It could be anybody's Cup

Barry Richards

World cup: Now that the semi-finalists have been decided, and we know who is playing who, and now that England`s agony has finally ended and they are out of it all, I would think Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher, in particular, will feel the heat.

In fact, I would be very surprised if either survives this abject World Cup campaign. Vaughan is yet to rediscover any sort of form since his injury, and it looks like the ODI format is beyond him now. Fletcher,

meanwhile, would do well to take the easier option and resign before he is made the scapegoat and pushed.

The West Indies, too, have fallen short, and the rumours of dissent within the team have worsened matters. Brian Lara is unconfirmed for the tour of England, which will in all probability be his swansong if he does go.

Many pundits here in the West Indies will be glad to see the last of him, and that is a true shame, because he has been the game`s greatest.

It is just that the West Indies has not been up to speed with its gameplans and execution according to the modern game.

The authorities need to realise that raw talent alone will no longer do as it did in the past. Of the four semi-finalists, South Africa has blown hot and cold and I would think they would be more than happy to simply play in the final at Kensington Oval.

For now, St Lucia awaits, with its much slower and less bouncy pitch, the kind that has been South Africa`s nemesis throughout this tournament. For all practical purposes, this will be the final for South Africa, because winning against Australia is as hard as it gets.

The boost that a win here will give the South Africans will make them hard to stop in the final. Of course, Australia continues to impress. With Shane Watson waiting in the wings, the team has a real option there. The bowling as it seems to me is somewhat mixed. Shaun Tait travels for quite a few runs early on, and Glenn McGrath does not have the hold over the game that he once did.

Therefore, I would think that in order to beat South Africa, they have to post a 300-plus total, and their batting so far suggests that they can. However, that one bad game is always around the corner, and South

 Africa will be hoping that St Lucia will be it.

New Zealand has gone about its business with no fuss, though the team relies on the three in-form players Stephen Fleming, Shane Bond and Scott Styris. However, the boys continue to believe in themselves and can be a tough match for anyone.

Their do or die attitude and ability to hang in there make them dangerous opponents. Their semi-final adversary will be Sri Lanka, and if the islanders don't beat New Zealand, they will have to answer plenty of questions.

However, Chamara and Dilshan continue to make great strides and the fielding is outstanding - certainly among the top echelons of ODI cricket. They provide an all-round package, with an attack suited to all conditions, so the faster and bouncier pitch in Jamaica will not faze them.

Their blend of youth and experience makes them more respected and feared than the other subcontinent teams, and they have the goods to win, but pressure can be a funny thing. So who will be there in the end? My head says Australia and Sri Lanka, but I'm not sticking my neck out on this one.

(Courtesy: zeecric).