Most open tournament
Hrishikesh Shende
I was in Nairobi recently playing professional cricket in their Premier League from June through September. From my personal experience I can assure that the ICC knockout tournament which got under way on Tuesday will be the best tournament since the World Cup. The pitches at Nairobi Gymkhana should generally favour the teams from the sub-continent as the wickets play slow and take spin as the game goes on. This said, Australia and South Africa will still be odds on favourites to take out the cup between them. All matches are to be played at the Nairobi Gymkhana ground, which has a lush green outfield that is quite fast, and the pitches are quite flat. The preparations out there have been extensive and Kenya certainly wants to prove to the world of cricket that it is to be a major player in the near future. The weather is generally cold and dry but it can get pretty hot during the day. Most teams will need at least a week to get acclimatized to the altitude of almost 5,000 feet above sea level. This factor should be a big help to Kenya when they open the tournament against India.
The tournament looks highly promising because it simply looks the most open cricket tournament to date. The gap between international teams is narrowing and it's doing wonders for the level of competition. Teams like New Zealand, Sri Lanka, India and England can easily pip the 'Big Three', viz Australia, South Africa and Pakistan on their day. The West Indies, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and hosts Kenya are still a long way off from the quality required to compete at this level. The majority of the teams winning the toss would probably bat first and try to defend the score. Being a knockout tournament there is absolutely no chance for a second chance and this will create even more pressure on the favourites. The magic of such a short yet important tournament is the vulnerability of the big teams if the smaller teams go out with a nothing to lose attitude and that often brings out the full potential of the players.
One-day cricket is getting so close that very often the turning point of a match is not the centuries or the fivers but a single catch or a run-out opportunity or even the extras conceded that decide games. This is where Australia and South Africa are above the rest.
In the top half of the draw Kenya, the hosts will be more than content to beat India, as Australia will be a touch to far to reach. The recent performances of the side under former India player Sandeep Patil have been very promising. Teams like Pakistan 'A', Karnataka and Plascom Cricket Academy (SA) have all gone back licking their wounds. International cricket is definitely a different cup of tea altogether but the confidence factor for the hosts should be fairly high and that should give India sufficient reason for worry. Players like Thomas Odoyo, Martin Suji, Steven Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe will be the keys to their success. India themselves would like to prove that they can win some tournaments and it's been quite some time since they've won one.
The preparations for India have not been ideal due to the scandals back home, but then again the players selected have a great chance to prove themselves and show how professional they can be. The youngsters picked have a great opportunity to displace some of the big names and make a name for themselves.
I think India will beat Kenya, and then Sachin will have to take out the Aussies before they can seriously think of going all the way. England has probably got their best side since 1992 and must make the most of it. Bangladesh should provide some match practice before they meet the Proteas in the quarter-finals.
Gough, Caddick, White and Cork should perform when required and the batting needs to deliver the goods and get the essential runs. Players like Stewart, Hussain, Thorpe and Hick are definitely capable enough to do just that. The team spirit looks great and that helps. The South Africans await England and will definitely like to show the Brits that they are still a long shot from seriously competing with the best. The Hansie Cronje affair that rocked the nation and the rest of the world has been haunting them ever since but the team's performances in Sri Lanka and Australia suggest that they have exorcised that ghost.
Going down to the bottom half, Sri Lanka would probably beat the West Indies, who almost entirely depend on Lara to win them matches and he has'nt quite been the Lara of the early 90s. The Lankans seem to have too much firepower for the hapless Windies, fresh from a series defeat in England after 31 years. Pakistan lies in wait for the winner and that sounds serious. Pakistan has also been fairly "popular" in the recent match-fixing scandal but they still have the quality to win any tournament. Saeed Anwar, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam would all be looking forward to prove their critics wrong.
The only decided quarter-final between New Zealand and Zimbabwe should be interesting, with the Kiwis holding pole position. Chris Cairns is the only genuine match-winner but never discount the others as they always play as a team. Zimbabwe is a much depleted side after the departures of Neil Johnson and Murray Goodwin. Their recent performances in England have been quite encouraging and they positively didn't need them to leave. After having discussed all the other teams let us look at the World Champions.
Australia still tower above all the rest when it comes to winning under pressure and that's why they remain my favourites to complete the double after their World Cup win last year. The team is simply outstanding in all departments and has genuine match winners in batting, bowling and fielding. Players like Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Bevan can bat the team to victory. Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee can just bulldoze their way through any batting line-up. Shane Warne therefore may not be missed much. To back all this is their remarkable ability to create catches and run-outs out of absolutely nothing. These players alone can give nightmares to all teams and when they are led by 'Mr. Blood & Guts' himself the problem for the opponents is compounded to a degree not comprehended by most teams. Steve Waugh remains the best cricketer in the world today for his sheer toughness in the mind and that is precisely where international cricket is played 98 per cent of the time.
The tournament is a very good way of providing financial and cricketing benefits to the lesser developed countries and promoting cricket around the world. This tournament is basically looked upon as a dress rehearsal for the big one and therefore should be held a year before the World Cup rather than a year after it. The World Cup should serve as the zenith of one-day success. The Nairobi Gymkhana may not quite be the Coliseum of Rome but our modern day gladiators will certainly create an atmosphere quite close to that. Who will remain the 'Last Man Standing' is all eventually that matters and the unpredictability of it all is what magnetically fixes us upon this tournament. Cricket will certainly make up some lost ground when this tournament ends, and that will be a big victory.
Mail Cricket Editor
