Australia
- Australian Cricket Team
Winners of the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy for a record four times, in 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007, Australia will be hoping to better its own achievement by winning the 2011 trophy.
It holds a tournament record 29 consecutive World Cup matches without a loss, a streak dating back to 23 May 1999, where it lost to Pakistan during the group stage of the event. Australia begins its campaign against Zimbabwe at Ahmadabad and the team will rely on the successful captaincy of Ricky Ponting for a fifth title. With a strong line up of players including Mike Hussey, Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson, it will be one of the favourites to win the title.
Bangladesh
- Bangladesh Cricket Team
Bangladesh is one of the hosts of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. It made its
CWC debut in 1999 wh
en it surprisingly defeated Pakistan by 62 runs in England.
Arguably the greatest moment in its cricketing history came when it defeated India at the
ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 and Shakib Al Hasans men will be looking for more scalps in 2011.
The side will depend on the all round skills of Hasan and fast bowler
Mashrafe Mortaza, while batsman Tamim Iqbal is expected to be one of the most exciting batters at the event.
India
- India Cricket Team
Cricket fever in India exploded after it won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1983, when Kapils Devils convincingly defeated the previously invincible West Indies by 43 runs in the final at Lord’s.
It is the only time that India has won the event to date, but it did finish as runners up at the 2003 event. Under the able captaincy of MS Dhoni, who led the side to victory in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, t he number one ranked Test team in the world could very well lay its claim on the 2011 trophy. The team boasts of a strong batting line-up including maestro Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, while bowlers Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan will be relied upon for wickets.
New Zealand
- New Zealand Cricket Team
No team will be more desperate to win the ICC Cricket World Cup title than New Zealand,
who despite reaching the semi finals of the 1975, 1979, 1992, 1999 and the 2007 event, have never won the tournament.
The last World Cup saw Sri Lanka thrash the Kiwis by 81 runs in the semis and Daniel Vettoris men
will be hoping to lift the curse with a tournament win in 2011.
Key players expected to shine in the tournament include Vettori,
Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Shane Bond and Kyle Mills.
Pakistan
- Pakistan Cricket Team
Pakistan made history when it won its first ICC Cricket World Cup title in 1992.
Playing in his final ODI, skipper Imran Khan led his team to an
unforgettable 22 run victory over England to claim the trophy.
Since then, the closest the team has come to winning the trophy was in 1999,
when it suffered an eight wicket loss to Australia at Lords in the final.
All eyes will be on Shahid Afridi, who was instrumental in the team’s
WT20 win, as well as the Akmal brothers ? Kamran and Umar ? and Umar Gul when it takes on
Kenya in its opening game.
South Africa
- South Africa Cricket Team
Having won an ICC event only once – the ICC Champions Trophy in 1998 –
Graeme Smith’s men will be hoping to improve on its record when it takes on West Indies in its opening game.
The Proteas’ success in the tournament extended only as far as the semi-finals of the 2007 event where it was out-witted by
Australia by seven wickets at St. Lucia.
The team is not short of talent with the likes of AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, and Herschelle Gibbs,
who famously hit six sixes in an over at the last World Cup against Netherlands, relishing the challenge to lift South Africa to world glory.
Canada
- Canada Cricket Team
Canada qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 after finishing as runners-up to Ireland at the
ICC CWC Qualifier 2009 in South Africa.
It first featured in the tournament in 1979 and its greatest moment of glory came in 2003 when it beat
Full Member Bangladesh by 60 runs in South Africa. John Davison also broke the record in
that tournament for the fastest century in CWC history.
The side will depend on Rizwan Cheema, Umar Bhatti, wicket-keeper Ashish Bagai and all-rounder
Sunil Dhaniram for a good show in the event.
England
- England Cricket Team
England has never won the ICC Cricket World Cup, finishing as the runners-up in 1979, 1987 and 1992.
It has not made the semi-finals of the event, since that tournament in 1992, and suffered a disappointing
event in 2007, losing four of its seven games in the Super Eight stage.
The batting unit is looking stronger than in recent years with
Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, while the likes of James Anderson and Graeme Swann
will be relied upon for wickets.
Ireland
- Ireland Cricket Team
Ireland cemented its place as the top Associate team in the world with a nine-wicket win over Canada in the final of the I
CC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in South Africa in April 2009.
It will be looking to repeat its heroics of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, when it managed to defeat Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Many from the CWC 2007 squad, including William Porterfield, who scored 515 runs in the qualifying event,
Trent Johnston, Boyd Rankin and Niall O?Brien still remain, and it will be looking to secure a Quarter-Final place.
Kenya
- kKenya Cricket Team
Kenya shocked the cricketing world with its fairytale run in
the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 event, reaching the
semi-finals by victories over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand (match forfeited).
The sub-continent also holds special memories for
the African nation when it famously defeated West Indies by 73 runs in the ICC CWC 1996 event.
Kenya is capable of staging a few upsets and will rely mainly on
the experience of Steve Tikolo, batting skills of Alex Obanda and Collins Obuya, and bowling of
Hiren Varaiya, Peter Ongondo and Lameck Ngoche.
The Netherlands
- The Netherlands Cricket Team
The Netherlands gained a spot in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 by
finishing fourth in the qualifying event in South Africa in 2009.
Not new to the tournament – the Dutch have earlier featured in the 1996, 2003 and 2007
CWCs – Peter Borren’s side will be look forward to creating an upset similar to its
inspirational four-wicket victory over hosts England in ICC World Twenty20 2009.
Stars to watch out for include Ryan ten Doeschate, Bas Zuiderent,
Alexei Kervezee and Edgar Schiferli, who was the leading wicket taker in the
ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in 2009.
Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka Cricket Team
Sri Lankas moment of glory in the ICC Cricket World Cup arrived in 1996, when the team, l
ed by Arjuna Ranatunga, defeated Australia by seven wickets to claim its first CWC title.
In a repeat of the 1996 event, Mahela Jayawardena led the team to the CWC 2007 final in Barbados,
but was defeated by the Australians by 53 runs (D/L method).
With plenty of talent in the squad, which includes the likes of Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara,
Tillakeratne Dilshan, Nuwan Kulasekara and the spin attack of Muttiah Muralidaran and Ajantha Mendis,
the team has every opportunity to reclaim the trophy once again at home.
West Indies
- West Indies Cricket Team
Once considered to be invincible in the game, West Indies will be looking to history for
inspiration if it has to win the 2011 event.
Winners of the first two CWC events in 1975 and 1979 at Lord’s, the
West Indies have much work to do if they want to emulate those two great sides.
Led by the swash-buckling Chris Gayle, who can rip apart the best bowling attack,
the team has several key players including
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo
who have the potential to capture the trophy.
Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe Cricket Team
Zimbabwe is known to create upsets in the ICC Cricket World Cup as it did against Australia in 1983,
England in 1992, and India and South Africa in 1999.
In the ICC World Twenty20 2007, it also delivered one of the biggest shocks in
the competition when it achieved a stunning victory over Australia.
Some from that WT20 side still remain and the likes of
Tatenda Taibu and Charles Coventry will be relied upon for runs,
while Ray Price has established himself as an excellent bowler.
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