World Cup Groups

For the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup starting next month, Australia have rather happily been drawn in Group A along with New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. In the cricket that has passed since the two groups were finalised, various teams have gone on decisive upward and downward trends and created a notable gulf in the collective quality of the two groups. Comparatively this is how the theoretical pecking order fares between each group.

Group A

1. Australia - Reigning champions and No.1 side in the world, but struggling for form in all forms of cricket.

2. Sri Lanka - Should be Australia's only genuine consistent threat at the top of the group.

3. Pakistan - Always dangerous on their day, but with increasing rarity. Nowadays they're more often awful.

4. New Zealand - In a particularly horrible ODI rut, could be justifiably ranked only 9th in the grand scheme.

5. Zimbabwe - Still a country full of turmoil. The talent is there but they are unlikely to threaten.

6. Kenya - Used to being best of the rest but recently have gone backwards compared to other associates.

7. Canada - Surely the weakest team of the tournament, although they may fancy themselves against Kenya.

Group B

1. India - Impossible to split between India and South Africa as favourites, as shown by their current series.

2. South Africa - Always choke at World Cups but on paper India and South Africa are the clear standouts.

3. England - Faltering a bit against Australia, but conventional recent wisdom says they are third favourites.

4. West Indies - Still in their perpetual state of turmoil and disaster and should be outclassed, but still not bad.

5. Bangladesh - Genuinely competitive against anyone on their day, could easily oust Windies for 4th.

6. Ireland - Easily the best associate team and would fancy their QF chances over Windies and Bangladesh.

7. The Netherlands - Ever improving, should be easily last in the group but bring their best team to a WC yet.

Looking over that it is clear to see that Group B is a veritable group of death. The top two teams in Group B tower over the top two in Group A. Group A's 3rd and 4th teams are at best just above, maybe equal to Group B's 5th. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have for a decade been perpetually 9th and 10th in the world, but nowadays Bangladesh are a mile above Zimbabwe, yet they remain 5th teams in both their groups. Finally Ireland and Netherlands more often than not would beat both Kenya and Canada. To drive my point home needlessly, here is my rough opinion on the overall rankings of the 14 teams' form and chances going in to the tournament.

1. India - B

2. South Africa - B

3. England - B

4. Australia - A

5.Sri Lanka - A

6. West Indies - B

7. Pakistan - A

8. New Zealand - A

9. Bangladesh - B

10. Ireland - B

11. Zimbabwe - A

12. The Netherlands - B

13. Kenya - A

14. Canada - A

Were we in Group B in place of say England or West Indies, I would genuinely fear missing out on the Quarter Finals. As it is Australia should comfortably come in the top 2 of Group A, thereby setting up a likely quarter final against England, West Indies or Bangladesh.