Former Australian wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh tips subcontinent teams as 2011 World Cup favourites
Former Australian wicketkeeper Rod Marsh tipped India and Sri Lanka to be the top contenders to lift next year’s World Cup trophy. Looking at the current thriving form of the subcontinent, Rodney said that both would be the hot
favourites of the mega cricketing event.
Marsh believes that the South Asian nations will have an edge during the 2011 World Cup tournament which would be jointly hosted by three subcontinent countries - India, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 – the fourth Test-playing
country of the subcontinent – lost its hosting rights following the terrorist attacks on visiting Sri Lanka team’s bus (in 2009) and the poor law and order situation in the country.
With India being one of the three hosts of the next year’s ICC flagship event, Australia has had a disappointing experience over the past few weeks, losing the two-match series against Dhoni’s men by 2-0.
Marsh said that the chances of Australia to defend its World title would also get clearer on the basis of their performance against India, Sri Lanka and England in the coming days. They have already lost one of the three ODIs against
India after the washout of the first game while the third would be played on Sunday.
"I think we'll get a fair idea of how http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 are going to fare in the ICC Cricket World Cup once we've seen the results of the one-day games Australia are playing against India and also against England."
Marsh, who played 92 One-Day Internationals for Australia, said that the coming days would also be a test of India and England’s game.
According to retired wicketkeeper, who played for Australia in the 1975 and 1983 World Cups, it would be quite difficult for some foreign side to win the World Cup title under tough subcontinent conditions. Marsh, an ICC Cricket
Hall of Famer, feels the subcontinent nations would exploit their home advantage to finish the tournament as champions.
"I think the fact that the tournament is being held in the sub-continent means it will be very difficult for teams England, Australia, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 to win," said Marsh. "I would think a team from Asia would be successful,
perhaps Sri Lanka, I quite fancy them for the title and of course http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750," he said.
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