The much-awaited ICC Cricket World Cup finally commences in Australia and New Zealand today.

The euphoria around the 11th edition of the mega event is no different from past World Cups where just about everything was put on the back burner as the top teams of the cricketing world clashed to prove their supremacy in the four-yearly event.

Quite significantly, however, this World Cup does not have a clear favourite due to the near similar strengths of a number of teams such as Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and England, which renders the event wide open and makes it more exciting compared to previous editions.

The leading Asian outfits, too, are in the same boat this time, with none among Pakistan, India or Sri Lanka managing to rise above the turbulent waters of international cricket in recent months.

Having said that, hosts Australia and New Zealand do have a slight edge due to home crowds and local conditions.

New Zealand, in fact, have been enjoying a purple patch of late, thanks largely to their skipper Brendon McCullum who has instilled a rare fighting spirit in his players that they previously lacked.

Among the minnows, the pundits have tipped the ever-improving Afghanistan and the mercurial Ireland teams to create a few upsets. Both sides comprise talented players who may well prove to be a surprise for the rest.

The World Cup will also see the ICC impose stringent disciplinary measures to curb the corruption menace and avoid any incident that could harm the game’s image.

While players from all competing nations will be reminded of their obligation to be on their best behaviour and report any suspicious activity to the authorities, the ICC has also handed a watch list to the host countries of about 100 match-fixers who are banned from entering the World Cup venues.

All in all, the 45-day extravaganza promises to be a thrilling spectacle for cricket enthusiasts around the world besides being the swansong of many a stalwart of the game.

Published in Dawn February 14th , 2015

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