Features

Proteas bid for home success

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 22/09/2009
Cricket betting

The ICC Champions Trophy kicks-off on Tuesday with the world's eight best cricketing nations clashing in South Africa.

On Tuesday, the hosts entertain Sri Lanka in the first of the 50 over-a-side games to be played and the competition promises to be a festivity of big hitting and classy batting.

The Proteas are the online favourites to shake off their choker's tag and finally win the competition after several near misses and are ahead of Australia and India on the betting markets.

Graeme Smith's men, with the likes of Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel, have sufficient ammunition to pepper the boundary ropes and, on home soil, they will be eager to impress.

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Australia, on the back of their 6-1 series success in England will be buoyed by their performances in the lead-up to the event.

Ricky Ponting may make some changes from the team that has played in England and, with James Hopes, Cameron White and Callum Ferguson impressing, it could be a tough choice for Ponting to blend the team needed to shoot them to glory.

World number one ODI batsman MS Dhoni can call upon Sachin Tendulkar to add flair and elan, as well as big-hitting Yuvraj Singh, who is ranked as the world's second best.

Sri Lanka could spring a surprise although much will be depend upon the shoulders of the superlative pairing of Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Nuwan Kulasekara is the current number one ODI bowler and will be looking to get stuck into the wickets.

New Zealand have not been showing the form they are capable of in the lead up to the Champions Trophy, but Daniel Vettori's men should not be under-estimated.

With Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor dominant with the bat when on form, and Vettori himself, Shane Bond and Kyle Mills economical with the ball, the Black Caps could be a surprise package if they play to their potential.

The West Indies always offer so much in these contests but are unlikely to progress from the group stage this time as they have named a largely second-string side.

Pakistan are another outsider and, whether they can get through a difficult group stage which will see them pitted against their most fierce rivals India, remains to be seen.

With Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan and Shahid Afridi lethal at the crease, these could be the men capable of giving them a chance in the competition.

Beleaguered England captain Andrew Strauss has much to consider as he takes his squad to South Africa following their disastrous ODI series defeat to Australia.

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are still missing from the England side and this means that much rests on Strauss' shoulders. The team lacks the quality that many of their rivals possess and this is mirrored by their outsiders price in the betting markets.

Whoever comes out on top in South Africa will need to be at their explosive best with the bat and dynamic and improvised best with the ball.

One thing is for sure, the competition promises to be a carnival of action throughout the two-week event.

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