in the recently concluded Ashes. Their beleaguered, down-at-heels captains, Ponting and Clarke, have had to defend the team, even though their ODI form isn't too bad. The downturn for the Kiwis, however, has been swifter. They were expected to beat Bangladesh hands-down last year; instead, they suffered the downright ignominy of a whitewash, followed by another whitewash in India. No wonder then, that everybody ranging from the downcast fans to the downhearted players is downbeat about NZ's World cup hopes. But, before we consider these teams down-and-out, it is time to downshift the rhetoric and downplay the past performances. Why? Because, the downside of making predictions is that they can turn around and point at your face and go… Haha! (Nope, I am still not making predictions).
Since I am not making any predictions, I have not much to say, currently (things may change), about the other 2 host nations, i.e. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh; the minnows i.e., Canada, The Netherlands, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Kenya and the three other teams, namely, South Africa, England and West Indies… Apart from, I wish them all the very best (second best if playing against India) and may the better team (better on the day of the match, conditions and luck prevailing, unfavorable toss notwithstanding, 11 uninjured players making the team) win.
All in all it has shaped up to be a promising tournament. Now I just need to get up at unearthly hours to follow it. Damn!
p.s. – The unfettered usage of parenthesis can attributed towards enhancement of readability of the post, albeit, marginally, if that.
