Throughout this World Cup, there has been a certain approach that has worked. Start slow, use the second and third Power plays for accelerating and go berserk at the end. It’s easily possible considering most bowling attacks lack the firepower and accuracy to hold up the batting. Australia seems to have a couple of good bowlers at the death as does South Africa. New Zealand also seems to have the bowling in place and Sri Lanka certainly does.
In all fairness, that’s the semi-final line-up unless something dramatic happens and one of the three obvious choices run out of form. Unlikely as that may be, it’s not impossible. But these four seem to have worked out the formula perfectly. They all have good opening batsmen who are in form and a balanced bowling attack that’s capable of decimating the best of batting attacks. But more than all this, these teams are perhaps matched in the fielding department making the match-up even more exciting.
It’s perhaps unfair to write off England and West Indies already with three matches each still left. But it’s unlikely that either West Indies or England would beat South Africa. And with all the distraction that both West Indies and England have thanks to players bickering and misbehaving, they cannot focus on the task at hand.
The top teams also have blooded some youngsters that are an unknown quantity but their talent is taking them places. Shaun Tait had a tough time of it in the first few matches he played this year, but since then he has come to grips with his role and is now taking wickets and rattling batsmen with his pace. It also helps that the opposition is not sorted out about what they want to do.
With crowds still staying largely away from the matches, it’s a question whether the tournament has been an organisational success. And debates around this will go on for a long time but the atmosphere that was expected to be there for the matches is largely missing. And it’s not just the organisers’ loss, but also for the teams who are playing out mostly in front of empty stands.
So as is obvious, there is no winning formula in place for the teams or organisers or the ICC. Perhaps the only ones to still have it right are Australia!