ICC World Cup 2011 - SWOT Analysis : WEST INDIES

   The other "Indian" team in the world cup other than the Indians of course is the West Indies. Gosh!! that was as lame as I can get. They are two time world champions, hard to believe from the current state in which they are, it seems as a completely different dimensional world where the Windies were once indomitable. With game changers like Gayle, Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Pollard, Bravo(s) they still are a team no one is likely to take lightly. Darren Sammy once again leads this side, and hopefully the contract problems will not rise up again till the world cup is over. Selectors have gone for spinning options in Miller, Benn and provide some teeth to the attack with Roach, Rampaul, Rusell who will be joined  by captain Sammy, Pollard, Bravo and perhaps Gayle. There is balance to this team but notable names like Edwards, Taylor are missing who can make impact immediately. Carlton Baugh's selection is debatable. 

West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Carlton Baugh (wk), Andre Rusell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Adrian Barath.

Strenghts:

• "Gayle Force". No team would like to be the one on the receiving end.
• "Kieron Pollard". The man can tonk the ball some distance and we shall let his bat do the talking.
• "Batting". The batting finally looks to be coming around with all holes being plugged and Sarwan, Chanderpaul's experience will be mightly useful in sub-continent conditions a.k.a. batting pitches.

Weakness:

• "Team" game. Whether they play as a united team or as individuals who impress is a bother for many.
• "Consistency". The only consistency this team has showed us recently, is the lack of positive results.

Opportunities:

• Darren Bravo, who has impressed cricket followers all over will be keen to cement his place at no.3, despite the return of Sarwan and the rock solid Chanderpaul.
• Benn n Miller will have a task up their sleeves to help the side win games and get the ball rolling or rather spinning.

Threats:

• The Windies have not played top-notch cricket for a while, and it shows with their current rating of 8 in the ICC ODI ratings. They don't need just one big knock from Gayle but, a consistent show to take them all the way and re-live their glorious past.

    They are placed in the Group B, along with hosts India, Bangladesh and top teams South Africa, England. The Windies are very much capable to make the cut to the Quarters, it remains to be seen whether they overcome their internal issues and play as the team that they're capable of.

ICC World Cup 2011 - SWOT Analysis : PAKISTAN

   Even God can't predict the outcome of the match, when Pakistan is playing. They can thrash Goliath convincingly and get whacked by David at the same time . Entertainment is guaranteed when the  team is on the field and nowadays, off the field issues have overshadowed their on-field performance. Fitness issues , disciplinary issues have haunted the team for long. PCB is the most active board among all the countries as they are always in action.This country has tonnes and tonnes of talent and its a sad to see  players falling prey to unethical issues. Keeping them aside, the board has finally decided the final 15 but the captain hasn't been announced. Wonder what's the issue with them again! The bowling attack looks strong, would have liked to see Md. Sami. The batting has just been pieces put together, Md. Yusuf again left out and no genuine opener as well. There is Younis, Misbah, to provide the solidity followed by Umar Akmal who has impressed one and all with his sheer talent, and then there are Afridi, Razzaq to go bezerk. So the final 15 looks like this :

 Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shehzad.

STRENGTHS:

• The team is a good mixture of experience and youth.
• Their bowling has always been their strength and this time its not a different story either . They have a good vareity of pace and probably the strongest spin attack at present.
• Razzaq and Afridi.Period.
• Very well aware of the sub-continent pitches.  

WEAKNESS:

•  Their strengths can prove to be the weakness too, you never know.
• In the sub-continent teams will depend heavily on the start the openers provide. In Hafeez and Kamran this doesn't seem to be a confident bet in any circumstance. 
• They have showed enough faith on Kamran Akmal and he has flopped big time behind the wickets. Lack of a backup might hurt them. Only, backup being the other Akmal donning the gloves. 

OPPORTUNITIES:

• Misbah might be handed over the captaincy from Boom Boom Afridi, and its a very good opportunity for him to lead the team .
• Return of Tanvir, seems to be positive. Most players take a while in understanding his variations.
• Saeed Ajmal is one of the best spinners at the moment. Add to that Afridi, Hafeez and Rehman will make life miserable for most batsmen in spin friendly conditions. Gul is almost always at his miserly best.

THREATS:

• Shoaib Akhtar. Period.
• Who's the captain???  Less than 4 weeks away from the WC and the team doesn't know who's going to lead them.
• Hate to say this, with MATCH FIXING and player controversies it will be difficult for this Pakistani team to focus on the game. Hopefully, they finish the tournament without any black marks.

   This team has all the requirements to make it to the top. With Pakistan you can never predict anything. So, we zip our mouths and wait for time to say if they are good enough or not .

ICC World Cup 2011 - SWOT Analysis : ENGLAND

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   The team thats going *goo goo gaa gaa* over everything at the moment (well thats not exactly a new feature). Current T20 champions of the world and the team holding "The Ashes", wow! By current achievements they are undoubtedly a force to reckon with.

World Cup Squad: Andrew Strauss©(capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior(wk), Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy 

    First look at the team and they have gone in with Swann and Yardy to do the job and Tredwell who really is not even par with the boys who bowl spin in the maidaans of Mumbai. No Adil Rashid here, no Samit Patel, if I may add Monty Panesar either. C'mon!! the world cup is in the sub-continent, as if they had nothing between their ears. The wicket-keeper's slot has been given to Matt Prior and no back-up which means Davies and Kieswetter get the axe. Which just makes no sense to me, with Prior's inability to play in slow, low tracks as we have witnessed earlier. But, the coach Andy Flower who once one of the best players of spin (in any condition) and a WK himself has backed Prior with the duty. Remember, "Coach knows best". So, lets leave it there. In the batting department most slots were taken on merit but, in a tournament as long and hectic such as the World Cup there is no real bench strength to this England batting. More on this as we proceed.

Strengths:

• The team is on a absolute high at the moment. Ask them to fight against the Spartans, heck they'd think they can do anything and pull it off.
• Swann should be able to bowl 10 tight in the spin friendly conditions and reap rewards.
• Eoin the Morganator. Period. Is there a better finisher in the game today?

Weakness:

• Absence of a genuine opener shows that Luke Wright is most likely to open the batting with capt. Strauss or maybe Prior will be given the role. Will this move really click?
• Yardy is alright in small bursts but, Tredwell, KP who ever gets to bowl the onus is on the opposition to lose it from here.

Opportunities:

• Perhaps, one last opportunity for Paul Collingwood to do what most Englishmen have failed.
• Seam trio of Anderson, Broad, Bresnan would like to prove that they can perform and deliver even in sub-continent conditions.
• Ian Bell, his midas touch during the Ashes will give him a chance to make a strong shout for a permanent role in the ODI team. Are you reading this, Jonathan Trott?

Threats:

• No real threat to this England team. As I said they could fight the Spartans, Hercules and Zeus together thinking they can beat them.
• Choosing XI from this squad of XV shows they have the men for the job. But, what in case there are set backs, injuries or complete loss of form(which the English are renowned for).

   England have not been the best tourists to the sub-continent. 'Co-host' India, 'home for most Englishmen' South Africa, 'you never know which' West Indies, the 'not such a push over' Bangladesh, and their 'not very friendly neighbours' Ireland, Netherlands  are in the same group, four of whom will proceed. The competition is right up there, if they can keep Swanny, KP, Jimmy and their "Twitter" accounts in check, you never know this team might just be the history in the making. Winner takes all!!!