The Pom-Pom Gallery

The temptation to write off an England side that has been outplayed by the Aussies is often irresistible. But to say that England is nowhere near the top of the cricket heap would be a tad unfair.

The England team’s been under Nasser Hussain for nearly four years now, and while I think it’s time for him to think about his future, the eve of the World Cup is hardly the right moment for a change. He will have to skipper the ship till the Cup, and then take stock and decide whether or not he wants to continue as captain. I have had a few problems with his strategy and approach to the game during the Ashes series, but I maintain that he has to captain till the World Cup.

The last few months have not been easy for Hussain or England coach Duncan Fletcher. There has been a spate of injuries, with strike bowler Darren Gough unavailable for the better part of the last 12 months. Andy Caddick too has been struggling with injuries, but fortunately has found his rhythm—just in time to bowl his side to a pride-restoring win in the New Year’s Test at Sydney. Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Alec Stewart and Alex Tudor were all out injured at some stage of the Australian summer due to injury, with the latter still out of contention.

Promising young bowler Simon Jones, who looked good against India last summer, sustained a serious injury soon after landing in Australia, and will be out for the most of ’03. In this grim scenario, Hussain has often had to make do with what was available rather than what was the best. The biggest disappointment in the Ashes series was the failure of opener Trescothick. To be fair, the Somerset batsman has hardly put a step wrong since his debut a couple of seasons ago, so a failure was due in that sense. It’s up to him now to make amends in the second half of the VB Series —he was completely out of touch in the first half—so he can go to the World Cup with some measure of confidence restored.

There are a few others who promise a lot this World Cup. Michael Vaughan is the first name that comes to mind after his smashing performance in 2002. He will be brimming with confidence after a marvellous showing in the Ashes series and indeed the whole year. He is now the man to get rid of if you have to do well against England and seems to have peaked at just the right time.

The two young bowlers, Steve Harmison and James Anderson, may surprise a few batsmen in South Africa. True, there is no such thing as an unknown quantity in modern-day cricket, where just about every player is transformed into data. However, watching video clips is one thing and actually playing a bowler, quite another. They are sure to surprise a few batsmen.

England supporters were despairing at having to go to the Ashes series without Gough when the two came in. Harmison, if groomed correctly, will be an excellent first change bowler after Caddick and Matthew Hoggard. It’s time to forget those who are not available and make the most of young talent. The English selectors have learnt that lesson just in time for the World Cup.

While England aren’t completely out of the running, they are no favourites either. The way I see it, Australia are light years ahead of everybody else. They are playing cricket so superior to anything any other team has to offer that they’ve just got to be the favourites for retaining their world champions title, come March 23. There is a feeling that Australia may face a fate similar to that of France in the soccer World Cup, but I don’t agree. This is a tough, proud outfit, and it will need a superb effort, nay a miracle, to ensure that they won’t win the World Cup.

The second seeds would certainly have to be South Africa. They too have been playing some outstanding cricket, and will enjoy home advantage. The rest are more or less in a heap, with each having beaten the other on a good day.

The case of England being on even keel with most other sides was evident in the ease with which they defeated Sri Lanka in the first half of the VB Series. England are far better off than the ’96 champs, who win 80 per cent of their games at home, but prevail in only a measly 25 per cent abroad. Their batsmen are nowhere near their best once they leave home.

However, it’s not Sri Lanka, but the likes of Pakistan and India whom England have to beat in order to make it to the Super Six stage. England will have to play well against both these teams. All three sides have played and beaten each other on a good day. This means it will be a bit of a shoot-out in which the better team on the day will make it to the Super Six. The Zimbabweans, so promising in the 1999 tournament, seem a less threatening side now. The way I see it, England, India and Pakistan will be fighting for two spots, with Australia almost certain to cruise to the Super Six and far beyond.