Well, if you wanted any confirmation of where to put your Cricket World Cup bets, then apparently a veteran astrologer has studied the alignment of the planetary bodies, and has predicted that Sri Lanka and England will be in the final. Read into that what you will. Sri Lanka and India are justifiably strong in the markets, yet are worth taking them to win the Cricket World Cup which starts on Friday. There is a big factor of home advantage here, and they are two of the best one day international teams. The conditions for the World Cup, which is being jointly held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh should give the two teams a big heads up. Even though there are two other sides in the running, Australia and South Africa, which should push hard for the title, because of playing conditions and familiarity, especially when it comes to spin, it probably should be a toss up between India and Sri Lanka as the front runner for your world cup cricket betting. Sri Lanka, who just warmed up with a win against the West Indies, are previous winners of the World Cup, winning when the competition was last held on their own turf. That is a pretty good indicator for the current World Cup and it will be worth taking a long hard look at them. What Sri Lanka have, and what they have shown in the short format, is a tremendous batting power, but they have always been able to back it up with a fierce bowling attack. They are one of the bravest and most forthright teams when it comes to world cricket, and looking at the bowling history for the World Cup, Sri Lanka have two familiar names near the top of the charts for leading wicket takers in the competition. Muralitharan has 53 wickets to his name, and Vaas has 49 in World Cup cricket. Both average around 20 so they will be a major threat. The incredible, inventive spin of Muralitharan has the ability to undo the best batting line ups in the world. This will be his swansong tournament, and while you have the unorthodox Lasith Malinga who will always take wickets, Sri Lanka have bowlers who can dominate matches.
On the batting front, Sri Lanka can throw out Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardne to take the attack straight to the opposition right from the opening order, and they just look to be the best, all round team, without any noticeable cracks in the line up which can be seen. Their batting line up is somewhat enviable in both confidence and ability, making them a solid bet. Sri Lanka should enjoy plenty of success in their group, and it should come down to themselves and Australia to see who takes top spot. They are really the most obvious choice when it comes to your World Cup cricket betting to be honest, as they are decently priced and are well worth backing. Their record is standing at 14 wins out of their last 19 matches on their home turf, and that is strong form to go into the tournament with. Watch out for Angelo Mathews, who is a great prospect for Sri Lanka’s all-rounder position for years to come. Has flair with the and has shown the ability to tear into middle order and tail enders. This is one player who can really stand out in the tournament in his home conditions, and could help Sri Lanka go one better than the 2007 World Cup, where they finished as runners up to Australia. Incidentally, Sri Lanka are the oldest side in the tournament with an average of 29.87 years, so that should equal that all important experience.
Sri Lanka to win 2011 Cricket World Cup: 9/2 at Unibet
What of India? How much home advantage will be handed to them? Well, they looked pretty modest in their batting during a recent warm up win against Australia. India have historically failed to live up to expectations when it has come to tournament cricket. There is always a massive weight of expectation upon them, but this time around, they look more likely to come close to lifting the title. There is an air of unpredictability about them, even though you look down the team sheet and see an enviable line up. They have misfired terribly in their last two tournaments (the 2007 World Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup), but you never know with them. Talented to the rafters, and they are getting the great Sachin Tendulkar warmed up, and they have called up the somewhat controversial figure of Sreesanth to the bowling attack. India have had problems with injury, but finally then can field their strongest one day international side, and they will be boosted if Tendulkar is fully fit. He hasn’t played much cricket over the past year, but let’s not forget his double century against South Africa back in 2010. Quality, just what India will want at the top of their order. Their batsmen really failed to impress too much against Australia in a warm up match, but the prolific and variable spin which they can bring into the attack in the middle part of the game, is one of their key weapons. Australia simply could not cope what was being thrown at them, especially from leg spinner Piyush Chawla who took four wickets for nine runs in just five orders. There could be a massive temptation for India to go with two spinners, where usually they field just one alongside three seamers. They completed their warm up on Wednesday with a big win over New Zealand, and that is the India we should see more of.
Both Sri Lanka and India should be in the knockout stage, and there will be no early upsets this time around, due to the reformatting of the tournament, which should ensure all the top teams get through. The tournament is a prolonged affair with 49 matches on the cards. Both are worth considering because of the matches being played on the sub-continent, which is always a tricky place for the best visiting nations to go to. With other strong contenders South Africa not particularly great performers in the hot and humid conditions, and Australia looking to come together as a side still, Sri Lanka and India represent the best value bets as outright winners for the 2011 World Cup.
India to win 2011 Cricket World Cup: 3/1 at Paddy Power
